Asian actress Ming-Na Wen on how she beat the odds to succeed in Hollywood

Despite on-screen diversity improving, Ming-Na Wen feels that in Hollywood, Asian talent still face an uphill battle and have to keep proving themselves over and over. Photo: Handout

Fans of the medical drama ER (1995 to 2004) might remember Ming-Na Wen as Dr Deb Chen – one of the few Asian faces on a major American television show at the time.

Wen's career has quietly advanced Asian representation in Hollywood over the years, from her turn in The Joy Luck Club (1993), a drama about Chinese-American women, to Disney's iconic Mulan films (1998 to 2004), where she voiced the title character.