Diversity in Hollywood: The future is now

Gwynne Watkins
·Writer, Yahoo Entertainment
Henry Golding in <i>Crazy Rich Asians</i>. (Photo: Warner Bros.)
Henry Golding in Crazy Rich Asians. (Photo: Warner Bros.)

In 2011, Universal Studios decided to cancel the film version of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s multiracial Broadway musical, In the Heights, which the studio had purchased the rights to three years earlier. The reason? According to a 2015 article by Miranda, “the studio said they didn’t have “a big enough Latino star.”

“It was the old Hollywood sort of run-around line, which I think thankfully is increasingly being exposed as a lie,” Miranda told Yahoo Entertainment in December. “Which is basically like, ‘People of color don’t test internationally.’ Well, Black Panther blew that up in a huge way. Crazy Rich Asians blew that up in a huge way. The film audience is as diverse as our world, and I think we’re finally ready to make this movie.”

Last spring, Warner Bros. won the rights to In the Heights in a heated bidding war. Anthony Ramos, the American actor of Puerto Rican descent who starred in Miranda’s own Hamilton and was featured in A Star Is Born, has been cast in the lead. The film is set for a summer 2020 release date.

Anthony Ramos photographed at a special screening of <em>Bad Times at the El Royale</em> in New York City, September 27, 2018. (Photo: Steve Mack/Everett Collection)
Anthony Ramos photographed at a special screening of Bad Times at the El Royale in New York City, September 27, 2018. (Photo: Steve Mack/Everett Collection)

In 2016, a social-media campaign called #StarringJohnCho generated memes of Korean-American actor Cho replacing white actors on movie posters. These highlighted the rarity of seeing an Asian actor front-and-center in Hollywood’s romances, spy films and superhero epics. Cho did not initially comment on the campaign, but did speak to Yahoo Entertainment about it while promoting his 2018 film Searching.

“People had been talking about representation for a while, but [#StarringJohnCho] made the argument so succinctly that it was incredibly effective,” said Cho. “And really the subtext was, ‘That’s an Asian face. It’s not weird, is it?’ And people looked at it and said, ‘I guess not.’”

Two years after #StarringJohnCho, the top-grossing romantic comedy of 2018, Crazy Rich Asians, featured British-Malaysian actor Henry Golding front and center on the poster.

Constance Wu and Henry Golding in <em>Crazy Rich Asians.</em> (Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures/courtesy Everett Collection)
Constance Wu and Henry Golding in Crazy Rich Asians. (Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures/courtesy Everett Collection)

For all of its stumbles and stubbornness, the film industry really is changing. If this were a movie, Hollywood would be the protagonist who is hurtling towards rock bottom, and suddenly realizes they must become a better person in order to get what they want. There is still work ahead, but Hollywood is moving closer to an ending that leaves the whole audience satisfied.

Yahoo Entertainment’s Diversity in Hollywood 2019 Report

Part 1: Where we are, how far we have to go and how we can get there
Part 2: By the numbers
Part 3: Why it’s time for change and 5 possible solutions
Part 4: Crossroads at the Oscars
Part 5: The future is now