Crazy Rich Asians - Interviews with the Stars

The much anticipated romantic comedy-drama, Crazy Rich Asians - based on Kevin Kwan's best-selling novel of the same name - is finally here. 

Directed by Jon M. Chu the story centers around  a young Asian American woman (Constance Wu of TV's Fresh off The Boat)  who meets the parents of her boyfriend (Henry Golding) only to discover they're one of the richest families in Singapore. It is the first Hollywood studio film in 25 years to feature Asian Americans in leading roles since 1993's The Joy Luck Club.

Jon M Wu says making a film like Crazy Rich Asians is something he has wanted to happen for a long time.  An alum of USC’s film school, Chu spent most of his first Hollywood decade making sequels, including “G.I. Joe: Retaliation,” “Now You See Me 2,” a pair of “Step Up” successors, and “Justin Bieber’s Believe,” the follow-up to his original documentary on the pop star, “Justin Bieber: Never Say Never.” Yet as he entered his late 30s — and followed social media from those like his future lead actress, Constance Wu, about whitewashing and the lack of onscreen representation for people of Asian descent — Chu acknowledged he was “part of the problem” and “shifted his focus”: “This was my time to push something through.”

I spoke with the film's stars Constance Wu, Henry Golding (swoon) Gemma Chan, Ken Jeong and my new girl crush Awkwafina about why it was so important to them to be in this film and the close bond they all share.