From Tony Wong of the Toronto Star:

Link: Our TV critic moonlights as an extra in Frankie Drake Mysteries
I wasn’t sure whether to be flattered or offended. After all, I was being offered a role on the new CBC series Frankie Drake Mysteries.

“You can play a waiter in a Chinese restaurant!” the publicist cheerfully suggested.

After years of interviewing Asian American actors such as John Cho (Star Trek), Eddie Huang (Fresh Off The Boat) and Ken Jeong (Dr. Ken) about the lack of Asian representation in movies and television, playing an ingrained stereotype lacked appeal, to say the least. I had also, in the past, pointedly called out Canadian television producers for making racist comments. So maybe I wasn’t the best candidate. Continue reading.