With "Wicked," director Jon M. Chu writes his own story

Summary

Podcast Summary: "With 'Wicked,' Director Jon M. Chu Writes His Own Story"

Introduction

In this episode of NPR's Consider This, host Ailsa Chang delves into the creative journey of Jon M. Chu, the acclaimed director behind blockbuster films like Crazy Rich Asians and the upcoming adaptation of the Broadway sensation Wicked. The discussion not only highlights Chu's latest project but also explores his personal background, identity, and the evolving landscape of Asian representation in Hollywood.

Overview of Wicked

Wicked, a 20-year-old Broadway hit, reimagines the classic tale of The Wizard of Oz by flipping the narrative to portray the Wicked Witch of the West as a misunderstood protagonist. The film features a star-studded cast, including Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba (the Wicked Witch), Ariana Grande as Glinda (the Good Witch of the North), and Jeff Goldblum as the Wizard of Oz. Jon M. Chu brings his unique directorial vision to the project, promising a fresh perspective on a beloved story.

Interview with Jon M. Chu

Early Life and Upbringing

Jon M. Chu shares insights into his upbringing in Los Altos, Silicon Valley, highlighting the cultural assimilation his parents prioritized. His parents, Chinese immigrants who owned the renowned Chef Chu's restaurant for over five decades, emphasized "Americanness" to help their children fit into American society. Chu recalls, "My parents... wanted us to feel like we belonged the way she didn't at first" (06:35).

Asian American Identity and Representation

Chu discusses the challenges of growing up as an Asian American in a community where Asian identities were often homogenized. "There wasn't really the term Asian American... It was just like, oh, you're Chinese, basically" (08:32). This lack of differentiation underscored the complexities of his identity, where he often felt caught between his heritage and the societal expectations placed upon him.

Filmmaking Journey and Crazy Rich Asians*

Reflecting on his path to becoming a filmmaker, Chu attributes much of his success to the burgeoning Asian American community and the increasing demand for authentic representation in media. His pivotal role in Crazy Rich Asians marked a significant milestone, bringing an all-Asian cast to a mainstream Hollywood blockbuster for the first time in decades. This project not only resonated with audiences but also paved the way for more diverse storytelling in the industry.

Embracing Storytelling and Wicked*

Chu explains how his personal experiences and growth as an Asian American storyteller influence his approach to Wicked. He aims to "flip [The Wizard of Oz] to see it from a new view of a person of color, a person of green who is looked at as so different that everyone thinks they're wicked" (12:04). This reimagining serves as a metaphor for marginalized communities striving to redefine their narratives and assert their identities.

Memoir Viewfinder*

In addition to his directorial ventures, Chu discusses his new memoir, Viewfinder: A Memoir of Seeing and Being Seen. He describes it as a culmination of his life lessons and personal stories, providing deeper context to his work and the themes he explores in his films. "This is sort of a way for me to get to Wicked through my own story" (12:04), Chu explains, emphasizing the intertwining of his personal journey with his professional projects.

Personal Reflections and Parent-Child Dynamics

Chu opens up about his parents' initial skepticism regarding his passion for filmmaking. He recounts a pivotal moment when his mother confronted him for staying up late editing videos instead of studying, leading to a heartfelt conversation about following one's passion. "This is America, the greatest place in the world. You could do whatever you want if you love it" (09:05). This exchange marked a turning point, garnering his parents' support and reinforcing his commitment to storytelling.

Conclusion

Jon M. Chu's journey from a young filmmaker in Silicon Valley to directing major Hollywood projects underscores the importance of representation and authentic storytelling in contemporary cinema. His work on Wicked promises to challenge traditional narratives and offer new perspectives, reflecting his dedication to reshaping the landscape for marginalized voices in film. Through his memoir and upcoming projects, Chu continues to inspire and advocate for a more inclusive and diverse media environment.

Notable Quotes

• "My parents... wanted us to feel like we belonged the way she didn't at first." — Jon M. Chu (06:35)
• "There wasn't really the term Asian American... It was just like, oh, you're Chinese, basically." — Jon M. Chu (08:32)
• "Flip it to see it from a new view of a person of color, a person of green who is looked at as so different that everyone thinks they're wicked." — Jon M. Chu (12:04)
• "This is America, the greatest place in the world. You could do whatever you want if you love it." — Jon M. Chu (09:05)

Final Thoughts

This episode of Consider This offers a comprehensive look into Jon M. Chu's artistic and personal evolution. For listeners unfamiliar with his work, it provides valuable insights into the motivations behind his projects and the broader implications of his contributions to film and representation.

Transcript

[Ailsa Chang]

The wickedest witch there ever was.

[John Chu]

The enemy of all of us here he.

[Ailsa Chang]

Wicked. The 20 year old smash hit on Broadway turns the story of the wizard of Oz on its head. You know, where the villain becomes the hero and the hero becomes. Well, it's complicated. You be with me like a handprint on my. Now the story of Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, Glinda, the Good Witch, and the wizard himself is making the shift from stage to screen.

[John Chu]

Are people born wicked or do they.

[Ailsa Chang]

Have wickedness thrust upon them? And this movie cast is stacked with talent, with the likes of Cynthia Erivo as the Wicked Witch of the West, Ariana Grande as Glinda, the Good Witch of the north, and Jeff Goldblum as the wonderful wizard of Oz.

[John Chu]

Just follow the road.

[Ailsa Chang]

It's gonna be a direct to me. And it seems fitting that the person finally bringing the Broadway musical to movie theaters around the world is John Chu, the director behind this other blockbuster.

[John Chu]

So, Lisa, what are you doing?

[Ailsa Chang]

Malika, I'm an economics professor. Whoa.

[John Chu]

Very impressive. Econ professor, eh? Wow, you must be very smart. Good for you.

[Ailsa Chang]

John Chu helped make significant strides for Asian representation on film with crazy rich Asians in 2018.

[John Chu]

Let me get this straight. You both went to the same school, yet someone came back with a degree that's useful. And the other one came back as Asian. Ellen.

[Ailsa Chang]

Choose a director who's often made music central to his work. Like in 2021 with the musical drama in the Heights.

[John Chu]

Maybe this neighborhood's changing forever. Maybe tonight is our last night together. However, I just want to see the whole world through her eyes.

[Ailsa Chang]

They're talking about kicking out all the dreamers. It's time to make some noise. And now with Wicked, Chu is embarking on a project that is in so many ways the culmination of his own story as a person of color.

[John Chu]

The wizard of Oz. How do you flip it to see it from a new view of a person of color, a person of green who is looked at as so different that everyone thinks they're wicked.

[Ailsa Chang]

Consider this. Director John Chu always knew he wanted to be a filmmaker. And each step he's taken has led him to this moment. From npr, I'm Ailsa Chang. This message comes from Capital One offering their Cashback rewards card, Quicksilver earn unlimited 1.5% cashback on every purchase everywhere. What's in your wallet? Terms apply. See capital1.com for details.

[John Chu]

This is Ira Glass of this American Life. Each week on our show, we choose a theme, tell different stories on that theme. All right, I'm just going to stop right there. You're listening to an NPR podcast. Chances are you know our show. So instead I'm going to tell you we've just been on a run of really good shows lately. Some big, epic, emotional stories and some weird, funny stuff, too. Download us this American Live.

[Ailsa Chang]

Okay, so does this sound like you? You love NPR's podcasts, you wish you could get more of all your favorite show, and you want to support NPR's mission to create a more informed public. If all that sounds appealing, then it is time to sign up for the NPR plus bundle. Learn more at plus.NPR.org It's Consider this from NPR. Wicked hits theaters next week. The film had its LA premiere over the weekend, but the movie's director was noticeably missing. In a pre recorded video, Chu let attendees of the premiere know why he could not be there in person.

[John Chu]

And I've waited for three years to have this moment, to share a movie with you. But I've waited my whole life to have this moment, to have a child right now. Of course, this little girl knows when to show up.

[Ailsa Chang]

Chu and his wife dropped by the premiere through a video because they were at a hospital to welcome their fifth child into the world, a girl named Stevie Skye Chu. Recently, I talked to John Chu about his path as a filmmaker and how his own life story led to a blockbuster career. When the movie Crazy Rich Asians came out in 2018, I, like almost every Asian I knew, rushed to the theater to see the first Hollywood movie in decades starring an all Asian cast.

[John Chu]

I'm sorry to tell you, but Rachel has been lying to us about her family and her mother. What? What are you talking about? I hired a private.

[Ailsa Chang]

Now, at the time, I didn't know much about the director, John Chu, but what I did know, long before I ever read his new memoir, Viewfinder, is that he and I grew up in the same town in Silicon Valley. I have been dying to tell you, John, I grew up in Los Altos as well, basically.

[John Chu]

What?

[Ailsa Chang]

Yes. At the same time you did? Basically. I graduated high school in 1994, so I think I'm a few years older than you, right?

[John Chu]

Not much right there. Yes.

[Ailsa Chang]

And I grew up going to Chef Choo's as a kid. I swear to God.

[John Chu]

Oh my gosh. That's crazy.

[Ailsa Chang]

I did not know that, to be honest. Chef Chew's was like the fancy Chinese restaurant for us growing up.

[John Chu]

That's funny.

[Ailsa Chang]

Chef Chew's is the Chinese restaurant that John Chew's parents have owned for 52 years, even though it's known for great Chinese cuisine. Chew says what his parents most wanted was to radiate Americanness, to assimilate. They sent their kids to the San Francisco Opera in matching suits and to a comfortable private school called Pinewood.

[John Chu]

You know, my parents came from Taiwan in China, and they didn't speak a lot of English when they first got here. And I think that was really hard for both of them, my mom specifically. And so I'm the youngest of five kids. And she really wanted us to fit in. She wanted us to feel like we belonged the way she didn't at first. And so she put us in etiquette classes and dance class, music classes, and really encouraged us to be as, quote, unquote, American as possible. And in a weird way, it worked for us. And going to Pinewood was one of those things. It's very idealistic, and you learn songs, you learn cardan, and it's very, very safe, for sure.

[Ailsa Chang]

Did it ever feel performative to you growing up, what your parents asked of you, like, were. You felt like sometimes you were being asked to basically act white?

[John Chu]

It honestly never felt performative, maybe because I grew up in it, and my parents, you know, when you are the owners of a Chinese restaurant, they felt like they were ambassadors, that our family were ambassadors to people who had never met Chinese families before. And so they instilled it in us that, you know, no matter what people said, no matter how people treated us at first, that we were to not just fill their belly when they come into the restaurant, but fill their hearts. So next time, when they see a Chinese family, they'll know that they are worthy as we would be, and we could prove to them right there. So there was a lot of proving ourselves.

[Ailsa Chang]

It's so interesting listening to describe that pressure on your parents to be ambassadors, because at the same time, growing up Asian in Silicon Valley can be confusing because there are so many Asians in that area. You can forget sometimes how different you are compared to the rest of this country. It's harder to feel like a minority when there are so many of you everywhere, right?

[John Chu]

Definitely. And there wasn't really the term Asian American, not that I remember. It was just like, oh, you're. You're Chinese, basically, no matter what you. If you look Asian, you're Chinese. And there was no differentiation.

[Ailsa Chang]

Is that the occasional sayonara? I'm like, no, I'm not Japanese yet.

[John Chu]

A lot of bowing, a lot of different random things that would happen to you. Calling me Jackie Chan Wherever I went. But you just sort of went along with it because you had no other choice. And there was also the Asians that literally just got there and didn't speak English. And so we felt that, like, oh, we're not them either. We couldn't define it because we didn't have a term. And so it was very confusing. Sometimes you had to make a choice. And I didn't realize that until much later in my life that subconsciously we did make a choice.

[Ailsa Chang]

There are so many parallels between your family and mine. Like how your parents first reacted to your passion for filmmaking. Like, they first thought of it as just playing around, but eventually they did support you. Just like my parents finally got over me quitting the law to become a journalist. What do you think allowed your parents to embrace your unconventional career way before you even got famous? Because for them, so much of Chef choose was just about survival.

[John Chu]

Yeah, I don't know exactly what's going on in their heads, because when their child is running around with a video camera, running around downtown Los Altos, running through traffic, trying to get fun shots, I don't think they exactly knew what I was doing. The only time that I knew it was when I would convince my teachers that I could make a video instead of write papers. And I remember one night, it was like three in the morning, and I'm editing, and my mom comes in and is like, you can't be editing. You have to be studying. You have to be reading. You have conned your school. And she unplugged my computer. And, you know, at that time, everything would be lost. And I was just devastated. And I went to her the next that night and said, this is what I love. You always said that. This is America, the greatest place in the world. You could do whatever you want if you love it. And the next day she came to school and she had a pile of filmmaking books and said, if you're going to do this, you have to study it like a craft. And from then on, they were right there next to me. They must have seen it in my eyes. I don't know exactly.

[Ailsa Chang]

Well, as you wrote about your decision to eventually make crazy rich Asians, you said, quote, I turned 35 without knowing who I was because I'd ignored the sleeping dragon in me. What was that sleeping dragon inside you? And how did that dragon lead to crazy rich Asians?

[John Chu]

I think the sleeping dragon was the kid that was folding napkins at the bar, at the restaurant. I think that kid was fiercely close with his grandma, My Boo Boo. We fold wontons at lunchtime for dinner meals with the whole family. I think that kid is the one who went to Taiwan and looked around for the first time and was like, I feel like family is here and they're treating me different here. As I got older, seeing this identity of the Asian American rise from Wong Fu to so many Jabberwockies and all these people that were amazing and confident and fully who they were, and I think it was this community rising that gave me the right bed, I guess, to rise out of and fire me up and say, john, you have a responsibility too, in this and for your children as you look into your adult. And I think that that was the dragon, was this new force that I didn't realize I had.

[Ailsa Chang]

Well, let me ask you finally, as someone who is knowing himself better, who sees himself as an ambassador in a way, for other Asians, who's a different kind of storyteller now. How does your biggest project yet, Wicked, fit into all of that for you?

[John Chu]

Well, I think that was a big reason for the book that I wanted to look at my life going into Wicked, going into having children, and solidify the lessons that I'd learned. And this is sort of a way for me to get to Wicked through my own story. How does the most American fairy tale, maybe other than Star wars, the wizard of Oz, how do you flip it to see it from a new view of a person of color, a person of green.

[Ailsa Chang]

Yes.

[John Chu]

Who is looked at as so different that everyone thinks they're wicked? And what happens to that person who believed in the Yellow Brick Road, who believes in the wizard, who's supposed to give them what their hearts desire when maybe, maybe there is no wizard at the other end. Maybe the Yellow Brick road is not meant for you. Maybe you have to actually take to the skies and do it yourself. And I love the story of Elphaba because that's what she has to figure out how to do to let it all go and find and write her own story.

[Ailsa Chang]

Filmmaker John Chu's new memoir is called Viewfinder, A memoir of Seeing and being Seen. Thank you so much, John, for spending this time with me. I so appreciated it.

[John Chu]

Thank you. I love spending any time with a person from Los Altos.

[Ailsa Chang]

Woohoo. This episode was produced by Janaki Mehta and Brianna Scott. It was edited by Courtney Dorning. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun. It's consider this from npr. I'm Ailsa Chang. Joe Biden's on his way out. Donald Trump's on his way back. Want to know what's happening as the presidential transition is underway? The NPR Politics Podcast has you covered with the latest news and analysis. Listen to the NPR Politics podcast.

[John Chu]

The Code Switch team spent Election Day talking to folks about how the outcome might impact them. It's a time capsule of people's hopes.

[Ailsa Chang]

And fears before they knew the results.

[John Chu]

One way or another, there's a change coming.

[Ailsa Chang]

I wanted to vote for Trump, but.

[John Chu]

I voted for her. Gays for Trump. I cried this morning.

[Ailsa Chang]

I've been crying on and off.

[John Chu]

I'm terrified.

[Ailsa Chang]

Listen to Code Switch, the podcast about race and identity, from npr.