A blog of recent clips, reporting and notions on what's happening in pop culture of interest to me. Written by Cynthia Wang.
My page for current articles and reporting, random thoughts on TV, music, movies, etc.
Jeff Yang rang the bell once more, and so I answered the call. This time, he would write and edit a compendium of Asian American cinema and supplement it with memories, reviews and assessments from a wide range of fellow media members. Weighing in on Tomorrow Never Dies and Mulan was not only fun but also a privilege. To buy The Golden Screen, click here.
The best thing about working on single-issue publications is taking the time delve into one person or topic at a time, absorbing information and poring over photographs. Thank you to Turnpike and a360 for allowing our Pod to explore such a great range of people and programming. You can buy any of these titles here.
Our band of veteran writers, designers and editors ended the year with five more titles. It was an exhausting but rewarding 2023. Thank you for everyone in the Pod and the teams at Turnpike, 10Ten Media and a360media. To purchase copies, go here.
Meet the Casting Guild of Australia’s 2023 Rising Stars recipients
In the middle of a milestone tour, the singer returns to the screen
The Block judge lends her project management skills to a film that gives voice to domestic violence survivors
Gaining fame in Hollywood, the Iranian Australian actor is back Down Under to shine a light on his own community. On a personal note, it is a privilege to check in with this fabulous actor and update milestones in his career. Thank you, Mojean, for your time and trust.
Along with a core team of writers, editors, and illustrators, I’ve helped conceive, edit, and write 10 more single-issue publications for Jacket LLC and 10TenMedia, distributed by a360media. Business is picking up! Thank you to the Pod for making these possible.
Catherine Hill wants to reframe how we talk about the unhoused with her film, Some Happy Day
A heady whiff of nostalgia seems to follow actor Ione Skye and her husband, Australian musician Ben Lee, wherever they go, given the legacy of her 1989 teen classic Say Anything… and the smile-inducing joy to be had any time his rousing 2005 hit “Catch My Disease” comes on the radio. In a rare joint interview and photo shoot from their part-time home in Los Angeles, they banter about the highs and lows of their 13-year marriage, talk about their latest projects and reveal what they’re reading in their loved-up book club of two
After escaping a treacherous cult, the Australian star reprises her role as Aunt Beru in Obi-Wan Kenobi
For the second year, I had the privilege of documenting two virtual sessions arranged by the Pan Pacific Asian Steering Committee of the Motion Picture Editors Guild in celebration of AAPI Heritage Month.
The comedy star leads a local cast in How to Please a Woman
The actress returns to her roots and recalled her immigrant journey. Instead of her recipes or music, we talk about her role in Australian independent film Little Tornadoes.
Leaving her desk job behind, Jennifer Peedom took a camera to the mountains and found a new career
Actor Bethany Joy Lenz is fending off the forces of evil in new thriller So Cold the River while also revisiting One Tree Hill with her costars in a successful podcast.
Actress Claire Dunne co-wrote and stars in Herself, a hopeful drama that fuses her research on surviving domestic violence with the Irish cultural ideal of maitheal. I spoke with her about it for Who Magazine in their July 12, 2021 issue.
The Pan Pacific Asian Steering Committee of the Motion Picture Editors Guild held a panel on May 15, 2021, with Richard Chew, ACE, William Hoy, ACE, and Lisa Lassek, moderated by Edie Ichioka, ACE. I enjoyed learning from them and covering the panel for Cinemontage.
The ‘See’ actor returns to Sydney with an initiative for more Middle Eastern / North African representation in film and television
Mojean Aria. Photo by Kane Skennar.
Coming off successful roles in the Apple+ sci-fi drama See and SBS crime thriller Dead Lucky, Mojean Aria returned from his professional base in the U.S. to his hometown of Sydney with another film under his belt (the upcoming Reminiscence with Hugh Jackman) and a thriving career.
That’s when The Australian Institute for Performing Arts, called. They asked Aria, 28, to teach a multi-day masterclass at the place where he and peers Eliza Scanlen, Danielle Macdonald and Liv Hewson honed their craft. “It means a lot,” Aria says. “AIPA has been a massive part of my foundation, especially in creating a gateway to go to Los Angeles, which initially felt unrealistic and they made it feasible.”
But Aria had one wish before he committed to the gig — a chance to see someone like him amongst his students. So he worked with the Institute’s director of logistics, Marg Haynes, to create a scholarship specifically for Middle Eastern and North African youth that would cover tuition, room and board for the six-day, five-night residential program happening mid-December in Stanwell Tops, just south of Sydney.
“AIPA has always been a safe place for all to train,” he says, “but the issue, I think, is that a lot of these immigrant and first-generation communities in Australia don't believe film, arts or entertainment is even an option for them, or that they would feel safe in those teaching environments.
“I know first-hand as I have two films happening here with very diverse casts that we have a strong need for Australian actors from all backgrounds,” Aria adds, “but we aren't developing them at the same rate. My hope is that word about this scholarship can spread and won’t just give one lucky person the scholarship, but that it will inspire other people to come to the arts.”
The son of Iranian immigrants, Aria channeled his rebellious childhood energy into acting and discovered that he had an aptitude and deep interest in the craft. However, being the only person of colour amongst his peers “built barriers that were hard to break through,” he admits. “As soon as someone asked me where my name was from, and I'd say, ‘Iran,’ I could feel how the energy often shifted. It mainly came from ignorance, of course, as the same things they feared about Iran, so did I!”
While he studied diligently in classes at NIDA and Metro Screen and learned to make friends, Aria could not find roles that interested him in Australia, nor did casting directors seem ready to take a chance on him. “I wasn't going to fit the mould,” he says. “I was, and still am, inspired by American actors like Robert De Niro and Al Pacino who could weave their ethnicities into something global and dynamic.”
He moved to Los Angeles in his late teens. Aria’s early work in theatre and short films would gain acclaim, leading to his receiving the 2017 Heath Ledger Scholarship from the Australians in Film foundation. Further industry support allowed him access to top management and a longstanding kinship with an acting legend.
“I’ve kept in touch with Kim, Heath’s father, to let him know that, ‘Hey, I’ve booked this role,’ or, ‘Hey, I might do this film,’ or, ‘Hey, I’m here, or I’m there,’” Aria says. “I feel it’s important. He has put his soul and his work on the line to give me an opportunity and I should let him know of any opportunity that I can, that it is not for nothing and that I am representing that legacy to the best of my ability and I will hold true to my promises.”
Aria (far right) in a scene with Yoson An and Rachel Griffiths in the series Dead Lucky. Photo courtesy of SBS.
Among his recent Australian projects was Dead Lucky with Rachel Griffiths. “Working with Rachel was awesome,” Aria says. “It was a new experience at that time working with someone of that calibre and I learnt so much from how she navigated herself through the set.”
As for Jason Momoa, the star of See, “not enough can be said about how great he is and how many people I've seen him bring up and support,” Aria says. “We've worked together a couple of times and I'm sure we'll be working together again. The thing I always remember about J is sitting with him on a mountain in Canada while he's playing bass between set-ups. We were talking about Aquaman—it hadn't come out yet—and we were discussing how it would be received and boom! When it came out, everything changed and seeing how he dealt with all of that first-hand was a joy.”
Now Aria can share his own passion at The Acting for Screen Masterclass. “Students will work with me every day, as well as top industry professionals from America who will be Zooming in to teach, give advice, and offer guidance and invaluable feedback,” he says.
Aimed at students between 12-20 years old, classes begin Friday, Dec. 18 and continue through Dec. 22. The scholarship is open to applicants through midnight on Sunday, Dec. 13; those interested should call AIPA on +61 (0) 412 736 977 to register.
“You will be asked to record on your phone or camera a brief introduction about yourself, why you would like to do the class, what acting means to you, and then you will perform a short piece that will be emailed in a link as soon as you register,” Aria explains. “There is no cost to apply.”
Mojean Aria says that establishing this scholarship and offering his services as an instructor are part of the principles he learned when he received the Heath Ledger Scholarship. “Australia has produced some of the best actors of all time in Russell Crowe, Nicole Kidman, Heath Ledger, Joel Edgerton, Naomi Watts and many, many more,” he adds. “I'm excited for us to find and help develop our Al Pacinos, Robert De Niros, Rami Maleks, Viola Davises, Lupita Nyong'os, Riz Ahmeds and such. We do have some who are coming up on the scene, which is great, and I'm thrilled because I think this scholarship will further inspire youth.”
#MENAScholarshipAIPA
From Broadway to Carlito’s Way, the actress has had roles in many genres. Now starring in The College Admissions Scandal, she is passing on her acting passion to the next generation.
