The cast of the new Disney+ series American Born Chinese continues to grow, as it has now added Stephanie Hsu in a guest-starring role. The series will reunite her with Michelle Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan, who worked on the indie hit Everything Everywhere All at Once. The series will adapt the graphic novel of Gene Luen Yang, which explores the struggles of a teenager named Jin Wang (Ben Wang), as he tries to balance being at high school as an immigrant child. His meeting with foreign exchange student Weih-Chen, played by Jim Liu, will change his life as their worlds collide.
Hsu will take on the role of the Goddess of Stones, Shiji Niangniang. She works in a jewelry shop with her magical doll. Yeoh is playing auntie Guanyin, who is trying to help her nephew navigate American school life, but also hiding the fact that she is the Buddhist bodhisattva of Compassion. Quan is taking on the role of Freddy Wong, who is a fictional character from a 1990s sitcom.
The project is quite an exciting one, as it further explores some interesting concepts of identity and our place in the world. While it will include some mystical elements, the original graphic novel kept its strong focus on its two leads, as they explore what it’s like having similar backgrounds but different upbringings. It will be exciting to see how they also take elements from the original, as live-action adaptations still try to keep some visual flourishes from the things they are adapting.
Source: Variety
