A social media movement called #StarringJohnCho has taken over Twitter to highlight whitewashing in Hollywood.
A website and viral hashtag has been created by a digital strategist. The aim of the movement is to show what Hollywood would look like if they cast Asian-American actors in blockbusters.
The site points out that only one per cent of lead roles today are filled by Asian people, but studies have shown that diverse casts mean higher box office numbers.
So it asks the question, “why doesn’t Hollywood cast lead actors to reflect this fact?”
"In a leaked email exchange with studio heads, Aaron Sorkin (Oscar-winning writer of The Social Network, Steve Jobs, and The Newsroom) complained about the so-called difficulty of adapting a movie with an Asian protagonist because 'there aren't any Asian movie stars'," the website says.
So the movement has gathered movie posters and covers and replaced the lead actor with images of John Cho proving that there are great Asian movie stars. The man himself has a lot of love for the project.
The movement's creator is asking everyone to get involved online and use the hashtag #StarringJohnCho with Tweets in support of the call for an Asian leading man in Hollywood blockbusters.
I guess we just got a glimpse into what it would look like if Hollywood cast Asians as their leading men.
