Comedic, intellectual, and entertaining: Hong Kong-born Jimmy O. Yang stars in Disney+’s highly anticipated Interior Chinatown
[The content of this article has been produced by our advertising partner.]
Yang plays Willis Wu, a background character trapped in a police procedural drama, perpetually stuck in his role waiting tables in Chinatown. His life takes a dramatic turn after he witnesses a peculiar crime, setting him off on a journey that will uncover secrets about Chinatown and his family’s buried past, and perhaps give him the chance to finally lead his own story.
Now, Yang is no stranger in the comedy world, but Interior Chinatown — which also stars Chloe Bennet and Ronny Chieng — is his first leading role on television. In many ways, Willis Wu’s journey mirrors Yang’s own rise from humble roots to comedy stardom. He moved to the United States at the age of 13, barely speaking a word of English; an economics degree, a career change, and years of stand-up comedy work later, Yang has built a massive following and has since secured roles in major TV shows and films, including Crazy Rich Asians and Silicon Valley.
Hailing from a typical Hong Kong-Chinese family, his parents hoped for a practical career for him; he persisted, though, determined to pursue his Hollywood dream. It took hard work, but with this show, as the Los Angeles Times puts it, he is “finally No.1 on the call sheet.”
One of his first roles was “Chinese Teenager #1” in Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D in 2013 which, coincidentally, also starred his Interior Chinatown scene partner, Chloe Bennet. Bennet plays the enigmatic Detective Lana Lee, who engages Wu in a fateful investigation, while Wu’s father is brought to life by fellow Hong Kong-American actor, Tzi Ma. The majority Asian American cast delivers a homerun with their heartfelt performances, cutting deep into issues of representation and asks the question: who gets to write your story?
The series is adapted from the novel by author Charles Yu, who discusses how Hollywood and, by extension, American society cast Asian Americans in stereotypical roles. “They can only be certain types, and they never truly belong to the real America.” The novel received rave reviews and won the 2020 National Book Award for Fiction in the United States. Yu happens to be a screenwriter as well and is the creator and showrunner of the series, adapting from his own book to excellent effect.
For Hong Kong audiences, they will surely delight in the Cantonese dialogue heard throughout the show. Cantonese pop songs are integrated into several key scenes, a detail that will no doubt elevate the story for those who understand the lyrics.
All 10 episodes of Interior Chinatown are now streaming exclusively on Disney+, the Walt Disney Company’s flagship streaming platform. Since its launch in Hong Kong three years ago, the streamer’s catalogue has grown much beyond its namesake family-friendly content and into an American television powerhouse.
If you are looking for battles with less gore (but no less heat), stay close to The Bear S3 as Carmy, played by Emmy winner Jeremy Allen White, pushes himself harder than ever as the team turns his once-rundown eatery into a fine-dining institution. The show features a stellar Emmy-winning ensemble cast in Ayo Edebiri, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and the like, while the directing and writing teams are also first-class, having picked up multiple Emmys for their work.
Other fan-favorite teams are also back in action in 9-1-1 S8, Grey’s Anatomy S21, and Only Murders in the Building S4. Followers of star producer Ryan Murphy have another horror series to keep them on the edge, with Grotesquerie featuring Emmy winner Niecy Nash and American football player Travis Kelce making his television debut. Or set sail on Murphy’s Doctor Odyssey, as a team of medical experts on a luxury cruise tackles hair-raising emergencies far from the nearest shore.
All of these and more are now streaming on Disney+, where you’ll find everything you already love — and everything you’re going to.