Hollywood's horrendous mistreatment of Asian culture is no secret, as whitewashing continues to be a common occurrence in the film and TV world. Now, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. star Chloe Bennet has opened up about her own mistreatment.
Earlier this week, Ed Skrein announced he was turning down a role in Hellboy 3 after learning that his character was originally meant to have Asian heritage. The news was met with overwhelming praise, with Bennet herself praising the actor for his "bravery and genuinely impactful step forward" on her Instagram.
The statement prompted a follower to ask Bennet why she changed her name. After all, she was born Chloe Wang, with her surname coming from her Chinese father.
"Changing my last name doesn't change the fact that my blood is half-Chinese, that I lived in China, speak Mandarin, or that I was culturally raised both American and Chinese," she replied.
"It means I had to pay my rent, and Hollywood is racist and wouldn't cast me with a last name that made them uncomfortable. I'm doing everything I can with the platform I have to make sure no one has to change their name again just so they can get work. So kindly love, fuck off."
The comment thread has since been filled with comments from followers, and the original commenter has deleted their Instagram account. You can still find Bennet's Instagram post about Skrein below.
Earlier this week, Ed Skrein announced he was turning down a role in Hellboy 3 after learning that his character was originally meant to have Asian heritage. The news was met with overwhelming praise, with Bennet herself praising the actor for his "bravery and genuinely impactful step forward" on her Instagram.
The statement prompted a follower to ask Bennet why she changed her name. After all, she was born Chloe Wang, with her surname coming from her Chinese father.
"Changing my last name doesn't change the fact that my blood is half-Chinese, that I lived in China, speak Mandarin, or that I was culturally raised both American and Chinese," she replied.
"It means I had to pay my rent, and Hollywood is racist and wouldn't cast me with a last name that made them uncomfortable. I'm doing everything I can with the platform I have to make sure no one has to change their name again just so they can get work. So kindly love, fuck off."
The comment thread has since been filled with comments from followers, and the original commenter has deleted their Instagram account. You can still find Bennet's Instagram post about Skrein below.
