The actress known for her role as Daisy Johnson on the Marvel series explains why she changed her last name from Wang to Bennet and criticizes Hollywood in the process.
- Aug 31, 2017
AceShowbiz - Chloe Bennet explained her decision to ditch her Asian name. The "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." actress spoke out after one of her Instagram followers asked her why she changed her last name from Wang to Bennet.
"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 wrote. "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, f**k off," she added.
Chloe was asked about her name change after she appauded Ed Skrein for leaving "Hellboy: Rise of the Blood Queen" after finding out that his character was of Asian heritage in the comic books. He was originally attached to play Major Ben Daimio, a Japanese-American member of The Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense.
"DAMN, that's a man," Chloe gushed. "Thank you @edskrein for standing up against hollywoods continuous insensitivity and flippant behavior towards the Asian American community. There is no way this decision came lightly on your part, so thank you for your bravery and genuinely impactful step forward."
She went on, "I hope this inspires other actors/film makers to do the same. [clapping emojis] --Also, dayum cute af AND a pioneer for social injustice?! Fellas, take note. That's how it's done."
Back in 2014, Chloe explained why she chose Bennet as her new last name, "I was having trouble booking things with my last name. I think it was hard for people to cast me as an ethnic, as an Asian American woman. But I still wanted to keep my dad's name, and I wanted to respect him, so I used his first name."
