In a new magazine interview, the 'Crazy Rich Asians' actress insists it's 'very difficult' to change toxic environment in the movie industry because of the 'inherent' risk.
- Sep 6, 2023
AceShowbiz - Gemma Chan has said it's "risky" to "bite the hand that feeds you" in Hollywood. The 40-year-old actress - who is announced to receive the Changemaker prize at the ELLE Style Awards 2023 - has weighed in on the film industry and the idea of calling out toxic environments.
"It's still inherently risky, I think, to bite the hand that feeds you. And there's still a lot of bad behaviour in the industry. It's very difficult to change that culture," she told ELLE UK magazine's October issue.
The "Don't Worry Darling" star explained she wants to use her social media performs to shine a light on other causes, and asking questions of herself before she does so. She added, "Is it helpful for me to be saying something about this? Am I the best placed person to say something about this? Am I going to take up space from someone else? It's all evolving for me, and I'm still trying to work out how I can help rather than hinder the progress that we all want."
Gemma noted there has been some progress when it comes to Hollywood's approach to East and Southeast Asian storytelling, noting the importance of telling stories "in all its genres" to prove they're "not a monolith."
She explained, "I feel like we've got our foot in the door. It's storytelling in all its genres, and I think it's great, because it also shows that we're not a monolith. There are a multitude of experiences and stories to tell from within our communities."
There is still a lot of work to be done to ensure women and people of colour have proper representation as actors and crew behind the camera. Gemma is looking to do that as a producer, and added, "It feels really natural, and a really good thing to be involved at a much earlier stage in finding these stories."
