CUNY TV’s monthly ASIAN AMERICAN LIFE series – recently nominated for a New York Emmy® Award for Best Public/Current/Community Affairs Series – returned Friday with an all-new interview with actor Cole Horibe, star of David Henry Hwang’s Kung Fu. The new play about the late Bruce Lee, is now in an extended engagement at New York City’s Signature Theatre.
Host Ernabel Demillo met with newcomer Horibe (both pictured) during one of his rare days-off to talk about his role playing a legendary Hollywood icon. Horibe, who grew up in Hawaii, is making his New York theater debut.
“I was highly excited and honored of course, but it felt like faith, because I had been preparing to play him in high school for a small project,” he said.
Playing Bruce Lee is no longer a small project. Cole, is working alongside Tony award-winning playwright David Henry Hwaung who wrote “Kung Fu” and some of New York’s talented theater actors, including Francis Jue who plays his father.
Through dance, martial arts, and Chinese Opera, “Kung Fu” tells the early story of Bruce Lee, when he first arrived in America from Hong Kong and his struggles as an Asian man trying to make a career in Hollywood. Horibe says he can relate to Bruce Lee when it comes to fighting Asian male stereotypes. The same struggles continue today. For instance, he’d like to see an Asian male cast in a romantic leading role.
“I would really love to see things change in Hollywood,” he said, “where there is a leading Asian male.”
Who knows, it could be Cole Horibe.
You can watch the entire episode below. Cole Horibe’s segment begins at the 7:24 mark. You can also catch segments with Tony winning playwright David Henry Hwang, author Susan Choi, jewelry designer Nancy Leung, Blogger & Fashion designer Grace Chang, and photographer Corky Lee.