‘Crazy Rich Asians' Cast Sends Stunning Message at the LA Premiere

The cast of "Crazy Rich Asians" proudly make their debut as the first all Asian-American cast in a Western produced feature film in 25 years.

What to Know

  • "Crazy Rich Asians" is based on a series of books by author Kevin Kwan.
  • The movie was filmed in Singapore and Malaysia.
  • It's the first Western-produced film with an exclusively Asian cast in more than 25 years.

The cast and crew of "Crazy Rich Asians" made a stunning statement on the jade carpet at the film's LA premiere: We're here and we're not going anywhere.

You may have heard "Crazy Rich Asians" is the first Western-produced studio film in 25 years to feature an all Asian-American cast. A fact that  many might find surprising, but stars like Michelle Yeoh say they know all too well.

Yeoh, who just turned 56 on Monday, is a busy working actress. She stars in "Crazy Rich Asians" and will be appearing in season 2 of "Star Trek: Discovery" on CBS All Access. But she tells NBC4 she recalls a time when Asian actors couldn't get cast in small roles, much less larger ones. She says this film is long overdue and hopes, not just the Asian community, but everyone will go see it because it's a story that resonates across cultures.

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Eric Charbonneau
Cast of 'Crazy Rich Asians'

"Crazy Rich Asians" is based a series of books written by Kevin Kwan. It centers on native New Yorker Rachel Chu (Constance Wu) as she accompanies her longtime boyfriend, Nick Young (Henry Golding), to his best friend's wedding in Singapore. Excited about visiting Asia for the first time but nervous about meeting Nick's family, Rachel is unprepared to learn that Nick has neglected to mention a few key details about his life.

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Eric Charbonneau
Henry Golding, Constance Wu

It turns out that he is not only the scion of one of the country's wealthiest families but also one of its most sought-after bachelors. She's then subjected to jealousy, and a Nick's disapproving mother (Yeoh) as she tries to navigate her own feelings and sense of self.

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Eric Charbonneau
Harry Shum Jr., Gemma Chan

There are no martial arts in this movie and no subtitles. Kwan says that's because he wants to tell cinematic Asian stories in a new way. These characters are based on real people and experiences from his childhood. And with comedic actors like Ken Jeong, Jimmy O. Yang and Nico Santos in the mix it's a good bet that you'll love the comedy just as much as the romance.

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Steve Cohn
Awkwafina

Nico Santos plays Oliver T'sien and describes this moment in history as surreal.

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"I'm an immigrant. I was born and raised in the Philippines and I moved to American when I was 16. And the fact that I've achieved the American dream is mind-blowing to me." Watch our live interview with Santos and you can hear more of what he had to say about this film and the upcoming season of "Superstore" where he plays, Mateo.

"Crazy Rich Asians" opens nationwide on August 15th. It stars Constance Wu, Henry Golding, Michelle Yeoh, and Gemma Chan and was directed by John M. Chu.

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