Sessue Hayakawa, the Hollywood star you’ve never heard of // ‘Always Be My Maybe’ is everything

Asian-American stock has never been higher in Hollywood, so I thought it’d be fitting to pay tribute to the OG: Sessue Hayakawa.

Sessue Hayakawa first made his mark in Hollywood during the silent film era of the 1910s and 1920s. He was Hollywood’s first sex symbol (!!!) and was reportedly the most expensive star for that period of time. In his prime he was just as popular as Charlie Chaplin, and is still the only Asian American to own his own Hollywood studio. If that wasn’t enough to make your head spin, Sessue lived in a mansion custom-designed to look like a castle, drove a gold-plated car, and spent thousands of dollars partying on a daily basis.*

So why do so few people remember him?

Unfortunately, Sessue’s ascension into the Hollywood elite coincided with ‘yellow peril’ - a wave of white xenophobia that pervaded the United States until well after the Second World War. We can thank the yellow peril for such gems like the Japanese interment camps and of course, the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. Hayakawa became so threatening to the American people that he began to be more and more typecast, his roles becoming more demeaning and stereotypical.** To effectively neuter Hayakawa’s sex appeal, Hollywood even outlawed interracial relationships in movies. Hayakawa refused to be the 1920s Ken Jeong so they straight up gave him the Wilt Chamberlain treatment - changed the rules so he wouldn’t and legally couldn’t dominate the game anymore.

Sessue Hayakawa is a reminder of how far we’ve come and how far we’ve yet to go. How many voices have been muted because of circumstances out of their control? How many artists have we forgotten because they refused to compromise their values for work? I pay tribute to the forgotten not out of pity, but in respect and gratitude. They did their best to bury you, but your legacy continues to live on.

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As groundbreaking and refreshing as Crazy Rich Asians was, watching it I still felt a little bit like an outsider looking in. I am possibly the biggest banana you’ll ever meet. I know little to nothing about traditional Chinese customs and speak Mandarin roughly at a 3 year old level. As far as my relationship with money goes, I’m a musician.

I’m declaring Always Be My Maybe as the first Asian-American rom-com, and it was the best hour and 42 minutes I’ve spent this year.*** Asian Americana is on full display in this movie. Going to dim sum restaurants and having the waiters judge you for being unable to speak Cantonese is an experience I’m painfully familiar with. Even something as small as seeing elderly asian actors speak english without an accent was enough to bring a smile to my face. Asians from many different socioeconomic backgrounds are represented which is refreshing, and this hopefully begins to slowly undo that BS ‘model minority’ myth started way back when.

Ali Wong, as most of America knows by now, is a bonafide star but I’m additionally grateful for the opportunity to see more of Randall Park. I liked him as ‘Asian Jim’ in the Office, but I love his work in this movie. He nails the passive-aggressiveness that is a hallmark of Asian America, and plays a hilarious straight man**** allowing his scene partners to really shine. He also raps in this movie, and I’m kinda into it? Half-hearted internet research has revealed that Randall Park was legitimately an MC at one point in his life, being a member of MTV’s Wild’N’Out and rapping in a group called “Ill Again.” The more you know!

It is such a pleasure to be able to see Asians on screen be ordinary people. I’m grateful to be present at this moment in time, and I’m excited to see what doors this movie has opened for others. For the first time in my life, I no longer tense up when I see an Asian onscreen. Instead, I look forward to finding out who they are. It’s a nice feeling.*****

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*Basically the life I hope to one day lead. Not sure if it’s actually possible to drop thousands of dollars at Bonchon in one go, but I’d find a way. Life always finds a way.
**Even during his ‘prime,’ Hollywood execs never cast him as a lead. I wish I could say modern day Hollywood has gotten better...
***The first half of Endgame dragged a bit, even with a monster performance from Fat Thor. #teamfatthorforever
****Comedic role, not sexual orientation...
*****Is this what white people feel like all the time??? I could get used to this...