Asian man meets white woman. They fall in love. They have beautiful children and live happily ever after. You’ve seen this scene hundreds of times in Hollywood.
Lack of diversity is amongst one of the most deep-rooted – and oldest – problems in the film industry. While ethnic minorities constitute nearly half of the US population, only 13.9% of leading roles have been played by POC actors. While this lack of representation has received some recognition in recent years through movements like #MeToo and #OscarsSoWhite, ethnic minority actors to this day are often asked to play stereotypes – from maids and immigrants to thugs and prostitutes – and struggle to get cast in complex, layered, and authentic roles.
Typecast is a satirical portrait series by photographers Haruka Sakaguchi and Griselda San Martin addressing typecasting practices in the entertainment industry. Across the United States, ethnic minority actors face a lack of roles written for them. Even when they do land a role, they are often asked to play flat, oversimplified “stock stereotypes.” In order to highlight this reality, we photographed actors embodying the typecast roles that they are offered frequently and their ideal roles, or roles that they aspire to play.
Through this project, we hope to challenge negative stereotypes of ethnic minorities and reimagine POC actors in more developed and nuanced protagonist roles. Ultimately, we hope that Typecast stimulates conversation on the long history of racial bias perpetuated by the entertainment industry and how media representation directly correlates with one’s identity in the United States.
