John Cho and the Perfect Role

Korean American actor John Cho thought he would try acting until he turned 40 and then get a more conventional job. However, Cho is now 46 and starring in Jordan Peele's Twilight Zone reboot and a new movie called Searching. The actor is still looking for the perfect role, though, as he wants to stretch, "what an Asian-American is supposed to be in film." Cho said that the types of roles he earns now are far different than they were decades ago, consisting mainly of the heavily-accented characters confined to racial castration, where Asian masculinity is presented as feminine. He later said he does not have the option to be choosy with his roles, as they come limited to actors of color. "I've realized I can't go searching for blockbuster," he said. "I can't go hunting for that game. I'm gonna come home empty-handed." Nonetheless he hopes that his new roles inspire other actors of color to follow a similar path. Although it has progressed since the extremely limited roles in the late 20th century, there is still a long way to go to get as many diverse voices as possible, offering their own lived experience and perspectives.