Comedic, intellectual, and entertaining: Hong Kong-born Jimmy O. Yang stars in Disney+’s highly anticipated Interior Chinatown
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Yang plays Willis Wu, a background character trapped in a police procedural drama, perpetually stuck in his role waiting tables in Chinatown. His life takes a dramatic turn after he witnesses a peculiar crime, setting him off on a journey that will uncover secrets about Chinatown and his family’s buried past, and perhaps give him the chance to finally lead his own story.
Now, Yang is no stranger in the comedy world, but Interior Chinatown — which also stars Chloe Bennet and Ronny Chieng — is his first leading role on television. In many ways, Willis Wu’s journey mirrors Yang’s own rise from humble roots to comedy stardom. He moved to the United States at the age of 13, barely speaking a word of English; an economics degree, a career change, and years of stand-up comedy work later, Yang has built a massive following and has since secured roles in major TV shows and films, including Crazy Rich Asians and Silicon Valley.
Hailing from a typical Hong Kong-Chinese family, his parents hoped for a practical career for him; he persisted, though, determined to pursue his Hollywood dream. It took hard work, but with this show, as the Los Angeles Times puts it, he is “finally No.1 on the call sheet.”
One of his first roles was “Chinese Teenager #1” in Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D in 2013 which, coincidentally, also starred his Interior Chinatown scene partner, Chloe Bennet. Bennet plays the enigmatic Detective Lana Lee, who engages Wu in a fateful investigation, while Wu’s father is brought to life by fellow Hong Kong-American actor, Tzi Ma. The majority Asian American cast delivers a homerun with their heartfelt performances, cutting deep into issues of representation and asks the question: who gets to write your story?
