- [Interviewer] Describe Malec in three words.
- Uh, three words,
I would say majestic, soulmates, stubborn.
It's been a long journey to finally now be able
to promote this final season.
From when we filmed it to now,
it's been quite a while.
So I'm just happy that the fans get to see it
and we get to see it too as well.
You know, when a show ends,
you have these mixed feelings.
And what's been nice about this process
is that we, like especially now doing promotion,
we get to see the cast again.
'Cause you know we been seeing each other in and out.
But the nice part is also just the enthusiasm from the fans.
It's been really incredible.
And to have it finally air the first episode.
For this particular show,
I think if you put the sci-fi and fantasy aside,
you know, they're going through real struggles
with family, with friendship, with relationships
and a lot of times struggling to,
with identity and being themselves.
Particularly with Magnus Bane and,
you know he has this quality where there's so much empathy
but also there's this level of insecurity as well,
for someone who's lived that long.
To me that doesn't speak
to anyone who's lived hundreds of years
but someone who's maybe in their twenties
or thirties or forties.
There is this element of, you know,
you've been on this earth for a while
and you're still insecure.
So I think that is on the larger scope
where we can see how people can identify with him.
You know, he's a proud bisexual character
that, he doesn't use it to define him.
But what's beautiful is that
he also takes shape of his own life.
And we get to see throughout his life,
little bits and pieces of the people that he's loved,
the people that has kind of affected him
in a way that allowed him
to find finally his, you know, his true love.
And I think for the LGBTQ, you know, queer kids and adults
that are watching, I think it's nice for them
to see someone that's not promiscuous
like you know, stereotypically what bisexual characters,
when they're on screen they're usually looked at
a certain way like they can't hold a relationship.
And I think it's nice to see this displayed on TV
and to know that you can have this, you know.
And also for people who aren't in that community
can watch it and like, just love it
and know that they're just watching two people in love.
I always look at it as like,
on the grand scheme of things,
why does it matter?
It should just be like if these two people are happy,
they should be happy.
And we get to see that unfold while saving demons and
(laughing)
you know while having the talk of immortality and mortality.
So layered on top of all that,
makes it more complex but also interesting to watch.
'Crazy Rich Asians' has allowed in a weird way,
kind of like, acceptance in Hollywood and how long it took.
That still blows my mind
to finally see at like award shows,
these women who are not just gorgeous,
but also incredibly talented, have a wonderful presence.
To see Michelle Yeoh, who has been in this game
for so long, who has gone to the Oscars
and Gemma Chan, Constance Wu, like to see them be
so glamorous and hopefully people at home
can see 'em in a different light.
You know I think that's what's really special
and I'm just so happy to finally see that.
I think that this is a, it's a big deal.
It's a bigger deal than sometimes I think,
because it's this new generation that's seeing these kids
that won't know what a struggle it was
like three, even two years ago, three years ago.
When you're talking about like, Asian masculinity
and how it's not the fact that Asians aren't sexy.
Your culture shouldn't define if you're sexy or not.
What's end up happening is that even if a man is sexy
then the Asian gets put on top of it,
and then that doesn't make you sexy.
And that's the sad part that needs to be,
that's needs to change in films and media
and how it's perceived.
Obviously like without going back with the history,
there's reasons for that,
that that happened.
And I think the more we can explore
without it feeling like a history channel and put it
in interesting shows and interesting characters and in film,
I think then audiences will be able to realize, like.
Oh, I've been thinking this way because I've been told
to think this way.
And then that does damage to a lot of,
whether it be actors or just people in general walking
around the streets, it does have an effect
on how they feel about themselves.
I have seen the change in how people cast things.
I would say before 'Crazy Rich Asians,' there was like
almost like this thing of like, oh yeah we need diversity.
It's almost the numbers game.
It's like, well we need to, let's bring in an Asian guy
for this particular role or whatever,
ya know, that's different.
And now, I've been opening some scripts
and what's nice to see it's like, they're very specific.
They're like, well we want a Chinese American
that has this background
and then there's this whole backstory
that they're trying to develop.
And I think that's when the change happens,
when people are doing their research
or bringing people on to the projects
that behind the scenes, not just in front of the camera
but behind the scenes, that are doing their due diligence
on trying to make it as authentic as possible without,
just through their lens but through other people's lens
that can allow this to feel like a real person
as opposed to their idea of who this person's background
or what their background is.
And I think that's when the change happens.
And it takes movies to just go give one glimpse of access
to this huge continent that, you know,
doesn't represent, like, this.
'Crazy Rich Asians' doesn't represent
all of Asia or Asian people.
It's just one small part.
And I think what's important is now that people see
like, that there's interesting stories right here.
What else is there in these different cultures?
And not just in the Asian culture but hopefully
in the Latin community and Middle Eastern
and like, there's just so much that I think it's opening up.
And at the end of the day too, it's good business.
Ya know, people are coming out and watching this.
Like, it's nuts.