Daniel Wu Talks American Born Chinese, His Take on the Monkey King, and the Importance of Representation in Media

Daniel Wu is one of the stars of Disney+’s must-see new series, American Born Chinese.

Based on Gene Luen Yang’s groundbreaking graphic novel that chronicles the trials and tribulations of a regular American teenager whose life is forever changed when he befriends the son of a mythological god. This is the story of a young man’s battle for his own identity, told through family, comedy, and action-packed Kung-Fu. The coming-of-age adventure features an all-star international cast, including Academy® Award winners Michelle Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan, Ben Wang, International Emmy® Award Nominee Yeo Yann Yann, Chin Han, Daniel Wu, former Taekwondo champion Jimmy Liu, and Sydney Taylor.

Pop Culturalist was lucky enough to speak with Daniel about American Born Chinese, bringing his interpretation of the Monkey King to life, and the importance of representation in media.

PC: Simon’s journey this season is about rediscovering his voice and asserting himself in situations where he has a lot to lose, and you brought so much depth to that. Did you channel any of your own personal experiences as you prepared to step into his shoes?
Chin Han: Yeah. There’s so much of his personal experience that is universal. Anyone who is in the workplace where they’re trying to find their voice or their lane to run in will come across the challenges that Simon does. All of this was very familiar to me—and being in Hollywood and trying to find my own lane to run in. It’s probably one of the hardest things in the world. You have all these incredible talents and people coming in from everywhere trying to assert themselves with their own voices and their own identities. The main thing, which is also the message of the show, is that you have to sit in your own power and have faith in your own voice and your own identity. You’ll find that. If not today, maybe tomorrow. If not tomorrow, maybe the day after. But keeping the faith is what keeps Simon going.

PC: This series is a love letter to immigrant parents and the sacrifices that they make to provide a better life for their children. Throughout the first season, we see how that affects Christine and her own identity. You brought so much nuance to that. How did you create the space for yourself to dive into the arc?
Yeo Yann Yann: I have to thank the writers and the creative team for creating a great base with the script where we could bounce off ideas and discover the nuances that were already in the script. Christine is a mother, a woman, and a human. She has all these different colors and emotions embedded in her, as well as warmth, love, cheerfulness, and hopefulness. She’s such a lovable human being in this series and mother to Jin. As an actor, I fell in love with her.

PC: Christine and Simon have so many impactful moments throughout the series. For each of you, is there one in particular that you’re excited for audiences to see?
Chin Han: There are so many. But if I’m going to pick one, it’s when we both get to sing and dance. That’s in Episode 5 where we are at karaoke. Singing and dancing is another way of them communicating with each other and expressing their love and their disappointment for one another. I found that scene very fun to play because we had so many toys to play with in that episode.

Yeo Yann Yann: I agree.

PC: This is such a special project for a community that wants to see themselves represented as heroes on screen and not as sidekicks or the punchline. I’ve been lucky enough to be in attendance during SXSW and the New York premiere and have seen firsthand the impact that this series is having on audiences. What does this moment mean to each of you? Who were the heroes in your own lives who shaped the storytellers that you are today?
Chin Han: My parents, undoubtedly. They grew up in a period of war. They themselves found their way to Singapore to create a life and raise three children. Here we are. I was just at the White House! They are my inspiration. They’ve given me all the tools and the resources that I needed to be an actor, which is a tough thing to do. They mean everything to me.

Yeo Yann Yann: For me, it’s those who ventured out for a better life, including Chin Han who came to the U.S. sixteen years ago. These are people that I look up to because they’re really, really brave. They went all the way here for their dreams. It’s people like Michelle [Yeoh] and Ke [Huy Quan] who I can’t thank enough. It’s because of people like them that there’s the possibility to dream even bigger.

To keep up with Daniel, follow him on Twitter and Instagram. Watch American Born Chinese on Disney+ today.