It’s hard not to love Love Hard.
Jimmy O. Yang, Hong Kong American actor and comedian, takes center stage in the newly-released Netflix holiday romance movie, Vanity Fair reports.
The film circles around Natalie, a dating columnist, and her Tinder relationship with Tag. After making a surprise holiday visit, though, Natalie finds out Tag is actually someone named Josh who catfished her, The Guardian reports. Josh (played by Yang) promises to help Natalie (played by Nina Dobrev) start a relationship with the real Tag if she agrees to pretend to be his girlfriend for the holidays.
Yang, who found fame with roles in Crazy Rich Asians and Silicon Valley said Love Hard is part of a new era of rom-coms where leads are starting to look like him, according to PopSugar.
“This role wasn’t written to be a particular ethnicity. I think it’s super awesome that they cast me as an Asian person and my [onscreen] family [is] an Asian cast,” Yang added. “At the end of the day, it’s about the underdogs.”
Other Asian actors are part of the film, including Harry Shum Jr. as Yang’s brother and Darren Barnet, who plays Tag.
Yang said he took the part knowing that his decision would allow other Asian actors to be casted as his family members in the film, The Guardian reports.
“Ultimately, it was one of those things where I took the part thinking, I think this is a positive step for representation, to see an unlikely hero who could have been any ethnicity,” Yang added.
As for love advice? Honesty is key, Yang told PopSugar.
“Going with the theme of the movie, and I truly do believe this, it’s don’t lie and be honest with other people, but also be honest with yourself. Be confident in yourself,” Yang said. “Everybody has their shortcomings, whether they’re insecure about their looks, they’re insecure about their personality, or whatever it may be. There’s someone out there who would love you for that.”
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