‘Everything Everywhere’ star Stephanie Hsu was once mistaken for Lana Condor on red carpet

“It was very pronounced”

Stephanie Hsu has said she was once mistaken for To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before star Lana Condor during a red carpet event.

The actor, who had her breakthrough role as Joy Wang in Everything Everywhere All At Once, recalled the incident during an interview with The New York Times.

Speaking about the mix-up, Hsu said: “This industry is weird. You have moments where you walk on a carpet and people are like, ‘Lana Condor, Lana Condor!’ It was just once, but it was very pronounced.”

Advertisement

She added: “In everybody’s defense, my mom also thinks I look like Lana Condor: She sent me a picture of Lana Condor a year ago and was like, ‘You look like this woman.’

Everything Everywhere At Once
Joy, played by Stephanie Hsu, in ‘Everything Everywhere All At Once’. CREDIT: Alamy

“But after the Lana Condor thing happened, we were at a screening in New York, and a bunch of people kept going up to my publicist and [directing duo] the Daniels’ publicist, who are both Asian, and they were like, ‘Congratulations, your performance is incredible.’ And they were like, ‘Huh?’”

Speaking about representation in the industry, Hsu added: “So listen, this ride is amazing, but that is real. We have not transcended this moment, right? James Hong [who plays Hsu’s grandfather] started acting at a time when people wouldn’t even say his name, they would literally just call him ‘Chinaman’ and say ‘Get on your mark.’

“Michelle [Yeoh] waited almost 40 years for her first chance of being No. 1 on the call sheet, and Ke [Huy Quan] left acting for [nearly] 20 years. As successful as this film has been, the biggest fear on the other side is ‘What if this is my last chance?’ I’m trying to allow myself to also feel vulnerable on this ride, because there are highs and there are definitely a lot of lows.”

Michelle Yeoh won the award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy at the Golden Globes for her role in Everything Everywhere All At Once. During her acceptance speech, she reflected on the hurdles faced over her career.

Advertisement

“Forty years… not letting go of this,” Yeoh began. “It’s been an amazing journey and incredible fight to be here today, but I think it’s been worth it. I remember when I first came to Hollywood – it was a dream come true until I got here.

“Look at this face – I came here and was told, ‘You’re a minority’ and I’m like, ‘No, that’s not possible’. And then someone said to me, ‘You… speak… English’ – forget about them not knowing Korea, Japan, Malaysia, Asia, India. Then I said, ‘Yeah, the flight here was about 13 hours long so I learnt’.”

You May Also Like

Advertisement

TRENDING

Advertisement

More Stories