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Post by pandaroo on Dec 9, 2008 21:23:30 GMT -5
Sorry, another Keanu thread started by me  According to this article: www.variety.com/article/VR1117997052.html?categoryid=1236&cs=1 , Keanu Reeves might actually have a role as a samurai. Keanu Reeves is set to star in "47 Ronin," an epic period film for Universal Pictures based on the true tale of a band of samurai swordsmen who avenged the death of their master in 18th century Japan. Chris Morgan (who co-wrote Wanted and Fast and Furious) is writing the script.
The film will tell a stylized version of the story, mixing fantasy elements of the sort seen in "The Lord of the Rings" pics, with gritty battle scenes akin to those in films such as "Gladiator."What got me most was when the article said: Morgan is writing the script and tailoring it so that Reeves -- who's half-Asian -- can fit the role as one of the swordsmen.Ok, I thought it was great that they acknowledge Keanu's ethnicity, but to be totally correct he's actually 1/4 Asian, not half. But I wonder whether this film and Keanu's role as a freaking samurai is going to affect his status (and possibly recognition) as an EA-actor? Or even an Asian actor? Most people who don't know Keanu is mixed, let alone Eurasian assume he's just a "white actor", which I'm not too happy about. Anyway, IMO Morgan's movies aren't really that great. But I'm hoping that if they are promising a LOTR-style action AND period movie, they can make it as good as that. I just hope this film isn't going to be another Last Samurai. |
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Post by jefe on Dec 9, 2008 22:20:28 GMT -5
Technically you may be right, I think that you may also be slightly mistaken.
Keanu Reeves is 1/4 of Chinese descent. His father is also part Hawaiian, and possibly part Caucasian. Keanu is somewhere betwen 1/2 and 5/8 Caucasian (does anyone know for sure)? In the USA, "ASIAN" often refers to Asian-Pacific Islander. If his father is classified as API descent, then it may not be entirely wrong to call Reeves half-Asian under usage popularly used in the USA.
For example, if an African-American is 80% African, 15% Caucasian and 5% Native American (not unusual at all in the African-American community), and if that person had a child with a white person (who may also have trace amounts of African or Native American ancestry), the child may be called half-black or biracial even though they are much more complicated than that.
On to the other side of the topic, there are very very few EURASIAN roles created ANYWHERE that I know of. Most Eurasians must play whites, Asians, or in some cases, something else (eg, Lou Diamond Phillips played a Mexican-American in La Bamba). I think Reeves has usually played roles that are not ethnically identified, but often clearly something American.
I think that many people DO know he is of *mixed* ancestry, but they may not know what it is and they do not attribute him to any particular ethnic group.
But when there are Eurasian roles, they are often played by Caucasians, or more rarely, by Asians or others.
It would be GREAT if see Keanu do a Eurasian role. It would give more validation to his EA background.
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Post by dead0baby0chick on Dec 9, 2008 22:52:56 GMT -5
Eh, I'm not super excited. I don't think it'll bring all that much awareness as to Keanu Reeves' ethnic background. I doubt he's going to be taking tons of nonwhite roles any time soon. Didn't he already play Buddha in some flick with Bridget Fonda?  Anyway...I don't much care if Keanu starts getting recognized as being EA by the white majority of Americans...Cause he's not as cute as he used to be and he's not a terribly great actor and most of the movies he's done haven't been that great either...so I just dun care. |
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Post by straylight on Dec 9, 2008 23:08:59 GMT -5
it's news to me that people don't realize he's mixed. that said, he doesn't resemble a japanese samurai in the slightest. |
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Post by dead0baby0chick on Dec 9, 2008 23:27:24 GMT -5
^He doesn't look Indian either, but that didn't stop him from playing Buddha. I think most people think of him as a white guy. Most white (or otherwise non-Asian) friends of mine in hs, if I mentioned it they were always surprised to find out. They tend to think he's white. It's understandable I guess, I mean...he usually plays white characters... |
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Post by Subuatai on Dec 9, 2008 23:39:51 GMT -5
Heh Hollywood, you should check out the movie "Attila the Hun", Gerald Butler starring it!
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Post by straylight on Dec 9, 2008 23:45:22 GMT -5
^He doesn't look Indian either, but that didn't stop him from playing Buddha. I think most people think of him as a white guy. Most white (or otherwise non-Asian) friends of mine in hs, if I mentioned it they were always surprised to find out. They tend to think he's white. It's understandable I guess, I mean...he usually plays white characters... No, I guess he doesn't. Although he does kind of resemble some of the Buddha statues, like Thai ones...where Buddha is skinny and real placid. |
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Post by dead0baby0chick on Dec 9, 2008 23:53:06 GMT -5
Heh Hollywood, you should check out the movie "Attila the Hun", Gerald Butler starring it! Are you serious? Ugh...Jesus Christ.  |
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Post by Subuatai on Dec 9, 2008 23:57:57 GMT -5
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Post by dead0baby0chick on Dec 10, 2008 0:08:54 GMT -5
OMG...Tommy J. Flanagan's a Hun too? |
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Post by Subuatai on Dec 10, 2008 0:12:03 GMT -5
LOL, yup so it isn't new to have Europid-looking actors in Asian roles. I laughed so hard all through the movie, I'll probably laugh all through 47 Ronin too lol
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Post by jefe on Dec 10, 2008 1:15:13 GMT -5
Ever since I saw him in SPEED, I thought it interesting that he is a bit Eurasian looking but playing someone that seems to be a white guy. It was then that I confirmed that he was indeed Eurasian. I think most people think of him as a white guy. Most white (or otherwise non-Asian) friends of mine in hs, if I mentioned it they were always surprised to find out. They tend to think he's white. It's understandable I guess, I mean...he usually plays white characters... I NEVER thought of him as a white guy -- but a Eurasian guy who is cast in either white roles or ethnically non-descript roles (where "Race or ethnicity" does not seem to play a major factor in the movie. For example, it is not clear what ethnicity the major role in "Constatine" is.) It is like how I think of Russell Wong -- I also thought he was a Eurasianish looking guy playing Chinese Americans. When I later confirmed his Eurasian status, I still think of him as a Eurasian guy who is usually cast to play Asian roles. His brother Michael in HK is usually cast to play either Eurasian roles or "ABC" roles. Maggie Q is more interesting, as in HK, she had more *foreignnish* or ethnically ambiguous roles, but plays an Asian in Hollywood. The vast majority of people I talk to in HK *KNOW* that he is 1/4 Chinese. In fact, I think that is one reason why he had a very popular reception when he came here to do his promotion of "Constatine". I think most Asian-Americans know also -- it is white Americans that are more clueless. |
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Post by cruelangel on Dec 10, 2008 1:26:26 GMT -5
I think they picked him because he looks Asian enough for the role. Dark hair, kinda slanty eyes, god knows nobody wants to see an actual Asian person play the lead role of an Asian character. What sense would that make...
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Post by Subuatai on Dec 10, 2008 1:46:48 GMT -5
Either then Kung fu movie stars I can't think of any Asian actor in an Asian lead role in America.
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Post by dead0baby0chick on Dec 10, 2008 2:49:56 GMT -5
jefe: Well, you have to remember that you're mixed...Generally whites don't have as great EAdar as we do. Even full Asians have better EAdar than full whites. Hell, most whites I've known never knew the word Eurasian til I mentioned it and have little concept of mixed race people. They tend to think black and white...literally. At least most whites I've known. Which is understandable since mixed race people are minorities among minorities. I always knew Keanu was mixed, I always thought he was a good example of right down the middle mixed looks. But I've never talked to a white person about him (to be fair, it's not something I talk about tons, so I only have a handful of times to draw from) and not met a shocked look. I remember one time back when I used to check out stormfront to see what those f**kwits were up to, there was this dumbass talking about how sick The Matrix was for being so multicultural "but at least they still had a proud white man save the day and get the white girl" or something like that. Anyways, most of Keanu's roles have been pretty white. Sorry, that's just the way it is. Racially nondescript my ass, usually he plays whitebread, all-American kinda guys. And then there's the occasional badly thought out period piece role (he should be banned from period pieces) where he's supposed to be a white Brit or a white Frenchie. Russell Wong is typecast as Asian, sure, but Keanu's typecast as white. Usually.
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Anyway...I don't much care if Keanu starts getting recognized as being EA by the white majority of Americans...Cause he's not as cute as he used to be and he's not a terribly great actor and most of the movies he's done haven't been that great either...so I just dun care. 
