Hollywood likes to put actors in boxes, and it likes to put Asian actors in really small boxes.
Sandra OhRead
I grew up never seeing myself on-screen, and it's really important to me to give people who look like me a chance to see themselves. I want to see myself as the hero of any story. I want to see myself save the world from the bomb.
Interpretation
Representation in media is essential for self-identity and empowerment.
In this quote, Sandra Oh highlights the significance of representation in film and television, expressing her desire for people who share her background to see themselves as heroes. She underscores the impact of visual media on self-perception and the importance of diverse storytelling in shaping narratives that reflect the experiences of underrepresented communities.
In practice
This quote could be used in a discussion about diversity in Hollywood.
Hollywood likes to put actors in boxes, and it likes to put Asian actors in really small boxes.
I'd be so fascinated to talk to a psychologist or sociologist about the deep psychological impact of seeing oneself represented. I don't think we've really touched the surface of what it does to the psyche of a people if the only image of you out there is negative. Or if it's never out there.
Becoming an actor? If it's not a calling, don't do it. It's too hard.
There's a difference between ad-libbing and improvising. And there's a difference between not knowing what to do and just saying something. Or making choices as an actor. As a writer also, as a person who's making a film, as a cameraman, everything is a choice. And it seems to me I don't really have to direct anyone or write down that somebody's getting drunk; all I have to do is say that there's a bottle there and put a bottle there and then they're going to get drunk.
It's tricky when you're doing a recording, because the only weapon you have is your voice and the delivery of that voice. You don't have a gesture or a facial expression, there are no costumes or set pieces. Everything needs to be present in the voice.
I think all those actors from that generation, like Bogart - they were wonderful actors. They didn't act. They just came on and they did it, and the characters were wonderful.
I grew as an actor just by watching Kamal Haasan acting. I had the good fortune of being able to observe Kamal Haasan from close quarters.
The magic of the craft has opened for me a world in which I shall confront, within two hours, the black dragons and the crowned crests of a coma of blue lightnings, and when night has fallen I, delivered, shall read my course in the starts.
Opera happens because a large number of things amazingly fail to go wrong.
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