In the wake of the Crazy Rich Asians premiere in Hollywood, Kris Aquino took time right after the opening to talk to Preen about Asian representation, the feedback over her role and the most meaningful moments in the film.
On her red carpet experience:
We were scared we’d be late because there were road closures, so we took a circuitous route. I was really touched that there were a lot of Filipino-Americans who made the effort to be on Hollywood Boulevard because it was a really hot day. It was only Gemma Chan ( who plays Astrid) that I got to say hello to and she was as beautiful as ever.
On Lainey Gossip calling her the most beautiful woman in her scene:
Kevin [Kwan] had really wanted me to have afternoon tea with him and Lainey but I had slept through the entire Saturday afternoon. I was sent the link to her blog by JC Buendia early this morning and I was STUNNED!
On fellow cast member Chris Pang, who plays Colin Khoo (the male lead’s BFF) calling her the “truly crazy rich Asian”:
I am not crazy rich—I just work like crazy.
On Asian representation and this movie being dubbed a watershed moment for Asians in Hollywood:
This movie was really meant for the North American audience but it really still has universal values we uphold, especially love and respect for family and traditions. It’s so funny because Bimb was saying I’d be worse than Eleanor (the matriarch and mother of the male lead, played by Michelle Yeoh), and if he ever brought home a girl I didn’t like I’d push her down the stairs (Spoiler: There’s a moment shot on the staircase between Eleanor and Rachel, played by Constance Wu).
On what stood out to her in the film:
As a single mom, I could identify with the deep bond between Rachel and her mom. I understood Rachel’s pride in standing up for everything her mom had managed to accomplish on her own.
On what it means for Pinoys to be representated in a major film like this:
When I heard Michelle Yeoh’s character speaking about how snobbish Princess Intan was and how she had asked for an entire row for herself because she didn’t want to be seated with anybody, i felt whoa, in the Asian hierarchy, royalty outranks wealth and for a Filipina to be playing the only royal character in the whole film made my heart swell with so much pride, and gratitude because Kevin had fought for me to get this role and i genuinely felt it was his way of thanking his Filipino super fans!
Photo courtesy of Michael Leyva’s Instagram account
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