Ethnically Ambiguous in Hollywood?

As an actor we audition for roles we might fit. Most of the character descriptions start with their ethnicity, age, and sex. Most of these descriptions are black and white. And at times, I mean that literally. A character description might be Caucasian or African-American.

 So what do you do if you have an ambiguous look? How do you fit in? So let’s get into the subject of ethnically ambiguous.

What does that mean?

It means that when people look at you, they are not sure what your ethnicity is. It’s not clear. So let’s just use me as an example. If you don’t know me, you may not know where my parents are from. You might guess that I’m Filipino, Hawaiian, Asian, Hispanic, and any other that you might see with your own eyes. Keep reading if you want to know the actual mix.

How do you fit in, when you don't?

Well, I think most of us are a mixture of something. We’re all beautiful mutts. And yes, sometimes when a character is described using their ethnicity, it’s because it’s a critical part of the story line. But sometimes, it’s just an arbitrary choice made by the writer.

Sometimes you will see a character listed as “any ethnicity,” or they might list the actual preferred ethnicity in order to diversify the cast. The reason I talk about not letting the ethnicity part stop you from submitting for an audition is because we don’t know when it is a critical part of the role. 

Be the out of the box option.

Also, casting directors like to give producers options outside the box from what they initially thought they might want. Never turn down an audition when casting calls you in, even if you don’t think you match the description.

If the character breakdown says Caucasian but you’re Asian and the casting director is sending you an audition, do the Audition! You might be the actor who stands out to Producers because you are completely different from everyone else who auditions. It’s an agents nightmare when they work to get you a cool audition, and you turn it down because you don’t think you fit the part.

We are actors. We fit every part…almost.

Accept that you're the perfect square for the round hole.

So when you have an ambiguous look, you'll rarely fit the role description. Stop trying to fit yourself into a square when you are a clearly a circle. Embrace your differences, and realize you will always be the unique choice. And the one thing we want to be as actors is unique. In an industry where everyone wants to stand out and be seen, those of us who are ethnically ambiguous will always stand out.

More diversity in films...

And it’s true, you’ll find certain ethnicities are more prominent on the screen. But no one said life was fair. And we are all working towards showing a more diverse population on screen. At least that’s the goal. 

And, of course, no one person will ever fit every role description, unless you’re Robert Downey, Jr. (that’s a tropic thunder reference.) Haha!

So don’t worry about trying to fit into the box. 

A broader audience in film and commercials...

Remember that film and TV shows need to fill their world with real looking people. And just like commercials, the more diverse the cast is, the broader the audience.

And since I mentioned commercials, let’s talk about that for a second. Companies buying commercials want to use actors who look like their target audience. And most companies want to appeal to the mass population. And in the United States, our population is highly diverse. 

So, if you start watching commercials as an actor, you will start to notice how ethnically diverse commercials are. So, instead of hiring someone who looks Caucasian, since companies believe that only Caucasians would take notice of that commercial, they tend to hire a more ambiguous cast to fill commercial roles. 

And if you don’t know, SAG, national commercials pay very well. That’s why there are professional commercial actors, who make a very good living.

Embrace your unique look!

So no matter what you look like, realize that you never need to fit into a box. And if you have agents or managers who don’t know what to do with you, because you don’t fit into a box, have a business discussion with them about how they see you and how they pitch you to casting directors. 

It’s important that the people on your team, which your agent and manager are a part of, understand how to sell you. And if you don’t see eye to eye on where you believe your career can go, or the roles that you believe you can play, then it might be time to change the players on your team. 

Personally, as an out of the box actor, I want to work with agents who are out of the box thinkers.

No one can be everything to everyone.

So don’t get frustrated when you see an ethnicity alongside the breakdown of a character. If you are submitting yourself for auditions, and you like the role, submit yourself, and you’ll know if the casting director agrees with you. If you don’t get the audition, there’s no harm.

Don’t be afraid to talk to your representation. You never want to be a needy actor, but if you feel like you should be getting more auditions, and you want to understand their pitch strategy for you as a client, then, it’s a really good idea to set up a meeting with them, or at least have a good email conversation about it.

One film market may cast you differently than another.

And if you go from one film market to another, you might find that you book more in one market as a certain ethnicity than another. In my case, in the Southeast film market, which includes states like Louisiana, Mississippi, Florida, Atlanta, North Carolina, I can book both Asian and Hispanic roles. 

But in the LA market, the majority of roles I audition for is as an Asian. 

And I know my representation drools, when a character is described as ethnically, ambiguous, meaning, there is no box. 

You’ll find that a character who is described as female in the audition breakdown, ends up being booked by a male. 

Make the role your own.

Remember that, until actors are put together to film a project, the story is just on paper. It’s up to us as actors to make that role our own. It’s up to us to show producers how we fit into that storyline better than what they imagined.

So stop trying to fit into the square. Embrace being a circle. Your job is to be the best actor possible.

Their job is to populate the world in the story. Remember to control what you can, and let the rest go.

So, as far as my ethnic makeup, as promised, my dad is from China and my mom‘s family is from Mexico. Y si, hablo espanol.

Be grateful that you stand out.

 Be happy that casting and producers need to look back twice at you to determine what you are.   I’ve made a pretty good career out of being the “out-of-the-box” option for producer’s. That’s my role and that allows me to be comfortable and confident in myself. 

So be thankful for the gift of being unique in an industry that rewards the stand out.

Until next time, break a leg!!

-Nancy