Eddy Lee is set to be the first Asian American featured in the renowned Broadway musical “Hamilton” as he tackles cultural diversity in films and challenges the ethnic group faces in the entertainment industry.
It’s no exaggeration that Lee worked tirelessly to reach stardom, but he can now impart knowledge on the struggles that Asian Americans face in a white-dominated market as well as his recipe for success to aspiring performers.
While becoming the first Asian in “Hamilton” is an impressive feat in itself, Lee admitted that he never expected it, saying, “I never thought I’d be the first in anything!”
In an interview with HuffPost, Lee revealed the significance of the growing number of Asian Americans in pop culture.
Lee believes that the reason behind the lack of cultural diversity in films is due to producers who are worried that “diversity won’t sell.” However, the Asian American dancer believes tha “Hamilton” continues to disprove that notion with its “unconventional casting.”
Lee hopes that there would be more shows that will follow the footsteps of “Hamilton” in showcasing diversity to an even wider audience, explaining that there’s still a “lack of any representation” of Asian Americans being portrayed as Americans in Western stories.
Lee described Asians as “being clumped together in this huge umbrella” but in reality, Asians are so diverse in culture that it isn’t right to fit every sub-category into just one group. As for Lee’s tips for success to aspiring Asian American performers, he advised them to “trust in yourself” regardless of how cliché it might sound.
“I think we rule ourselves out before we’ve even given casting the chance to do so,” Lee added. Given the rising number of Asian Americans appearing in pop culture, from a new TV series to theatrical renditions of a Disney classic, it seems that now truly is their time to shine.
