Recognize this girl?
Her name is Chloe Bennet. She’s a semi-famous American actress who’s gotten pretty big roles in the last few years. You might have seen her in shows like “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” and “Nashville.”
But when Chloe first began trying to become an actress in 2010, she wasn’t booking flashy TV shows.
In fact, soon after moving to the bright lights of Los Angeles, Chloe found herself struggling to find work. She went to what felt like hundreds of auditions across the city, standing in long lines with other girls just like her, hoping for her big break.
But no one seemed to be willing to hire her. The casting studios would look her up and down when she walked into the room, listen to her audition, and politely thank her for her time.
And she would never hear from them again.
For months this happened. By the end of the second year, struggling to pay rent and running out of options, Chloe began to wonder what she was doing wrong.
Finally, she began to suspect it was because of her last name. The last name she was born with.
Wang.
Chloe Wang with her father as a child
Chloe is biracial. Her father is Chinese, and her mother is White.
Therefore, when Chloe Wang walked into casting studios, Hollywood heard her name and immediately pegged her as Asian. Meaning she was a “type,” and not a type meant for leading roles. Or, really, much of any roles at all.
So Chloe Wang decided to whiten herself. She changed her last name to Bennet.
And with her very American, very white-sounding name, she walked into her next audition passing as a white woman.
And guess what? Chloe got the part. A part in a TV show that ended up being hugely successful, and catapulted her into the booming acting career she enjoys today.
Chloe Bennet on Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Although Chloe did change her last name, she fully embraces her Asian heritage, and has actually used her platform to bring attention to race issues in Hollywood.
The question remains, however, if actors of color will continue to feel pressure to whiten themselves as we move into the future.
I guess we’ll have to find out.
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