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Spoilers follow forAmerican Born Chineseseason one.
American Born Chinesehelped Ben Wang exorcise some demons, and we dont just mean the Disney+ seriess mythological deities.
Theres something kind of empowering about that, Wang says.
They yell cut, and then you step out and youre back to your older, more self-actualized version.
Also, a battle over a kung fufilled heavenly realm has descended to earth.
Youve said in interviews that you cried when you read the graphic novel during the audition process.
He was one of two Asian kids, period.
And it was the exact same for me.
Instead of Chinatown, I moved from Shanghai when I was 6.
I was, like, the only Asian kid in my class until sixth or seventh grade.
I had that exact haircut; I had that terrible shirt.
My mom did just buy me everything secondhand from the Used-a-Bit Shoppe.
People would come up and say,Oh, that character is so cute.
Why isnt he a plushie?
Because thats exactly where the conversation is today.
Ive met people who still dont understand why the character Long Duk Dong is problematic.
Thats why I think thats right where this show needs to be.
That juxtaposition tells the story, and it teaches that lesson to people who might not get it.
Jin often tries to avoid conflict.
[Laughs] Its a young person who doesnt really understand how much power he can have.
You create confidence internally.
And thats the lesson that Jin learns from Wei-Chen throughout the series.
He meets friends, he meets teachers.
He has conversations with his parents, he has conversations with Oscar-winning actors and actresses.
They built a bunch of sets on the same soundstage.
And then Destin [Daniel Cretton] would go,Okay, great, cut.
Theyre all, like, facing each other, so there was some whiplash going on.
Seeing all those things being filmed in tandem, it was wild.
It was like jumping between worlds.
That kind of makes me think ofEverything Everywhere All at Once.
You watched it with Ke, right?Yeah.
Isnt that just the most Ke thing you’ve got the option to think of?
So, so sweet.
Ill be honest, I didnt see the parallels right away.
But youre right, there is sort of this idea of different worlds but all of them being connected.
And I think bothEverything Everywhere All at OnceandAmerican Born Chineseare about reconciling those worlds with one another.
And thats okay, and theres something actually very beautiful about that.
Have your own parents seen the show yet?Nope.
I think my mom will watch the show for sure.
My moms in China right now.
I dont think theres Disney+ there, so Ill have to get some sort of link for her.
And my dad … yeah, itll be interesting.
My parents divorced when I was 4, and I came to the States with my mom.
She raised me as a single mother, and Im an only child.
And then Chin Han showed up, and immediately I was like,Oh, this is perfect.
How do you feel about that cliffhanger?
It certainly opens up room for another season where Jin could get to do more action.Potentially.
I hope not, honestly.
I was so gung-ho about wanting to do action when the show started.
I was like,yo, yo, yo put me in wires.
This interview has been edited and condensed.
