Race & Ethnicity On TV

[Raja]

38 minutes ago, Trini said:

So a relative is re-watching Relic Hunter*, starring Tia Carrere, and it got me thinking: Off the top of my head, I can't think of any dramas featuring an Asian/Pacific Islander lead -- only sitcoms/comedies. Anyone know of any drama series with an Asian/PI lead? On a broadcast or cable network? (in the U.S./Canada, I guess) I'm sure I've heard of a couple but I'm blanking.

*(was a Canadian production that aired in syndication)

Vanishing Son starring Russell Wong started off as a rotating TV movie with Kevin Sorbo's Hercules and did one season as a modern Kung Fu with the Chinese government chasing a violin playing martial artist wanted for using his fighting skills to get his brother out of Tianamen Square 

Edited March 6, 2018 by Raja

[Trini]

8 minutes ago, Silver Raven said:

Ian Anthony Dale in "The Event", though Jason Ritter was really the lead.

John Cho in "Flash Forward", though Joseph Fiennes was really the lead.

Thanks! Cho was definitely a secondary lead in Flashforward; but I don't think Dale in The Event counts.

[Trini]

Also there's Nikita with Maggie Q (I knew I was forgetting an obvious one!); and the short-lived Stalker, also with Maggie Q.

[Trini]

And honorable mention for Heroes, in which Masi Oka and Sendhil Ramamurthy had significant roles and arcs (at least in the first couple seasons).

[Silver Raven]

39 minutes ago, Raja said:

Vanishing Son starring Russell Wong started off as a rotating TV movie with Kevin Sorbo's Hercules and did one season as a modern Kung Fu with the Chinese government chasing a violin playing martial artist wanted for using his fighting skills to get his brother out of Tianamen Square 

I was going to mention that but I couldn't remember the show name.

[angora]

There's Into the Badlands on AMC, starring Daniel Wu as Sunny. 

[birkenstock]

Brian Tee plays Dr. Ethan Choi on Chicago Med.  It's an ensemble cast though I would consider him a lead.  Choi is a military veteran and has had romantic storylines.  I haven't watched in a long time and don't know if they're still together, but his most recent girlfriend, April, is played by Yaya DaCosta. 

[Minneapple]

3 hours ago, Trini said:

So a relative is re-watching Relic Hunter*, starring Tia Carrere, and it got me thinking: Off the top of my head, I can't think of any dramas featuring an Asian/Pacific Islander lead -- only sitcoms/comedies. Anyone know of any drama series with an Asian/PI lead? On a broadcast or cable network? (in the U.S./Canada, I guess) I'm sure I've heard of a couple but I'm blanking.

Quantico has Priyanka Chopra (South Asian).

I loved Nikita. Still miss that show.

[Trini]

1 hour ago, Minneapple said:

Quantico has Priyanka Chopra (South Asian).

Duh!  See, I knew I was missing obvious ones; thanks everyone!

[Irlandesa]

6 hours ago, Trini said:

So a relative is re-watching Relic Hunter*, starring Tia Carrere, and it got me thinking: Off the top of my head, I can't think of any dramas featuring an Asian/Pacific Islander lead -- only sitcoms/comedies. Anyone know of any drama series with an Asian/PI lead? On a broadcast or cable network? (in the U.S./Canada, I guess) I'm sure I've heard of a couple but I'm blanking.

*(was a Canadian production that aired in syndication)

I can't answer your question but thumbs up for the Relic Hunter mention.  That was fun comfort TV back in the day.

[Athena]

On 3/6/2018 at 4:20 PM, Trini said:

So a relative is re-watching Relic Hunter*, starring Tia Carrere, and it got me thinking: Off the top of my head, I can't think of any dramas featuring an Asian/Pacific Islander lead -- only sitcoms/comedies. Anyone know of any drama series with an Asian/PI lead? On a broadcast or cable network? (in the U.S./Canada, I guess) I'm sure I've heard of a couple but I'm blanking.

*(was a Canadian production that aired in syndication)

Martial Law was a 1998-2000 CBS procedural with HK action star Sammo Hung, Arsenio Hall, Kelly Hu, and at least another POC in the main cast. I was a kid when I watched this show. I watched it often because it was the only procedural featuring Asians! At the time, there were not a lot of ass kicking female Asian women on TV either so I really liked the Kelly Hu character. The show did play off the success of Chan's/Rock's Rush Hour and it was not exactly the best written thing out there but I knew it was different from a lot of other primetime shows.

I remember Relic Hunter as well. Canadian TV has usually done well with casting Asians. 

[jhlipton]

8 hours ago, Athena said:

Martial Law was a 1998-2000 CBS procedural with HK action star Sammo Hung, Arsenio Hall, Kelly Hu, and at least another POC in the main cast.

Tom Wright was on all 22 episodes, Eric Betts was on 12, and Clayton Barber on 10.  That was a fun show -- I loved it.

Edited March 8, 2018 by jhlipton

[memememe76]

Maggie Q is at least co lead in Designated Survivor. There is also Chloe Bennett in Agents of SHIELD. 

[Dee]

Nickelodeon Orders Live-Action Buddy Comedy 'Cousins for Life'

Quote

Cousins for Life centers on 12-year-old cousins Stuart (Dallas Young) and Ivy (Scarlet Spencer), best friends who come from very different backgrounds and learn to navigate life under one roof with their families. After Stuart's mom is deployed overseas, his fun-loving dad, Clark (Ishmel Sahid), decides to move the family to Portland.

There, he lives with his uptight brother Lewis (Ron G.) and his family, which includes Stuart's confident, socially active cousin Ivy and her younger, overly curious brother, Leaf (Micah Abbey). Now living in a brand-new city, Stuart embarks on a variety of adventures with Ivy. Although the cousins do not always see eye-to-eye, Ivy and Stuart learn they are better together, and when they team up, they are unstoppable.

Edited March 9, 2018 by Dee

[proserpina65]

On ‎03‎/‎02‎/‎2018 at 10:22 PM, pivot said:

Wow, I don't think they look anything like. 

To me, they looked astonishingly similar, except for their hair.

[xaxat]

Obama in Talks to Provide Shows for Netflix.

[Danny Franks]

On 07/03/2018 at 10:01 PM, Athena said:

Martial Law was a 1998-2000 CBS procedural with HK action star Sammo Hung, Arsenio Hall, Kelly Hu, and at least another POC in the main cast. I was a kid when I watched this show. I watched it often because it was the only procedural featuring Asians! At the time, there were not a lot of ass kicking female Asian women on TV either so I really liked the Kelly Hu character. The show did play off the success of Chan's/Rock's Rush Hour and it was not exactly the best written thing out there but I knew it was different from a lot of other primetime shows.

I remember Relic Hunter as well. Canadian TV has usually done well with casting Asians. 

I can't help you with the lead bit, but The Expanse has Frankie Adams, who is Samoan-New Zealander, in a prominent role (and she's probably the biggest asskicker in the show). In fact, all of the main female characters are WOC. British-Dominican Dominique Tipper, Iranian Shohreh Aghdashloo, French-Thai Florence Faivre and even Cara Gee, who is of Ojibwe descent.

There's also Cas Anvar, one of the main male actors, who has Iranian parents and Chad Coleman, who is African-American.

Edited March 9, 2018 by Danny Franks

[possibilities]

I know Grey's Anatomy is an ensemble show, where Meridith is the closest thing to the lead, but when the show was first advertised, I specifically decided to watch it because of Sandra Oh, and at least in the beginning she seemed like pretty close to a lead.

I stopped watching years ago, so I don't know what it's like now, though. And I know Oh left at some point, some time after I gave up.

 

Obama TV! Well, that is genius.

[jhlipton]

6 hours ago, Danny Franks said:

The Expanse has French-Thai Florence Faivre

The Expanse had Florence Faivre, just as Agents of SHIELD had her -- and when I found out that Juile Mao and Sinara were played by the same actress, you could have knocked ne overr with a feather!  We might see Julie again, but, alas, Sinara is gone... I think,

Florence joins Ebonee Noel in my "That actress is the same as that one!?!?" list (Livia Capulet on Still Star-Crossed, and The Barracuda on Wrecked)

[Dee]

Lex Scott Davis to Star in ABC Drama Pilot ‘For Love’

Quote

Lex Scott Davis has been cast in the lead role of the ABC drama pilot “For Love,” Variety has learned.

“For Love” is described as an epic love triangle set against a grounded, secret world of magic in present day New Orleans. In the show, protagonist Hope Castille (Davis) is shocked when she gets a call from her fiancé–five years after he was killed.

Hope is described as headstrong, intelligent and emotionally giving. She works as a journalist for the Times-Picayune and is ready to re-start her life after the death of her fiancé.

Edited March 10, 2018 by Dee

[Silver Raven]

The producers of Black-ish have shelved a show already in the can that deals with various political issues, including athletes kneeling for the national anthem.

http://variety.com/2018/tv/news/abc-shelves-blackish-political-1202722980/

[jhlipton]

On 3/10/2018 at 3:35 AM, Dee said:

Lex Scott Davis to Star in ABC Drama Pilot ‘For Love’

Quote

“For Love” is described as an epic love triangle set against a grounded, secret world of magic in present day New Orleans.

I wonder if they'll have any doings with the Hastings clan (Superstition)!  LOL

18 hours ago, Silver Raven said:

The producers of Black-ish have shelved a show already in the can that deals with various political issues, including athletes kneeling for the national anthem.

http://variety.com/2018/tv/news/abc-shelves-blackish-political-1202722980/

Considering some of the polarizing topics they've already covered, I wonder what bee got in the bonnet of ABC.

[jhlipton]

I just watched grown-ish and it was a good episode about "the list": how different ethnicities are rated, according to dating websites, whites of both genders at the top, black women and Asian me at the bottom.  Since it is a largely black cast, they didn't go into the whys and wherefores of Asian men, but the did talk about whites "appropriating" "black" features, such as larger lips and asses, but still not appreciating the real deal.  I thought it was a great episode.

[Fukui San]

On 3/7/2018 at 5:01 PM, Athena said:

Martial Law was a 1998-2000 CBS procedural with HK action star Sammo Hung, Arsenio Hall, Kelly Hu, and at least another POC in the main cast. I was a kid when I watched this show. I watched it often because it was the only procedural featuring Asians! At the time, there were not a lot of ass kicking female Asian women on TV either so I really liked the Kelly Hu character. The show did play off the success of Chan's/Rock's Rush Hour and it was not exactly the best written thing out there but I knew it was different from a lot of other primetime shows.

I remember Relic Hunter as well. Canadian TV has usually done well with casting Asians. 

Real talk: Martial Law is the only time in my life I can remember that someone who looked like me was consistently on television. Sammo forever!

The other Asian men they allow on TV were all too pretty. It's not as if there were a lot of Asian family comedies where they'd have a schlubby uncle. I guess Eddie from Fresh Off the Boat would qualify now even though he's a kid.

[possibilities]

I just remembered: "Falling Water" is an ensemble show, not a single-character lead vehicle. However, fwiw, one of the ensemble anchors is played by Will Yun Lee. It's kind of a sci fi/surreal crime drama. Definitely not comedic in any way.  

I think there's a problem that execs are afraid to cast POC as leads, so they hedge their bets by only offering roles in ensembles, or in shows they plan to market solely as "niche" shows.

[paulvdb]

On 6-3-2018 at 10:20 PM, Trini said:

So a relative is re-watching Relic Hunter*, starring Tia Carrere, and it got me thinking: Off the top of my head, I can't think of any dramas featuring an Asian/Pacific Islander lead -- only sitcoms/comedies. Anyone know of any drama series with an Asian/PI lead? On a broadcast or cable network? (in the U.S./Canada, I guess) I'm sure I've heard of a couple but I'm blanking.

*(was a Canadian production that aired in syndication)

I'm assuming you are asking about Asian actors who look Asian and not part-Asian actors who can pass for white like Dean Cain and Mark Paul Gosselaar.

[HunterHunted]

3 hours ago, paulvdb said:

I'm assuming you are asking about Asian actors who look Asian and not part-Asian actors who can pass for white like Dean Cain and Mark Paul Gosselaar.

And I would assume are playing Asian characters. Regardless of passing, both actors are famous for playing white characters.

[festivus]

11 hours ago, possibilities said:

I just remembered: "Falling Water" is an ensemble show, not a single-character lead vehicle. However, fwiw, one of the ensemble anchors is played by Will Yun Lee. It's kind of a sci fi/surreal crime drama. Definitely not comedic in any way.  

I think there's a problem that execs are afraid to cast POC as leads, so they hedge their bets by only offering roles in ensembles, or in shows they plan to market solely as "niche" shows.

I agree with you.

I was going to mention Falling Water and also Dark Matter(recently cancelled). Dark Matter was a Sci-fi ensemble show and it had two Asian characters. 

Edited March 12, 2018 by festivus

[possibilities]

I can't remember if this was already mentioned: Gina Torres-led ‘Suits’ spinoff gets series pickup at USA

http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/more-tv-news/gina-torres-led-suits-spinoff-gets-series-pickup-at-usa/

[RHJunkie]

On 3/6/2018 at 4:20 PM, Trini said:

So a relative is re-watching Relic Hunter*, starring Tia Carrere, and it got me thinking: Off the top of my head, I can't think of any dramas featuring an Asian/Pacific Islander lead -- only sitcoms/comedies. Anyone know of any drama series with an Asian/PI lead? On a broadcast or cable network? (in the U.S./Canada, I guess) I'm sure I've heard of a couple but I'm blanking.

*(was a Canadian production that aired in syndication)

Well someone already mentioned Nikita and Quantico but it was difficult to come up with examples that aren't sitcoms.

Truthfully, as a Canadian, when I think of the most obvious minority casts, I think of quite a few CBC produced shows. Kim's Convenience and Little Mosque on the Prairie (ended in 2012), have/had almost all minority casting of actors of Asian/South Asian/Arab descent but they also fall into the exclusively comedy category. The only two shows on the air that I can think of are:

-Burden of Truth - Stars Kristin Kreuk who has a mixed ancestry of Chinese/Chinese Jamaican and Dutch. There are main and recurring cast members who are Aboriginal and there are references to Aboriginal heritage in the show (I assume they'll delve more into this as the show storylines progress).

-Working Moms - One of the main featured moms is of Filipino/Chinese-Indonesian descent. Probably not as equal of an example as the other shows listed.

[Athena]

1 hour ago, RHJunkie said:

Well someone already mentioned Nikita and Quantico but it was difficult to come up with examples that aren't sitcoms.

Truthfully, as a Canadian, when I think of the most obvious minority casts, I think of quite a few CBC produced shows. Kim's Convenience and Little Mosque on the Prairie (ended in 2012), have/had almost all minority casting of actors of Asian/South Asian/Arab descent but they also fall into the exclusively comedy category. The only two shows on the air that I can think of are:

-Burden of Truth - Stars Kristin Kreuk who has a mixed ancestry of Chinese/Chinese Jamaican and Dutch. There are main and recurring cast members who are Aboriginal and there are references to Aboriginal heritage in the show (I assume they'll delve more into this as the show storylines progress).

-Working Moms - One of the main featured moms is of Filipino/Chinese-Indonesian descent. Probably not as equal of an example as the other shows listed.

It's true that CBC shows do feature a lot of minority and Asian casts in particular. A lot of Asian Canadian comedians do decently well, but other than drama, there haven't been a lot of Canadian dramas with Asians featured recently. Working Moms is sitcom. I do like Kim's Convenience.

I haven't watched Burden of Truth but is Kreuk playing someone who is mixed race? Kreuk, like Dean Cain and Mark Paul Gossaler, has spent much of her career passing as white. I like Kreuk at least more than than most people who watched Smallville and I'm glad she's producing/starring in a Canadian show.

[Silver Raven]

10 minutes ago, Athena said:

Kreuk, like Dean Cain and Mark Paul Gossaler, has spent much of her career passing as white.

Her character was mixed race in "Beauty & the Beast"

[Athena]

8 minutes ago, Silver Raven said:

Her character was mixed race in "Beauty & the Beast"

Thanks for the reminder. I even watched this show for her but I forgot so much of it. They emphasized it by casting another mixed race girl as her sister too. 

[RHJunkie]

1 hour ago, Athena said:

It's true that CBC shows do feature a lot of minority and Asian casts in particular. A lot of Asian Canadian comedians do decently well, but other than drama, there haven't been a lot of Canadian dramas with Asians featured recently. Working Moms is sitcom. I do like Kim's Convenience.

I haven't watched Burden of Truth but is Kreuk playing someone who is mixed race? Kreuk, like Dean Cain and Mark Paul Gossaler, has spent much of her career passing as white. I like Kreuk at least more than than most people who watched Smallville and I'm glad she's producing/starring in a Canadian show.

Yeah I guess Working Moms would be considered a sitcom...I usually relate sitcoms to comedy in front of a live audience. I think it's because that's just the type of shows I watched growing up, lol. 

Mark Paul Gossaler isn't white??? I need to google this, lol. 

Was Kristin supposed to be a white character in Smallville? I have always been able to see the Asian in her so I guess maybe I just assume that her characters are mixed, rather than passing as white. I don't remember much of her in Smallville but her surname was Lang so I made assumptions there. Her character in Beauty and the Beast was Asian I believe or at least mixed but not much emphasis was placed on her ethnicity. In flashback scenes, her parents were Asian (or at least one of them was) and they casted a Filipino actress as her sister on the show. Similarly in Burden of Truth, there isn't any emphasis on her ethnicity. Her father in the show is white and while they haven't shown her mother, I'm pretty sure she made reference on the show to her mother being Chinese. 

Edited March 12, 2018 by RHJunkie

[Trini]

16 hours ago, paulvdb said:

I'm assuming you are asking about Asian actors who look Asian and not part-Asian actors who can pass for white like Dean Cain and Mark Paul Gosselaar.

13 hours ago, HunterHunted said:

And I would assume are playing Asian characters. Regardless of passing, both actors are famous for playing white characters.

I wasn't thinking about it when I posted my question; but yes, it would be preferable if the characters they are playing are Asian/Asian descent. I'm not trying to discount the roles of white-passing actors, though.

Thanks to RHJunkie for mentioning Kruek; now we can add Beauty & the Beast (2012) to the list.

[Trini]

4 minutes ago, RHJunkie said:

Was Kristin supposed to be a white character in Smallville? I have always been able to see the Asian in her so I guess maybe I just assume that her characters are mixed, rather than passing as white. I don't remember much of her in Smallville but her surname was Lang so I made assumptions there.

Yeah, her character was white. But I feel you on being able to spot the "stealth minority"; I knew Wentworth Miller was mixed the first time I saw him.

[Athena]

12 minutes ago, RHJunkie said:

Mark Paul Gossaler isn't white??? I need to google this, lol. 

Was Kristin supposed to be a white character in Smallville? I have always been able to see the Asian in her so I guess maybe I just assume that her characters are mixed, rather than passing as white.

I've always seen the Asian in her, Olivia Munn, Keanu Reeves, and Dean Cain as well, but most of them played white characters. They kinda tried making Lana more Asian during a Smallville episode but that was more of a retcon and she had white parents on that show. 

Mark Paul Gossaler is part Indonesian, but I think he's mostly German, Dutch, and Jewish so I didn't know either for many years even though I am generally able to see the Asian in a lot of actors.  

Then we can add Burden of Truth since it's a primetime Canadian show, but it's not on a major US network though.

[RHJunkie]

16 minutes ago, Trini said:

I wasn't thinking about it when I posted my question; but yes, it would be preferable if the characters they are playing are Asian/Asian descent. I'm not trying to discount the roles of white-passing actors, though.

Thanks to RHJunkie for mentioning Kruek; now we can add Beauty & the Beast (2012) to the list.

21 Thunder has an Asian girl as part of their main cast who is very obviously Asian. The show has been on my radar but I haven't watch it yet so how much of her is actually featured, I can't say for sure but she is listed as the main cast on the CBC website. 

In the Badlands has an Asian lead. I haven't personally watched the show but my brother is a fan of it. 

Your question has made me realize how rare it is to see Asian leads outside of the comedy genre. I could name 10 comedy examples no problem but I struggle to name 5 that is the non-comedy category. 

[HunterHunted]

11 minutes ago, RHJunkie said:

Mark Paul Gossaler isn't white??? I need to google this, lol. 

His mom is Indonesian and Dutch.

3 minutes ago, Trini said:

Yeah, her character was white. But I feel you on being able to spot the "stealth minority"; I knew Wentworth Miller was mixed the first time I saw him.

I met Wentworth Miller at his high school graduation. I went because a family friend also graduated that same year from the same high school. I'd say I was able to spot the stealth minority, but his parents were there. And literally I only remembered Wentworth because his father was quite charming. 

[RHJunkie]

6 minutes ago, Athena said:

I've always seen the Asian in her, Olivia Munn, Keanu Reeves, and Dean Cain as well, but most of them played white characters. They kinda tried making Lana more Asian during a Smallville episode but that was more of a retcon and she had white parents on that show. 

Mark Paul Gossaler is part Indonesian, but I think he's mostly German, Dutch, and Jewish so I didn't know either for many years even though I am generally able to see the Asian in a lot of actors.  

Then we can add Burden of Truth since it's a primetime Canadian show, but it's not on a major US network though.

Same, the Asian is very easy to see in all of those actors. 

Either Mark Paul's dad had some really strong genes or is mom was also mixed but favoured more of her Indonesian side family. Makes sense why he would only play white characters, he definitely wouldn't be able to pass for Indonesian. 

[paulvdb]

4 hours ago, RHJunkie said:

21 Thunder has an Asian girl as part of their main cast who is very obviously Asian. The show has been on my radar but I haven't watch it yet so how much of her is actually featured, I can't say for sure but she is listed as the main cast on the CBC website.

She does have her own storyline, but some of the other characters in the ensemble are more prominent than her.

4 hours ago, RHJunkie said:

Same, the Asian is very easy to see in all of those actors. 

Either Mark Paul's dad had some really strong genes or is mom was also mixed but favoured more of her Indonesian side family. Makes sense why he would only play white characters, he definitely wouldn't be able to pass for Indonesian. 

If I remember correctly his mother is also mixed. And I think I am bad at seeing the Asian in mixed-race actors. Kristin Kreuk is the only one of the mentioned actors that I immediately knew was Asian. And that was probably helped by the fact that her character's name on Edgemont was Laurel Yeung which is an obviously Asian last name and that was the first time I saw her.

[Silver Raven]

The lead in the new Shondaland show, "Station 19", is Jaina Lee Ortiz, former co-star of "Rosewood", playing fire fighter Andy Herrera.  Co-star is Okieriete Onaodowan.

[Irlandesa]

I want to mention Superstore with this discussion on Asian characters.  Technically, its lead is a latina but it's a pretty balanced ensemble with multiple Asian characters.

Village Voice did an article on them a few weeks ago.

[DearEvette]

So came across Everything Sucks on Netflix.  It is a series set in a high school in the 90s in Oregon.  An ensemble show with a group of A/V nerds and drama club kids.  The main POV character though is a black kid named Luke.  The role that would typically go to a white actor.  In watching the show I got the impression that Luke was supposed to be white given that there is no mention of race at all.  They just cast a black actor and didn't change a thing in the script.  Even his bio dad in the show is white.  He is also only one of two characters whose family life we get to see (or get any background on), mainly because his mother has a romance storyline in the show.

[OtterMommy]

32 minutes ago, DearEvette said:

So came across Everything Sucks on Netflix.  It is a series set in a high school in the 90s in Oregon.  An ensemble show with a group of A/V nerds and drama club kids.  The main POV character though is a black kid named Luke.  The role that would typically go to a white actor.  In watching the show I got the impression that Luke was supposed to be white given that there is no mention of race at all.  They just cast a black actor and didn't change a thing in the script.  Even his bio dad in the show is white.  He is also only one of two characters whose family life we get to see (or get any background on), mainly because his mother has a romance storyline in the show.

I thought this was very interesting, considering the town where the story is set (Boring, Oregon) is 83% white and 10% Hispanic (and the African-American community is virtually non-existent).  As someone who is familiar with the area, it gave me a moments pause that Luke's (and his mother's) race was never addressed, but I quickly forgot about it when I realized how talented the young actor playing Luke was.

[Dee]

Jahi Winston has had quite the year.

First playing young Ralph Tresvant in BET's critically acclaimed & highly rated New Edition mini-series, then playing troubled ward to Oscar & Emmy nominated superstar Taraji Henson in Proud Mary, to now co-headlining his own Netflix series.

And, like many of his peers, he's a legit triple threat. If his luck holds up, the kid is gonna be a huge star in the not too distant future.

Edited March 13, 2018 by Dee

[DearEvette]

14 hours ago, OtterMommy said:

but I quickly forgot about it when I realized how talented the young actor playing Luke was.

He was wasn't he?  I imagine he just blew them away with his audition and they just cast him as a true colorblind casting.  There was one scene where he was watching Kate (his crush/kinda-girlfriend/not-really) playing the piano and singing Rocket Man, the expression on his face was so heartbreaking.  Really talented kid.

[topanga]

On 3/13/2018 at 3:50 PM, DearEvette said:

He was wasn't he?  I imagine he just blew them away with his audition and they just cast him as a true colorblind casting.  There was one scene where he was watching Kate (his crush/kinda-girlfriend/not-really) playing the piano and singing Rocket Man, the expression on his face was so heartbreaking.  Really talented kid.

Wow. Now I must check out this show. 

[OtterMommy]

Just now, topanga said:

Wow. Now I must check out this show. 

You should...it was wonderfully sweet and had some amazing performances from the young cast.  Also, 90s nostlagia...

[memememe76]

Ugh, I just watched Rise. So, the guy from How I Met your Mother becomes the head of the drama department over the more experienced Rosie Perez? Even though he had no experience? And then promptly disregards everything she was doing. HATE.