Constance Wu, who stars in the ABC sitcom 'Fresh Off the Boat', also stars in the film 'Crazy Rich Asians'. In the film, she plays Rachel Chu, an NYU professor who travels to Singapore with her boyfriend Nick Young to attend a wedding. The film is based on Kevin Kwan's best-selling novel of the same name and explores similar themes to 'Fresh Off the Boat', such as culture clashes, social climbing, and prosperity.
Characteristics | Values |
---|---|
Name of star in both productions | Constance Wu |
Character in Crazy Rich Asians | Rachel Chu |
Character in Fresh Off the Boat | Jessica Huang |
What You'll Learn
Constance Wu stars in both
Constance Wu also stars in the romantic comedy-drama film *Crazy Rich Asians*, where she plays Rachel Chu, an NYU professor who travels with her boyfriend, Nick Young (Henry Golding), to a family wedding in Singapore. There, she discovers that her boyfriend's family is incredibly wealthy, and that his mother disapproves of her, thinking Rachel is too American. The film features a predominantly Asian and Asian-American cast and draws its humour and conflict from cultural clashes and family expectations.
Both *Fresh Off the Boat* and *Crazy Rich Asians* deal with similar themes of culture clashes, social climbing, prosperity, and disapproval of American attitudes. They also both showcase an Asian experience not often seen on screen and have been praised for their representation of cultural details.
Constance Wu's performance in *Crazy Rich Asians* received nominations for several awards, and she received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Motion Picture—Comedy or Musical.
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Wu's experience of sexual harassment on the set of Fresh Off the Boat
Constance Wu, the star of "Crazy Rich Asians", has recently opened up about her experiences of sexual harassment on the set of "Fresh Off the Boat". In her memoir, "Making a Scene", Wu details her encounters with an unnamed producer on the show, who she says sexually harassed and intimidated her during the first two seasons of the sitcom.
Wu, who portrayed the matriarch of the Huang family, revealed that the producer touched her inappropriately, controlled what she wore, and demanded that she run all her business matters past him. She also mentioned that the producer routinely asked her for images late at night and made crude jokes or comments that she would brush off. Wu shared that she kept quiet about the abuse for a long time because she did not want to "'sully the reputation' of a groundbreaking show starring Asian Americans. She said:
> "I kept my mouth shut for a really long time about a lot of sexual harassment and intimidation that I received the first two seasons of the show... I didn’t want to stain this Asian American producer’s reputation. I didn’t want to stain the reputation of the show."
Wu also spoke about the impact that the harassment had on her, saying that she was never able to be herself on set and that seeing her abuser being friendly with others felt like a betrayal. She also mentioned that the experience led to a controversial Twitter moment and affected her career.
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Similar themes of culture clashes, social climbing, and prosperity
The film Crazy Rich Asians and the TV show Fresh Off the Boat share similar themes of culture clashes, social climbing, and prosperity. Both star Constance Wu, who plays a character navigating the complexities of cultural identity and social expectations.
In Crazy Rich Asians, Wu's character, Rachel Chu, is an NYU professor who travels to Singapore with her boyfriend Nick Young to attend a wedding. She is shocked to discover that Nick comes from a wealthy background and struggles with his family's disapproval due to her American identity. The film explores the pressures of family expectations and culture clashes, as Rachel tries to find her place within Nick's privileged world.
Fresh Off the Boat, loosely based on the life of Taiwanese-American chef Eddie Huang, also delves into cultural conflicts and social dynamics. Wu portrays Jessica Huang, the intense and demanding mother of a hip-hop-loving slacker teen, Eddie. The show addresses the generational and cultural gaps between Jessica, who embodies a Tiger Mom mentality, and her Americanized family members. In one notable episode, "Success Perm," the Huang family entertains out-of-town relatives, highlighting their favourite pastime of passive-aggressively comparing social status. This episode, in particular, showcases the themes of social climbing and cultural traditions, as the family pretends to be more prosperous than they are to keep up appearances.
Both Crazy Rich Asians and Fresh Off the Boat have been praised for their representation of Asian experiences on screen. They offer insights into the complexities of cultural identity, family dynamics, and the pursuit of prosperity within the context of cultural clashes and social expectations.
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Wu's displeasure at Fresh Off the Boat being renewed for a sixth season
Wus' Displeasure at "Fresh Off the Boat" Being Renewed for a Sixth Season
Constance Wu, the star of ABC's "Fresh Off the Boat," expressed her displeasure when the sitcom was renewed for a sixth season. Wu, who played Jessica Huang on the show, took to Twitter to share her feelings, tweeting, "So upset right now that I'm literally crying. Ugh. Fuck." She also wrote, "Fucking hell" and replied to a fan's congratulatory message with, "No it's not." On the show's official Instagram post announcing the renewal, Wu commented, "Dislike," which has since been deleted.
Wu's initial comments sparked controversy and drew ridicule, including jabs from ABC late-night host Jimmy Kimmel. However, she later walked back her negative comments, tweeting that her messages were "ill-timed" and that she was "so grateful for FOTB renewal." She clarified that her upset was due to having to give up another project she was passionate about, rather than because she disliked the show.
The controversy surrounding Wu's tweets came at a time when the show was experiencing declining ratings, and it ultimately ended with its sixth season. Wu, who had also achieved big-screen success with "Crazy Rich Asians" and "Hustlers", apologized for her comments, expressing appreciation for the show, her colleagues, and the opportunity it provided for Asian-American representation on television.
Wu's displeasure at the renewal of "Fresh Off the Boat" for a sixth season may have been influenced by her desire to pursue other projects and her experience of sexual harassment on the show's set during its first two seasons. Despite the controversy, Wu ultimately continued to star in the show for its final season.
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Wu's experience of ostracisation by the Asian community
Constance Wu, the star of both Crazy Rich Asians and Fresh Off the Boat, has experienced ostracisation by the Asian community in several ways. Firstly, Wu revealed that she faced sexual harassment and intimidation by a producer on the set of Fresh Off the Boat during its first two seasons. She chose not to speak out initially to avoid "staining the reputation" of the show and the Asian American producer involved. However, she eventually realised the importance of sharing her story, especially given the significance of the show as the only one on network television at the time to star Asian Americans.
Wu also experienced ostracisation by the Asian community following her negative reaction to the renewal of Fresh Off the Boat for a sixth season. Her tweets expressing frustration at the news led to a backlash from social media users, who branded her as ungrateful and selfish. This backlash had a significant impact on Wu's mental health, leading her to a suicide attempt. She felt that the criticism from other Asian Americans was particularly traumatising, as words like "blight" and "disgrace" carry a lot of weight for Asian Americans, suggesting that they do not belong in the community.
Wu's experience highlights the pressures and expectations often faced by Asian Americans, particularly women. They may feel the need to conform to certain societal and family expectations, and their ambition and autonomy can be perceived as threatening to the social order. In Wu's case, her attempts to stand up for herself were met with pushback, and her reputation was tied to the community's reputation, making it difficult to bear the criticism.
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Frequently asked questions
Constance Wu stars in both Fresh Off the Boat and Crazy Rich Asians.
Constance Wu plays the role of Rachel Chu, an NYU professor who travels with her boyfriend Nick Young to meet his relatives at a wedding in Singapore.
Constance Wu plays the role of Jessica Huang, the matriarch of the central Huang family, a Taiwanese family that has immigrated to the US.
Constance Wu has also starred in Hustlers, a true-crime strip club drama, and has written a memoir, Making a Scene, which details her experiences on the set of Fresh Off the Boat.