Interior Chinatown, based on Charles Yu’s 2020 novel of the same name, has made itsdebut on Hulu this month. The genre-bending comedy series follows Willis Wu (played by Jimmy O. Yang ofSilicon Valleyfame), a disgruntled young man who is tired of living a life of waiting tables and playing Asian American cliches in cop shows. Everything changes when he witnesses a real-life crime take place, however, which sucks him into a police procedural of his own — and leads him to discover family secrets connected to the mystery of his older brother.
Suprisingly meta in nature,Interior Chinatownreflects on how people are slotted into stereotypes against their will, as well as sometimes forgotten even within their own community. As Willis goes from the Generic Asian Man inBlack and Whiteto a fully realized character in the increasingly complex crime drama that has become his life, he begins to question all his previously conceived notions. The series also boasts a fantastic ensemble cast, includingChloe Bennet (Agents of SHIELD)as Detective Lana Lee, Ronny Chieng (M3GAN) as Fatty Choi, and Tzi Ma (Mulan) as Willis' father Joe.
Interior Chinatown Review: Hulu’s Surreal Series Is A Bitingly Meta Take On Asian-American Representation
Charles Yu’s Interior Chinatown is a wonderfully mind-bending exploration of Asian-American representation in Hollywood.
ScreenRantinterviewed Yang about his role asInterior Chinatown’s Willis, and how his character represents feelings of restlessness and insecurity that arespecific to Asian Americanswhile also being relatable to viewers of any background. Additionally, Yang shared how his own history in the entertainment industry mirrors Willis' journey in unique ways.
Jimmy O. Yang Explains His Flawed But Lovable Interior Chinatown Character
“This is just another thing that my brother got to do that I don’t.”
Screen Rant: Jimmy,InteriorChinatownis phenomenal. I saw up to episode 5, and I need episode 6 immediately. Can you talk to us about Willis and the way that he looks up to his brother, Kung Fu Guy?
Jimmy O. Yang: He’s always lived in his brother’s shadow, [because] he’s made it as Kung Fu Guy, and he’s always been stuck in the background. Even in his family, he was the least favorite kid. His brother was the star, right? Then his brother disappears and of course, in his heart, he’s a grieving little brother who wants to find his brother, but there’s also a personal journey that he needs to go through. And at times it’s selfish.
He’s saying he wants to go find his brother, but there’s also a [desire] to do more with his life in his journey. At the end of episode 2, he says, “This is just another thing that my brother got to do that I don’t.” In a way, although he’s sad about his brother’s disappearance, he’s also very sad and upset about his own life.
In that sense, it’s a conflicted, flawed character. He wants to do good by his family, but at the same time, he needs to live for himself.
Screen Rant: There’s another great line in episode 4 that says, “Pretend long enough, and you might lose yourself.” Can you talk about Willis' journey as he uncovers information about his brother?
Jimmy O. Yang: Yeah, I think referring to his brother with that line when he finds out something about him that’s unexpected and turns his world upside down. But, really, that line also refers to himself. He is pretending to sneak in to the precinct; in order to break out of his role in the background of a restaurant as a generic Asian man. He sneaks in as Delivery Guy, he sneaks in as Tech Guy, and so on. He’s also pretending.
I think a lot of people can relate to this. I have done that, where I go to college and try to act like a different person. Then I go to my job, and I act like a different person. I’m like, “Who am I anymore? Which version is real? This current version, or was the 10-year-old version real? Or maybe not.”
Interior Chinatown’s Willis Is Someone Everyone Stuck In A Rut Can Relate To
“He wants to break out of the role that society and his family have assigned him.”
Screen Rant: I saw myself a lot in Willis as we progressed throughout the show. How did his experience as a background actor waiting tables mirror or differ from your own journey in the entertainment industry?
Jimmy O. Yang: There are actually a lot of similarities as well. First of all, I was actually a waiter in a Chinese restaurant called Chop Suey; a very generic Chinese restaurant. I was also a background actor, and I had so many bit parts; I was Chinese Teenager #1, so that really mirrored my journey, especially becoming Tech Guy and things like that.
But the difference is also that he grew up in a very tough environment in the SROs, in Chinatown. It’s something I’ve fortunately never had to experience, and that’s something we rarely talk about or see when we talk about Chinatown. We just see the kitschy facade of the Chinese restaurant, and we don’t see the actual people who live on top of these restaurants struggling. And oftentimes now they’re getting displaced, through gentrification or whatever.
Digging into that, I was feeling what he might feel if he grew up and has never left Chinatown. My life was the opposite. I was forced to leave Hong Kong and go to America, but Willis has been stuck in the role and in the place that he’s been assigned.
Screen Rant: I love the themes that the show touches on. Can you share your perspective on the theme of identity and representation withinInterior Chinatown?
Jimmy O. Yang: Great question. I think Willis has always felt like he’s stuck in the background and invisible, which is such a metaphor for how oftentimes Asian Americans feel. After I came to this country growing up, I never saw a lot of myself on TV. Lack of representation. And how would you think you can possibly be an actor if you don’t see yourself as an actor? You almost have to be ignorant. And I was, I guess, to some degree! Because I went into this field.
But you also need to have a fire in your belly, where you’re like, “No, no, no. I can also be the change,” and I think Willis is that. Although he thinks he’s a loser, he’s been a loser all his life, he’s been stuck in the background… He wants to break out of the role that society and his family have assigned him, and be more. That’s everything that drives him; he wants to be more. And that alone is not just about representation, and not just about the Asian American journey, but just about anyone. If you are unhappy at your job that you’ve been working in your office, you want to break out of that. Life has to be more than that. I think that’s what makes Willis relatable in this show.
More About Interior Chinatown Season 1
Based on Charles Yu’s award-winning book of the same name, the show follows the story of Willis Wu, a background character trapped in a police procedural called Black & White. Relegated to the background, Willis goes through the motions of his on-screen job, waiting tables, dreaming about a world beyond Chinatown and aspiring to be the lead of his own story. When Willis inadvertently becomes a witness to a crime, he begins to unravel a criminal web in Chinatown, while discovering his own family’s buried history and what it feels like to be in the spotlight.
Check out our otherInterior Chinatowninterviews here:
All 10 episodes ofInterior Chinatownare now available to stream on Hulu.
Interior Chinatown
Cast
Interior Chinatown, adapted from Charles Yu’s novel, follows Willis Wu, a background character in a TV police procedural. After witnessing a crime, he uncovers a criminal conspiracy in Chinatown and his family’s hidden past while exploring what it means to take the lead in his own story.
