The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’s Singaporean-Chinese actor Desmond Chiam on racial inequality and Asian stereotypes in Hollywood
- Desmond Chiam, who has acted in Australia and the US, wants Asian ‘identities of all kinds to flourish’ in Hollywood productions, and is ready to fight for it
- ‘Sometimes it’s up to us to tear down those walls on set,’ says the 33-year-old, who has also joined the fight against racial inequality in America
For Singaporean-Chinese actor Desmond Chiam, breaking boundaries and being unapologetically true to one’s roots are of critical importance for an Asian artist looking to succeed in Hollywood.
Born in Melbourne, Australia, the 33-year old split his childhood between Australia and Singapore, then, at the age of 18, settled in Australia for his undergraduate studies. Acting was something he liked doing, but he realised his passion for it only later.
While at university, Desmond tried out different fields, including law, but nothing worked for him. “I’d done some commercials and figured I’d pursue them while figuring things out. Lo and behold, sometimes you stumble into what you’re meant to do. I enjoyed acting, and less than a year out of school, I just made the snap choice to make the change and haven’t looked back,” he says.
Having worked on film and television productions in Australia and the United States, Chiam says Hollywood offers more opportunities since it is the hub for entertainment. “My Asian, Middle Eastern and African-Australian mates in the industry knew, and we knew we had to go. Our biggest prospects back home were a couple of guest spots on soap operas, Neighbours and Home and Away, and after that, we knew we had to branch out,” he says.
Chiam found opportunities in Hollywood once he moved there permanently. “There was a cresting wave of Asian-American creativity in the US. Think back to Wong Fu and other Asian stars blowing up on YouTube, and we knew it was only a matter of time before that wave hit the shore.