Henry Golding talks about discrimination in the industry. Image Source: DMARGE
Henry Golding talks about discrimination in the industry.
Actor Henry Golding, who recently attended the Gold House's first annual Gold Gala in Los Angeles with his wife Liv Lo, spoke about fighting for representation in the industry and how he has faced discrimination in the industry.
Henry Golding spoke to E! News and shared that he has heard it all. He is not Asian enough, not white enough, and he has reached a point where he said that he just has to accept that it’s one of the things that are never going to change, not from the Asian side of the populace either. The actor who received the leading man honor at the Gold Gala mentioned to the publication that he is grasping what he believes and what he loves about who he is and is not worrying about the misconceptions others have.
The Crazy Rich Asians star added that he is proud to be Asian, he is proud of his British heritage, and he thinks that is all one can ask for in a person. The actor, who has been praised and appreciated for his performances, wants to encourage young actors who have experienced or faced any sort of discrimination in the industry to stay true to themselves. Henry added that the young actors should know that they’re in a party of one at the end of the day and should not be listening to the haters because if they do, they will be distracted from their goals, which should not be the case, and they should be working to do anything and everything in their power to accomplish their set goals. The actor added that sometimes it means one has to swallow their ego and pride and keep doing the best one can.
Gold House is a nonprofit collective of Asian and Pacific Islander leaders who are fighting for socioeconomic equity and more authentic representation. Henry Golding who was awarded the leading man, while accepting the award said to the audience that now in the traditional sense when people talk about leading men they mean a hero, romantic lead, or a great comic but he added that he’s going to let everyone know a little secret that achieving that is fairly easy. Henry explained that one has to do the material justice, be professional, treat others the way you want to be treated and you don’t go up slapping people on the stage that is the projection of a leading man.
But the actor added that the harder part of being a leading man is the off-screen part which applies to all of the people (he, she, they, and them) and it’s being the leading person to others like your peers, colleagues, friends, and family. Henry Golding in his speech said that it’s important to take action, it’s about fighting for the ones whose rights are diminished because of the color of their skin. The actor emphasized fighting for changing the laws and advocating for fairness in the industry and explained that it’s like building platforms and companies to uplift people to break through that bamboo glass ceiling and pushing the limits of stereotypes physically and mentally in all disciplines.
The actor lastly concluded that he wants to encourage and appreciate the people who are bringing in the change and added that we all have the power to be leaders and we just have to choose to make a difference. Michelle Yeoh, Mindy Kaling, Lisa Ling, Chloe Kim, Daniel Dae Kim, Kelly Marie Tran, etc., were some of the celebrities who graced the event and appreciated Henry Golding.
