It’s hard to picture anyone but Constance Wu playing Rachel Chu in Crazy Rich Asians, but that’s exactly what almost happened.
Tonight, Hollywood’s biggest stars gathered at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles for the 91st annual Academy Awards. During a red carpet interview with Ryan Seacrest, the 36-year-old actress discussed the popular movie and revealed that she almost turned down the role due to her busy schedule for Fresh Off the Boat.
However, once she read the script, she realized that she couldn’t pass up the opportunity. “It was kind of historic,” she said. “For someone like me, who is Asian-American, I had grown up never seeing a major network or major studio tell a story that centered [around] my experience.”
Wu went on to discuss how much she values being a role model for other women, adding, “To be something like that for young women today, to let them know that they can be heroes of their own stories, and their stories are worthy and interesting, and people want to know them…that has been so meaningful to me. That’s why it’s been so important to me.”
