Society & Culture
Ep 4: Mixed in Hollywood - Casting complexities and artistic empowerment with Crystal Yan-Kay Lowe
2023-10-17
We’re kicking off our “mixed actors in the entertainment industry” series.
Lowe shares insightful and personal stories about navigating her career in the ever changing landscape of Hollywood being of both Chinese and Scottish heritage.
We dive into diversity issues and casting complexities in the industry with mixed actors, as well as colorism and the importance of fair representation in media.
What do you do when your reps are asking you to “play up/down” one side of your identity because it’s “in”?
What roles are available for mixed actors and can a mixed actor play a monoracial role and vice versa?
How far have we really come with portraying diversity on screen and how can we as actors take things into our own hands?
Episode breakdown:
- Introduction to Yan-Kay Crystal Lowe
- Overview of her multicultural upbringing in Vancouver, Hong Kong and the USA
- Childhood anecdotes of growing up Scottish and Chinese
- How the industry perceives Crystal versus who she is and how she feels internally
- Diversity or lack thereof, in the industry, past and present
- Fitting into casting dynamics as a white passing mixed-race actor
- Can mixed people play monoracial roles and vice versa?
- Discussions about Colorism and fair representation in media
- Ways that we can try to achieve diversity on screen
- Articles about recent instances of white washing in Hollywood films
- Emotional considerations around acting in accents from our different cultural backgrounds.
- Crystal reclaiming her name and knowing her worth as an artist.
Special Guest:
Yan-Kay Crystal Lowe
Actor/Director
Crystal AKA Yan-Kay Lowe is a Chinese-Scottish-Canadian actor, director and writer.
She started her acting career at 15 years old and was quickly cast in numerous tv series including stargate SGI, The Twilight Zone and many more. As her film career blossomed she became one of Hollywood's most in demand 'scream queens' starring in numerous films including the beloved franchise, Final Destination, Children of the Corn: Revelation and Black Christmas .
She has starred in the Canadian produced series Primeval as Toby Nance, as well as the hit Hallmark series Signed, Sealed, Delivered, where she was nominated for multiple awards for best actress for her portrayal of the quirky and lovable Rita Haywith. .
She has written, directed and produced numerous award-winning short films and was nominated for best international director for her short film, The Curtain.
Most recently she's been selected as the first recipient of the new Hallmark women's director program.
Instagram: @officialcrystallowe
Links to resources:
2019 NBC News article on ‘Colorism’
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/colorism-reveals-many-shades-prejudice-hollywood-n959756
USD Student Media article
https://uofsdmedia.com/robbed-of-representation/
Interview with Alex Chester (Editor - in - Chief of the HAPA Mag)
https://www.mixedlife.net/eveything/2020/7/15/the-mixed-race-casting-debate-who-can-be-cast-in-what-roles
Art’s and entertainment section of THE GENERAL CONSENSUS- Hamilton-Wenham Regional High School’s student-run newspaper - Ella https://hwrhsgeneralconsensus.com/10771/arts-entertainment/from-yellowface-to-whitewashing-in-hollywood/
Additional info on the Podcast:
Hosts: Amy Maghera -Taub, Hanna-Lee Sakakibara
Music: Mathias Kunzli - www.mathiasjunzli.com
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