Leading Ladies: Anna May Wong

Episode Summary

The podcast episode is about Anna May Wong, who was the first major Asian American movie star. She was born in Los Angeles in 1905 with the name Wong Liu Zong. As a child, Wong became interested in acting and started going by the stage name Anna May Wong by age 11. At just 17 years old, she played the lead role in one of the first color movies ever made. One of Wong's most well-known early roles was in the 1924 hit movie The Thief of Baghdad. Though this boosted her career, the exoticized, scantily clad character she played also demonstrated the racist casting practices in Hollywood that Wong would later speak out against. Over her prolific career, Wong appeared in more than 50 films but was frustrated by the racist typecasting of Asian actors. She was passed over for lead roles in favor of white actors and cast as villains and servants. Fed up with Hollywood, Wong moved to Europe in the late 1920s. She found more success there, starring in films across the continent and earning praise for her acting talents. After some time in Europe, Wong returned to the United States, but faced the same discrimination. Most notably, she was denied the lead role in The Good Earth, which went to a white actress in yellowface. In the 1930s, Wong traveled to China to perform, but faced criticism there over her Hollywood work. She took a break from films for many years until becoming the first Asian American lead of a TV series in 1951. Tragically, Wong faced health issues in her later years and passed away from a heart attack at age 56. Though overlooked in her time, Wong was a groundbreaking talent who advocated against Hollywood's systemic racism.

Episode Show Notes

Anna May Wong (1905-1961) was the first major Asian-American movie star. She openly criticized racist typecasting and many of her critiques still ring true today.

Episode Transcript

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She was a very successful actor, and she was a very successful actor with the prolific Anna May Wong. Anna was born in Los Angeles in 1905. Her birth name was Wong Liu Zong. She initially attended a majority white school, but transferred to a Chinese school to escape racism she experienced from her classmates. Anna often skipped class to check out nearby film sets, pushing her way to the front of the crowd to get closer to the cameras. She came up with Anna May Wong as her stage name by age 11, and she was 14 when she appeared in a silent picture called The Red Lantern. At 17, Anna played the lead role in The Toll of the Sea, one of the first movies in color. Anna's most notable early role was in 1924. She played in the hit movie The Thief of Baghdad. Though this part was a stepping stone for her career, it's also emblematic of the problems with Hollywood casting that Anna would soon after vocally advocate against in interviews. In The Thief of Baghdad, Anna played a treacherous slave in a subservient role wearing very little clothing. Anna appeared in more than 50 films throughout her life, and she often struggled with subservient, exoticized typecasting. Hollywood also repeatedly granted lead Asian roles to white actors and cast actual Asian actors as villains. After working in the United States for several years, Anna had had enough of Hollywood's biased casting, so she moved to Europe. Europe was more receptive when it came to Anna's acting ability. She starred in films throughout the continent, with reporters praising her transcendent talent. One notable appearance was in the British movie Piccadilly in 1929. After a few years in Europe, Anna decided to give Los Angeles another shot. She appeared in the famous 1932 movie Shanghai Express, opposite Marlene Dietrich. SPEAKER_01: I must confess, I don't quite know the standard of respectability that you demand in your boarding house, Mrs. Haggerty. SPEAKER_05: But Hollywood hadn't really improved its racist casting methods. Anna auditioned for the lead role in The Good Earth, a film based on the novel about a family of Chinese farmers. Despite Anna's film credentials and glowing reviews, the role went to the white actress Louise Rayner, who wore makeup to make her look Chinese. Anna was devastated. Matters were only made worse when MGM asked her to do a screen test for an unsympathetic concubine role in the same picture. Anna refused. Frustrated once again, Anna left America and traveled to China in an attempt to perform in traditional Chinese theater. But there, she faced harsh criticism for her Hollywood work, which was perceived as degrading to Chinese culture. Anna returned to America defeated. At age 35, she took a break from making films for many years. Then, in 1951, she made history by becoming the first Asian American to play the lead in a TV series. The show was called The Gallery of Madame Liu Zong, starring Anna as a mysterious detective and art dealer for the show's 10-episode run. You might notice the lead character has Anna's birth surname. The role was truly created just for her. Unfortunately, no copies of the series exist today. Anna hoped to continue acting, but she faced several years of failing health. She passed away due to a heart attack when she was just 56 years old. Though Anna May Wong is often overlooked as an icon of early Hollywood, she was an incredible talent who never gave up her fight for equal casting. As always, we're taking a break for the weekend. I'm sad to be closing out Leading Ladies because it's been such a fun theme this month. The good news is, next month's gonna be great, too. We're talking all about musicians. Special thanks to Liz Kaplan, my favorite sister and co-creator. Talk to you on Monday. I wanna tell you about another show I think you'll like. 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