To prepare for his role as Willis Wu in Interior Chinatown, Jimmy O. Yang purchased a used Toyota Corolla and drove around Los Angeles. The experience of being overlooked, especially while driving the rundown car, helped him connect with Willis, a character who feels invisible in a world that seems to revolve around others.
Interior Chinatown, a 10-episode series on Hulu, is based on the National Book Award-winning novel by Charles Yu. The show follows Willis Wu, a waiter in a seedy Chinatown restaurant that doubles as a filming location for a police procedural show called Black & White. Willis sees himself as a background character, longing to step into the spotlight despite his feeling that society doesn’t value people like him. When he witnesses a crime, Willis is unexpectedly thrust into the center of the story.
The series takes on Asian stereotypes in pop culture, with Yang explaining, “Willis’ journey is a metaphor for the Asian-American experience, where we are the model minority but also invisible. People often don’t see us for who we are.” Yang relates to this deeply, having spent years as a struggling actor in Hollywood, often cast in minor roles as “Chinese Teenager #1” or “Person in Line.”
Yang’s rise to fame began with his breakout role as Jian-Yang in HBO’s Silicon Valley, which transformed what could have been a stereotypical character into a series regular, thanks to his nuanced performance. Since then, he has earned recognition for his roles in Crazy Rich Asians and as a comedian, authoring the memoir How to American: An Immigrant’s Guide to Disappointing Your Parents.
When Yang auditioned for Interior Chinatown, he felt a deep connection to the character. “I knew I had to get this role because it meant so much to me,” he recalls. Creator Charles Yu was similarly impressed with Yang’s emotional depth during his audition, showcasing the actor’s range beyond the comedic roles he is best known for.
For Yang, leading the series presented a new challenge. “It was six months of shooting, and I was in nearly every scene,” he says. From comedy to kung fu to tearful moments, the role demanded versatility. Despite the grueling schedule, Yang embraced the opportunity to tell a meaningful story about identity and representation in Hollywood.
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