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Forbidden Kingdom
Why do Asian male leads have such a tough time breaking away from martial arts film in Hollywood?
In Asia, South Korea’s Rain is a pop megastar with platinum albums who’s toured the world, playing to stadium crowds. But in his first lead role in the U.S., in James McTeigue’s “Ninja Assassin,” he plays, well, a ninja assassin.
For Asian male leads, breaking into Hollywood still pretty much means starring in martial arts movies, even if, like Rain, you’re not a martial artist. This week on the IFC News podcast, we look over the careers of other leading men from East Asia who’ve tried to transition into American film, and wonder why the same old patterns seem to keep popping up.
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Tags: Anna and the King, Chow Yun Fat, Forbidden Kingdom, Jackie Chan, James McTeigue, Jet Li, John Woo, Karate Kid, Ninja Assassin, Pirates of the Caribbean At World's End, Rain, Rush Hour, Shanghai Noon
