‘Quantum Leap’ reboot brings a rare Asian American lead to network television

Sandra Oh represents Canada at Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral in London

Sep 23, 2022

“Almost half of all Asian roles serve as a punchline, study finds.”

You’re not the only ones disappointed by that headline. For us, “crushing the myth” means dismantling stereotypes and improving Asian representation across all industries, including Media & Entertainment. Because to “see” our community is to see us on screen.

So welcome to Entertainment Exclusive, Crushing the Myth’s weekly newsletter that breaks down the latest Asian Entertainment news & newsmakers.

Get ready for new shows to binge, videos to keep you on the edge of your seat, and Asian celebs to stan. If that’s not enough, there are also job listings for the entertainment industry & open casting calls just a scroll down.

🏆 The Headlines

‘Quantum Leap’ reboot brings a rare Asian American lead to network television — “The show is about jumping into other people and having an experience that is maybe different than yours.”

When Raymond Lee first received an offer to star in “Quantum Leap,” a sequel to the beloved sci-fi series that aired from 1989 to 1993, he thought the show’s producers had made a mistake. Instead of a supporting character, he was being asked to play the lead.
“I got to play the lead in theater, [but] I didn’t know if the landscape was there for me to do it in television, let alone network television,” Lee told NBC Asian America. “But lo and behold, it presented itself, and I was like, ‘I have to take this swing.’ This is the role I’ve been waiting for.”
Set nearly three decades after Scott Bakula’s Dr. Sam Beckett stepped into a time-traveling machine and vanished, the new “Quantum Leap” on NBC stars Lee as Dr. Ben Song, a quantum physicist who discovers a way to travel through time and space and fix mistakes of the past by temporarily leaping into the bodies of other people.

Sandra Oh represents Canada at Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral in London — Oh was part of the official Canadian delegation led by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Sandra Oh attended Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral on Monday as part of the Canadian delegation led by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

The Canadian-born actor, who has dual Canadian and American citizenship, was appointed to the Order of Canada in June — the highest civilian honor of the country — in recognition of her accomplishments onstage and onscreen.
On Sept. 15, the Emmy-nominated star was named as the official Canadian delegation for the queen’s funeral. Other notable figures in the procession included former Olympian Mark Tewksbury and musician Gregory Charles, among others.
Netizens who spotted Oh were surprised by her presence at the funeral.
Day 5 without Rachel Weisz @kiana_weisz
Sandra Oh attending The Queens funeral, was not on my bingo card for 2022
11:10 AM ∙ Sep 19, 2022
1,648Likes202Retweets

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Élodie Yung on Thony’s Criminal Descent in ‘The Cleaning Lady’ Season 2 — The second season of The Cleaning Lady premieres next week, and there is so much to unpack.

When we last left Thony (Élodie Yung), she was becoming business partners with Arman (Adan Canto) and Nadia (Eva De Dominici) after Hayak’s (Navid Negahban) downfall. After celebrating her newfound partnership and deciding to stay in the United States, Thony finds Marco has taken their son Luca. With Arman in prison still, Thony turns to FBI agent Garrett (Oliver Hudson) for help with her son.
“It’s just all over the place,” Yung tells The Nerds of Color over the phone from the set. “She’s juggling so many plates even more than the beginning of this story we’re following because she has fallen into this underground world of Vegas crime.”
With everything going on with Thony and the world she’s involved in, she will be going through some changes mentally. There are some moments where Thony is completely emotionless and really showing no empathy. Yung wants it to be clear that Thony is not a sociopath. She’s just on “autopilot” as survival mode.

🎬 Industry Insider

Kelly Marie Tran to Star in, Produce Biopic on Activist Amanda Nguyen (The Hollywood Reporter)
‘Loki’: Eugene Cordero Upped To Series Regular For Season 2 (Deadline)
Korean Family U.S. Drama Series In Works From ‘Dr. Brain’ Director Jee-Woon Kim, ‘Star Trek’ Pair Bo Yeon Kim & Erika Lippoldt And eOne (Deadline)
‘The Acolyte’: Manny Jacinto Joins Disney+’s ‘Star Wars’ Series From Leslye Headland (Deadline)