In 2021, Sam Song Li was cast in an independent film as the ancestor of a character played by a pre-"Shang-Chi" Simu Liu. To the general public, the non-speaking cameo might seem insignificant. But for Li, it was a seminal moment.
A producer told him she picked him after looking at more than 200 people for the role, for which he was 鈥渙n screen for like a whole 30 seconds,鈥 Li recalled to The Associated Press.
鈥淚 remember hearing that and just feeling like, 'You know what? I think I鈥檓 good enough for this,'鈥 he said.
Almost three years later, Li is one of the leads in an all-Asian cast and, like Liu, acting opposite He and Justin Chien play the scions of a Taiwanese triad leader in the new Netflix series 鈥淭he Brothers Sun,鈥 dropping Thursday.
An elixir of crime drama and comedy, 鈥淭he Brothers Sun鈥 shakes up the formulaic way Hollywood has often portrayed Asian immigrant families. The genre-bending show aims to be a vehicle for fresh faces like Li and comedian Jenny Yang, a practice that doesn't always feel like the norm when it comes to
Mostly known for stand-up and sketch comedy, Yang is making her television acting debut as the assassin Xing.
鈥淚 had heard about the project before any casting notice was seen and I was jealous. ... Why am I not involved in this?鈥 Yang recalls.
She credits casting director Jenny Jue with making 鈥渢he extra effort to scour the internet and scour her networks to look for talent that might not have been previously seen.鈥
Jue, whose previous projects include 鈥淚nglorious Basterds," also grew up in Southern California with a high school boyfriend who 鈥渄abbled鈥 in a Taiwanese gang. She pointed to that history when she lobbied writer-executive producer Brad Falchuk ("American Horror Story," 鈥淧ose,鈥 鈥淕lee,鈥) and executive producer Byron Wu to board the project. But she also made a heartfelt pitch about how she saw it as a huge responsibility to the Asian American community.
鈥淚 really want to see new faces here. You鈥檝e written roles that are too distinctive and layered and nuanced. I don鈥檛 just want to shoehorn the same faces that we always see into these roles," says Jue, describing her pitch. 鈥淓ven the final cast, I wasn鈥檛 sure if any of them had their SAG cards other than Michelle Yeoh.鈥
Yeoh was the only big name Jue felt they had to have. Producers agreed after she got them into an
鈥淚 knew of some really talented actors who were considered for Mama Sun. But Michelle just has a really innate, motherly quality. And she can also be really tough,鈥 Jue says. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 what we really needed for this role.鈥
Li likens working with Yeoh to 鈥減laying basketball with Steph Curry.鈥 And when the cameras weren't rolling, 鈥渟he is somebody who walks into a room with so much grace, so much love for everybody and she really listens to to people in a very intimate way.鈥
There have been a few naysayers on social media, who bemoaned Yeoh's continued casting in parts that could have been stepping stones for other actors. It's reminiscent of criticism Liu 鈥 who played 鈥 has faced for appearing to get the lion's share of 鈥淎sian male鈥 roles.
The double-edged sword of being and then dinged for seemingly taking too many opportunities more often plagues actors of color. Yang understands some of these complaints come from a good place of wanting to elevate more people. But, one person's success doesn't have to be divisive, she says.
鈥淥f course everyone wants to work with Michelle Yeoh. Of course everyone wants to see what she can do next. So, I think we can have both," Yang says. 鈥淚 think we can have the ability to uplift as many talented voices as possible. Let鈥檚 keep pushing on that. But, let鈥檚 celebrate when someone gets a spotlight on their talents.鈥
Li, whose only previous TV credits were one-episode guest spots on 鈥淏etter Call Saul鈥 and 鈥淗ome Economics,鈥 has had his share of rejections. But, he chooses not to take it personally.
鈥淚 think a win in our community of any kind is a huge win for all of us,鈥 Li says. 鈥淭here鈥檚 never been an instance for me where I went, 鈥榃ow, I could have done it better.鈥欌
A 20-year veteran in casting, Jue agrees it can feel like one sees a lot of the same faces from a marginalized group. It's 鈥渁 product of a lot of decision-makers and higher-level executives not knowing that there鈥檚 anything else out there.鈥
She recalls trying to have dialogues with producers and directors about diversifying ensembles numerous times in the late 2000s. She would often hear 鈥渘o鈥 without explanation. It was as if having no conversation at all was easier, Jue says. But there was a seismic shift in 2020, with the racial reckoning after
鈥淭he conversations I鈥檓 having now with producers are much more open," Jue says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a real safe space where I tell them 鈥業鈥檓 never gonna use anything we talk about against anybody in these rooms. We just really need to talk openly about what you guys like, what you don鈥檛 like, what you want to see and how we can add more diversity in a way that feels really natural.'鈥
For so long, too, Asian immigrant family narratives on screen tended to be depressing, overdone tales of struggles with racism, money or some other outside force.
鈥淭he Brothers Sun鈥 is the latest among recent productions, all featuring Yeoh, that paint parent-child conflict in an Asian American household 鈥淓verything Everywhere All at Once鈥 and have been applauded for fun and inventive narratives. This isn't a trend but an indicator that audiences are moving on from 鈥渨ell-trodden tropes鈥 about Asian immigrant stories, Yang says.
鈥淚 feel like it鈥檚 a part of a greater desire to see just fun entertaining family shows or about family dynamics but with heightened situations,鈥 Yang says. 鈥淭his is what television is for, baby.鈥
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Tang, based in Phoenix, is a member of The Associated Press鈥 Race and Ethnicity team. Follow her on X (formerly Twitter) at .
