James Hong recalls the time J. Carrol Naish had him fired from The New Adventures Of Charlie Chan
J. Carrol Naish gave the producers of the crime series an ultimatum after James Hong flubbed one line
Aux News James Hong
Following his barn-burning SAG Awards speech, James Hong is sharing more details about his early acting career and being an Asian American in Hollywood, including the time a prominent white actor had him fired from a television series in a racist outburst early on in his career.
In 1957, he joined crime drama series The New Adventures Of Charlie Chan as Barry Chan, the “number one son” of the title character. The lead role went to the late J. Carrol Naish, a white actor known for his prolific work during the Golden Age of Hollywood. Being white, the crew had to tape Naish’s eyes back in order for him to play Charlie Chan.
“It sickened me to watch somebody glue their eyes so that they would look Chinese,” Hong says in the interview with The Guardian. “That upset me inside, but I did my role.”
That is, until the day Naish got him fired for a simple mistake.
“One day I was off stage, just giving him the lines, and he’s on camera. I happened to miss one line,” Hong explains. “He just charged up to me and said: ‘What do you think this is? A school for Chinese actors?’ I was shocked; I didn’t know what to do. He came at me and I was ready to fight. But he didn’t swing—he just went to his dressing room.”
Hong later learned Naish presented an ultimatum to the producers: Either Hong goes, or he does.
“He had me fired. That shows you the deep prejudice he had inside. That hurt a lot. It took me years to recover from that. I had to go see a psychiatrist,” Hong says of the incident.
While the tide is certainly turning when it comes to the array of roles offered to Asian actors and their treatment on sets, Hong acknowledges that the work is far from over.
“We were not important people in the United States as far as the film industry was concerned,” Hong says. “Until about 10 years ago when we started to win awards. So it’s been a journey from ground zero to what it is now. But there’s still a long way to go.”
As the nature of work for Asian actors is finally beginning to change, veteran Hong doesn’t intend on missing out. At 94, Hong shares he has no intention of retiring any time soon, and plans on taking up new offers that come in the wake of Everything Everywhere All At Once’s success.
“I’d like to make a couple of other movies because this is my chance,” he says. “I’ve waited all these years to do projects and now people are going to back me.”
18 Comments
That eye-taping thing sounds neither fun nor comfortable. I wonder if any white actor ever said “Guys, this kinda sucks. Why don’t you just bring a (nationality) guy in here?”
Probably not. White actors like money and credits on their résumé; they’ll put up with a little eye tape.
No, because taping back a White person’s eyes to make them look “Asian” is AC-TING!!!! It’s a PER-FORMANCE!!!! That shows off their RANGEEEEEE!!!!That it was also racist as fuck is a very recent realization, as Joel Grey, Roddy McDowell and Jonathan Pryce were still doing it in the mid-late 1980s.
Yeah, I suppose it was a case of “You want this job? Tape up or we’ll find an asshole who will.”
I’d imagine that anyone who was uncomfortable with playing another race, either because it was physically uncomfortable or demeaning or because they thought it was silly/offensive not to give the part to the right ethnicity, just didn’t take those parts in the first place. Naish played Charlie Chan for years, so I doubt he had much of an issue with it. I guess the physical discomfort might have made him a bit more irritable and could be a factor in him going off on Hong, but like I said, it was hardly new to him.
If only Mickey Rooney would have said that when they were making Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Or Marlon Brando when making Teahouse of the August Moon.
I am not familiar with the Brando movie.
One search later . . . Yikes!
Surprisingly enough, he was good in the role, unlike Rooney. I haven’t seen the film in decades, but I remember it fondly.
Conversation like television set on honeymoon: unnecessary.
Ah so!
Don’t wrong the Hong!
Now that somewhat lighthearted detective fiction is coming back into vogue, I think it would be a good time to revive the Charlie Chan franchise, but you know, without all the stereotypical bullshit, and with an ethnically Chinese actor in the role. There are lots of possibilities for it. It could be contemporary or it could be set decades ago. Chan dealing with the prejudice of those around him could be a factor. He could play into stereotypes as a way to subvert expectations of him. There are lots of ways to make it work.
I’ve thought for years that such a take would be very successful, as long as they get good actors for the roles. (I’m afraid James Hong may have aged out the title role, but he could do a great job in a supporting role as Chan’s father or grandfather.) Although what I’d really love to see is an accurate-as-possible film about the detective who inspired the original novels, Chang Apana.
“Charlie Chan” is practically shorthand for racist Hollywood depictions of Asian people, so they’d probably need a different name for the character.
Have you seen “Warrior”?
Nope.
Nobody should ever, ever, fuck with Lo Pang.