What Asian representation in 'Turning Red' means to cast | ABS-CBN

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What Asian representation in 'Turning Red' means to cast

What Asian representation in 'Turning Red' means to cast

Yong Chavez | TFC News Hollywood

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Updated Mar 08, 2022 08:48 PM PHT

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Sandra Oh. Photo courtesy Disney/Pixar
Sandra Oh. Photo courtesy: Disney/Pixar

'Turning Red' holds a personal significance to one of its stars, award-winning actress Sandra Oh.

Disney's latest animated film is about a 13-year-old girl going through that phase in a young teen's life when significant changes are happening.

"This is the film I wanted to see when I was like 8 to 18. This is the film that I really wish I saw. So to be a part of it now is extremely satisfying to see. Being Canadian and Asian Canadian, to see Mei who's also a bright, confident, ambitious girl, who's not afraid to be smart or dorky and who loves her friends and loves her music, I just thought it was a joy to be a part of. It's great to see," Oh said.

Rosalie Chiang. Photo courtesy: Disney/Pixar
Rosalie Chiang. Photo courtesy: Disney/Pixar

Oh's character is the mother of Mei, voiced by the film’s lead star Rosalie Chiang. Animated projects usually take a long time to finish and talents cannot reveal their involvement in projects so it took years before the newcomer was able to tell her friends that she is a bonafide Disney talent.

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Chiang shared how she too related to her character who is trying to navigate her place in the world as a spirited teenager and an obedient daughter.

"Since I was the same age as Mei and I was literally coming of age, I was going through that process during the recording. So it was just so nice to have that movie, kind of right next to me as I navigated through it. And I hope that people in the future can watch this and just take notes because I know like, Inside Out, there are people who use that movie to help kids express their emotions and understand it, and I hope this will be theirs for puberty and change and messiness," Chiang noted.

Grayson Villanueva. Photo courtesy: Disney/Pixar
Grayson Villanueva. Photo courtesy: Disney/Pixar

The film's story focuses on an Asian family. Among its cast members is Filipino performer Grayson Villanueva who plays one of the members of 4*Town, the boy band that Meilin and her friends are obsessed with in the movie. 4*Town's songs were written by music superstars Billie Eilish and FINNEAS.

"It was such a thrill to be able to sing with the rest of the boy band. And it's great because it's also like an Asian film. And so I'm just excited to see that representation on-screen. I am most excited for them to hear the music that Billie Eilish and FINNEAS put together and that the boy band sings is just very much of that era. And it's just, like, so fun," Villanueva said.

'Turning Red' comes at a time when a shift in Hollywood is happening and more diverse characters are included. For many years, Asian talents and stories were largely absent on-screen.

Watch more in iWantv or TFC.tv

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