Michelle Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan, two Oscar winners, are set to star in the highly anticipated Disney+ series, “American Born Chinese.” Joining them in the cast is their “Everything Everywhere All at Once” co-star, Stephanie Hsu.
The show centers around Jin, a high school student, who is trying to find balance between school and home life when he meets a foreign exchange student. Jin soon finds himself embroiled in a battle with mythological Chinese gods. Yeoh plays Guanyin, a version of the Bodhisattva, who is associated with compassion. Little is known about Quan’s character, Freddy Wong, except that he is listed as part of the main cast.
Hsu, on the other hand, will be playing Shiji Niangniang, a goddess in Chinese religion and Taoism who was originally a 10,000-year-old demoness. Hsu’s character was first introduced as a villain in the Chinese mythical classic “Compendium of Information on the Gods of the Three Religions,” which suggests that she could be playing a baddie in “American Born Chinese.”
With its unique blend of coming-of-age storytelling and otherworldly fantasy elements, “American Born Chinese” is sure to be a genre-bending thrill ride. But can it earn Yeoh and Quan Emmy nominations to add to their awards collection?
Yeoh is a frontrunner for Comedy Supporting Actress, thanks to her Oscar win for “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” and the buzz surrounding her performance in “American Born Chinese.” In our current predictions, she’s expected to join Sheryl Lee Ralph (“Abbott Elementary”), Hannah Waddingham (“Ted Lasso”), Janelle James (“Abbott Elementary”), Ayo Edebiri (“The Bear”), Juno Temple (“Ted Lasso”), Alex Borstein (“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”), Sarah Goldberg (“Barry”), and Lisa Ann Walter (“Abbott Elementary”) as nominees.
Quan, however, is a longshot for Comedy Supporting Actor. The predicted nominees are Tyler James Williams (“Abbott Elementary”), Brett Goldstein (“Ted Lasso”), Henry Winkler and Anthony Carrigan (“Barry”), Nick Mohammed (“Ted Lasso”), Tony Shalhoub (“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”), Harrison Ford (“Shrinking”), and Bowen Yang (“Saturday Night Live”).
The show’s star, Ben Wang, is a newcomer, and it may be too early for him to earn an Emmy nomination. Instead, “American Born Chinese” could excel in below-the-line categories, such as cinematography, costume design, and production design.
Judging by the show’s trailer, “American Born Chinese” will feature spectacular visual effects and intricately choreographed fight sequences. The show’s costume and production design will capture ancient China, fantasy characters, and modern-day American high school life all at once. Sound mixing, sound editing, lighting design, and hairstyling could also be in the mix.
Here’s a full list of the categories in which “American Born Chinese” could easily contend:
Cinematography for a Series
Fantasy/Sci-Fi Costumes
Period and/or Character Hairstyling
Main Title Design
Period and/or Character Makeup (Non-Prosthetic)
Music Composition for a Series
Original Main Title Theme Music
Picture Editing for a Comedy Series
Production Design for a Narrative Period or Fantasy Program
Sound Editing for a Comedy or Drama Series
Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama Series
Special Visual Effects in a Season or a Movie
Special Visual Effects in a Single Episode
Stunt Coordination for a Comedy Series or Variety Program
Stunt Performance
Technical Direction, Camerawork, Video Control for a Series
It is important to note that predicting the nominees for Emmy awards is no easy feat. With so many quality TV series, the competition is fierce, and it is difficult to know which shows and actors will make the cut. However, based on the information available, “American Born Chinese” has the potential to make quite an impact at the Emmys.
In conclusion, “American Born Chinese” is an exciting new series that features some of the best talent in Hollywood. With Yeoh and Quan leading the way, the show is sure to captivate audiences with its unique blend of coming-of-age storytelling and otherworldly fantasy elements. While it may be too early to predict Emmy nominations for the cast and crew, the show could easily contend in below-the-line categories, such as cinematography, costume design, and production design. We can’t wait to see what “American Born Chinese” has in store for us.
