NAOMI OSAKA IS THE HIGHEST PAID FEMALE ATHLETE IN HISTORY

22 year old tennis player Naomi Osaka is the highest paid female athlete in history beating Maria Sharapova who previously held the record when she earned $29.7 million in 2015, according to Forbes.  Osaka, who placed 29th overall, has reportedly earned $37.4 million in the past 12 months which include her endorsements and prize money. Serena Williams also made the 100 highest paid athletes list, at No. 33, earning $1.4 million dollars less than Osaka. This marks the first time since 2016 that 2 women have appeared on the top 100 highest paid athletes list. 

Osaka won her first Grand Slam at the 2018 US Open Finals after a controversial match with Serena Williams. She also won the 2019 Australian Open making her the first Asian tennis player ever to rank number 1 in the world.

The full Forbes 100 highest paid athletes list will be released this week.

ANDERSON .PAAK PERFORMS ADDS TWO SHOWS IN CALIFORNIA

Anderson .Paak has added a couple of California dates to his Best Teef In the Game Tour including headlining his first show at the Forum on Saturday June 29th. To celebrate his upcoming concert at the Forum, .Paak released a 1minute video that he scored with his friend Thundercat.

.Paak also added a performance on June 26th at the Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre in San Diego. His special guests for both of his newly added California dates will include Thundercat and Earl Sweatshirt.

.Paak released his fourth and most recent album, Ventura last month. Ventura, which was executive produced by Dr. Dre debuted at #4 on the Billboard Top 200 chart and also debuted at #1 on the R&B/Hip Hop charts, as well as hitting #2 on the Indie charts. The album also features special appearances by Smokey Robinson, Andre 3000, Jazmine Sullivan, Brandy, Nate Dogg and Lalah Hathaway.

Tickets for both concerts are currently on sale at www.livenation.com

LUCY LIU RECEIVES A STAR ON HOLLYWOOD WALK OF FAME

Lucy Liu received a star on Hollywood today, making her the second Asian American woman to receive a Walk of Fame star (and the 11th Asian American person). The first Asian American woman who received this recognition was actress Anna May Wong, when she was inducted in 1960.

“We are excited to honor Lucy Liu, and we placed her star next to the star of Anna May Wong, the first Chinese American actress to grace Hollywood’s film screens,” said Hollywood Walk of Fame producer Ana Martinez in a press release.

Liu’s Charlie’s Angels costars Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore and Demi Moore showed their support at the ceremony. Moore and Rhea Perlman also went up on stage to share their own special memories of Liu.  

During Liu’s speech, she thanked her parents for immigrating from China and for overcoming all the obstacles and roadblocks that came their way. She mentioned her gratitude to her brother who let her stay in his apartment, taking over the bunk bed while he slept on the floor.

And she did not stop there. In regards to diversity, Liu stated, “I was lucky that trailblazers like Anna May Wong and Bruce Lee came before me. If my body of work somehow helped bridge the gap between stereotypical roles first given to Anna May and mainstream success today, I am thrilled to have been part of that process.”

She also acknowledged TV Producer and Writer, David E Kelly who hired her to play Ling Woo on Ally McBeal.

“At the time I started on Ally McBeal, it was rare to get a glimpse of any diversity on the screen. David Kelly who is here today took a risk by creating Ling Woo and helped break the glass ceiling. David, thank you for taking a chance on me” Liu said.

You can watch the entire ceremony below:

MINDY KALING WORKING ON NEW SHOW FOR NETFLIX

Mindy Kaling is creating a series for Netflix, loosely based on her life. According to her Instagram post, the 10 episode, yet-to-be-titled sitcom will be “about the life of a modern-day first generation Indian American teenage girl. Get ready for lots of relatable, awkward teen moments.”

@MindyKaling Instagram

In an interview with Variety, Kaling said she was approached by the entertainment subscription company to make a comedy about her younger self. “I wasn’t interested in telling a period piece about an Indian girl growing up in the 80s, but I told them I’d love to do a show about a 15 year old Indian girl now.” Kaling said.

Kaling will reteam with Lang Fisher (The Mindy Project) and co-create and co-write the show.

Mindy Kaling just wrapped up production on “Four Weddings and a Funeral”, her adaptation of the 1994 film which she also wrote and executive produced with Matt Warburton for Hulu and Uni TV.

EAST WEST PLAYERS PRESENTS MAMMA MIA!

East West Players presents their version of the award- winning Broadway musical Mamma Mia! Directed by East West Players’ Producing Artistic Director Snehal Desai, the musical is set to run from May 9th through June 9th at the David Henry Hwang Theater in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles. Mamma Mia! is part of East West Players’ 53rd Anniversary Season themed, Culture Shock, which is about “disrupting the status quo and taking charge of the outsider narrative.”

“I am so excited to bring Mamma Mia! to East West Players. Reflecting on the theme of ‘culture shock,’ this unique production will feature a diverse, Asian American-led cast—challenging the perception of who is perceived as an American abroad and exploring the culture shock we often feel in our own families generationally,” says EWP Producing Artistic Director Snehal Desai.

The cast includes The King and I’s Broadway stars Joan Almedilla and Alan Ariano, as well as Grace Yoo, Elvira Barjau, Anthea Neri, Max Torrez, Danny Bernardo, Michael Palma, Kevin Perdido, Nicole Santiago, Ala Tiata, Edelyn Okano, Dekontee Turkile, Andrew Ge, Steven Agdeppa and singer/songwriters AJ Rafael and Jules Aurora.

Opening night will be held on May 16th with previews starting on Thursday May 9th running through Sunday May 12th.

For more information and tickets you can head to eastwestplayers.org

Steven Agdeppa

Michael Palma

Nicole Santiago

Dekontee Turkile

Kevin Perdido

Max Austin Torrez

Edelyn Okano

Elvira Barjau

Grace Yoo

Joan Almedilla

Jules Aurora

Danny Bernardo

Anthea Mae Neri

Andrew Ge

Alan Ariano

Alan Tiata

AJ Rafael

THE EMPEROR OF MALIBU TO STAR KEN JEONG AND DEBORAH S. CRAIG

Ken Jeong and Deborah S. Craig will star in the CBS comedy pilot, The Emperor of Malibu. Jeong will play Gerry, a Chinese billionaire who is shocked to find out that his son, Auggie, has been secretly dating an American (Kate), for two years and is now engaged. Gerry decides to move his whole family to Los Angeles in hopes of persuading his son to re-think his engagement.

Deborah S. Craig, who is known for her work in NBC’s The Blacklist, will also join the cast playing the role of Shiatzy, Jeong’s wife. She is described as “a terrifying force of nature…sophisticated, a little eccentric and strong-willed.” Shiatzy is upset that Auggie has chosen his wife without her help and tries her best to keep Kate away from Auggie.

The Emperor of Malibu is written by Kevin Kwan (author of Crazy Rich Asians trilogy) and David Sangalli.

TIFFANY YOUNG IS IHEART'S BEST SOLO BREAKOUT ARTIST

Tiffany Young received the Best Solo Breakout at the 2019 iHeart Radio Awards, making her the first Korean female to take home a trophy from the iHeart Radio Music Awards show.

“I am so humbled and honored that I can be a aprt of representing young Asian American women in music, and so grateful for my Korean and K-Pop roots that have given me the opportunity to follow my dreams. This award belongs to all the fans around the world who worked hard for this. I promist I will work harder. I want to make you proud.” Tiffany stated in her acceptance speech.

Tiffany Young released her EP Lips on Lips last month and also performed a mini Lips On Lips showcase tour earlier this month. This past November, Young was also the face for H&M’s Autumn 2018 campaign.    

MARVEL STUDIOS MOVIE SHANG-CHI HIRES A DIRECTOR

Marvel Studios has signed on filmmaker Destin Daniel Cretton to direct their upcoming film Shang-Chi.

In the comic books, Shang-Chi is born in China to a Chinese father and white American mother. His father, the villainous Fu Manchu, teaches him martial arts. and Shang-Chi becomes a hero after rebelling against his father’s ways.

Although no casting news have been announced, Marvel Studios has mentioned that Shang-Chi will be their first project featuring an Asian lead and mostly Asian and Asian American cast. Shang-Chi will be penned by Chinese American Dave Callaham whose recent works include co-writing with Patty Jenkins and Geoff Johns in the upcoming DC Warner Bros sequel, Wonder Woman 1984 and Sony’s animated Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse 2.

Cretton, who was born and raised in Hawaii, is currently directing Just Mercy, a film he wrote, based on the memoir of Equal Justice Initiative founder Bryan Stevenson. The movie stars Michael B. Jordan and reunites him with actress Brie Laron who starred in his film, Short Term 12.

KAL PENN GOES TO SUNNYSIDE

Kal Penn’s upcoming NBC sitcom finally has a title – Sunnyside -  named after the neighborhood in Queens, New York. Penn who co-wrote the comedy with Matt Murray, will play New York City Councilman Garrett Shah who “finds his calling when faced with seven recent immigrants” who are in search of the American Dream and need his help.

According to Deadline, 5 of the 7 immigrants will be portrayed by immigrant actors. The cast includes Joel Kim Booster, the high profile, South Korean-born comedian; Kiran Deol, the UK born actor, Poppy Liu, an actress born in China; Tudor Petrut, of Romanian origin; Samba Schutte, a Dutch Mauritanian actor who grew up in Ethiopia; Diana Maria Riva, a first-generation Dominican; and Moses Storm.

The pilot is also directed by immigrant Oz Rodriquez.

MINDY KALING'S "LATE NIGHT" TRAILER RELEASED

The official trailer for Mindy Kaling’s feature film, Late Night, has just been released.

Kaling serves as producer and writer of the film and stars alongside Emma Thompson who plays a talk show host on the verge of losing her show. Thompson hires a female writer, played by Kaling, to help revamp her program. Late Night also stars Hugh Dancy, John Lithgow, Ike Barinholtz and Dennis O’Hare and is directed by Nisha Ganatra.

After premiering at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, Amazon Studios bought the US distribution rights for the film for $13 million. According to Deadline, the deal was made after an all-night bidding battle and became the largest deal for a US only distribution at Sundance.

Late Night is scheduled to hit theaters on June 7th.

FREE SOLO WINS OSCAR FOR BEST DOCUMENTARY

Free Solo took home an Oscar for Best Documentary at the 91st Annual Academy Awards this past Sunday, February 24, 2019. Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, the husband and wife team who directed the film, clearly looked shocked as they accepted the award.  

During their acceptance speech, Chai Vasarhelyi said, “this film is for everyone who believes in the impossible.”

Free Solo follows rock climber Alex Honnold’s attempt to climb Yosemite National Park’s El Capitan without the use of ropes.

DOMEE SHI AND BECKY NEIMAN COBB RECEIVE AN ACADEMY AWARD FOR BAO

First time Academy Award nominees Domee Shi and Becky Neiman-Cobb won an Oscar for Best Animated Short for their film, Bao. The short was inspired by Shi’s relationship with her own mother. During her acceptance speech, she Shi inspired others by saying,

“To all the nerdy girls out there who hide behind their sketch book, don’t be afraid to tell your stories to the world. You’re going to freak people out, but you’ll probably connect with them too, and that’s an amazing feeling to have.”

JAMIE CHUNG'S NEW FOOTWEAR COLLABORATION 42GOLD

Jamie Chung’s 2019 is off to a great start. Last month, the luxury handbag company Hammit, announced that she is the Brand Ambassador and face of their Spring line.

This month, Jamie Chung is celebrating the launch of her footwear collaboration with Chinese Laundry founder Bob Goldman, titled 42Gold. 42Gold is a new venture for Goldman, the CEO of Cels Enterprises, the parent company to Chinese Laundry. The line is a response to the constantly changing market and how consumers are now making purchases. The brand will work with Influencers to capture the attention of shopper’s in a new way. Chung is one of the 42 Influencers who are part of the 42Gold label.   

In an interview with Footwear News, Chung expressed her love for fashion stating,

“Fashion is always something I gravitated toward and I had so much fun with, so being able to turn that into a business is great.” Chung added, “Footwear is a really personal thing. 42 Gold is elevated. It’s for the working woman, the woman who does it all, the multitask-er, the mom, the business owner. It fits with the modern-day woman. It felt right.”

Jamie Chung had a lot of input in regards to the shoe styles and was inspired by footwear that are fashion forward, timeless and you can wear throughout the year. The 42Gold collection is available now at Nordstrom and features an array of heels, flats and sandals.  

LEVY TRAN JOINS MACGYVER

Actress and model Levy Tran will join the cast of CBS’ MacGyver this month. In the recurring role, Tran will play Denise Nguyen, “who joins the Phoenix Foundation to protect MacGyver (Lucas Till) and his team on their global missions” according to Deadline.

Late last year, George Eads who plays Jack Dalton on MacGyver, reportedly asked to be released from his contract to return to Los Angeles to be closer to his daughter. However, his resignation also came after reports of an altercation during the production of an episode of MacGyver. Tran’s role will fill the void of Eads’ character.

If Levy Tran’s character is successful and MacGyver is renewed for a fourth season, CBS will have the option of making her role a series regular.  Tran’s debut on MacGyver will be on the February 15th episode.

Levy Tran shared the news on her Instagram account below:

MARC DELA CRUZ MAKES HISTORY ON BROADWAY WITH HAMILTON

Filipino singer and actor Marc Dela Cruz makes history by becoming the first Filipino to play Hamilton on Broadway. Born in Hawaii, the Filipino Japanese star made his Broadway debut in 2014 playing Swing in “If/Then” and joined the cast of Hamilton in 2018 playing various roles which included King George, General Philip Hamilton, Tennessee Congressman James Reynolds and more.

Marc delaCruz on Instagram: "Sometimes amazement lies right around the corner. Thank you for all the messages of support and encouragement I've received over the last..."

2,341 Likes, 92 Comments - Marc delaCruz (@marc_delacruz) on Instagram: "Sometimes amazement lies right around the corner. Thank you for all the messages of support and..."

SANDRA OH AND DARREN CRISS ARE DOUBLE WINNERS AT GOLDEN GLOBES

It was a night of firsts for Sanda Oh who became the first person of Asian descent to host (alongside Andy Samberg) the Golden Globes and also became the first Asian performer to win multiple Golden Globes. Oh took home the Golden Globe last night for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series, Drama for her work in BBC America’s Killing Eve. In 2006, she was awarded a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for playing Cristina Yang on Greys Anatomy. Oh is the first Asian woman to take home the Best Leading Actress award in over 35 years when Yoko Shimada won in 1981 for her role as Mariko in Shogun.

During Oh’s acceptance speech, she acknowledged her parents in Korean, bowing and saying “Mom, Dad, I Love You.”  

It was also an unforgettable night for Filipino American Darren Criss who won Best Actor in a Limited Series or TV Movie for his portrayal of Andrew Cunanan in the FX special series, The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story. Criss’ award makes him the first Filipino American Golden Globe Winner. During his acceptance speech, he recognized his Filipino mom.

“This has been a marvelous year for representation in Hollywood, and I am so enormously proud to be a teeny tiny part of that as the son of a firecracker Filipino woman from Cebu that dreamed of coming into this country and getting to be invited to cool parties like this. Mom, I know you're watching this.”

The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story also won a Golden Globe for Best Television Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television.

Asian Representation - 2019 Golden Globe Nominations

The 2019 Golden Globe nominations were announced live this morning from the Beverly Hilton Hotel. As expected, Sandra Oh received a Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Drama nomination for her role in Killing Eve.  It’s been a wonderful 2018 for the actress who made history this year as the “first woman of Asian descent to be nominated for best lead actress in a drama series” for her work on the BBC America show Killing Eve. Previously, Oh received 5 Emmy nominations for best supporting actress in a drama series while playing Dr. Cristina Yang on ABC’s hit drama Grey’s Anatomy. She will also co-host the 2019 Golden Globes with comedian and Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s Andy Samberg.

Filipino American Singer and Emmy winning actor Darren Criss also received a (Best Performance by an Actor in a Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television) nomination for his role as Andrew Cunanan in The Assasination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story. The FX Show also received a nomination for Best Television Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television and will be going up against TNT’s The Alienist, Showtime’s Escape at Dannemora, HBO’s Sharp Objects and Amazon’s A Very English Scandal. Criss’ costars Penelope Cruz and Edgar Ramirez were also recognized for their work.

NBC’s The Good Place which stars Kristin Bell, Ted Danson, Jameela Jamil and Filipino born Canadian actor Manny Jacinto also received a nomination for Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy.

On the big screen, the blockbuster hit Crazy Rich Asians received a Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy nod with Constance Wu also being recognized with a Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy nomination for her lead role in the film.

The animated movie Mirai was honored with a Best Motion Picture - Animated nomination. Mirai tells the story of a boy who runs away from home because he feels forgotten when his little sister Mirai joins his family. He encounters an enchanted garden where he meets a teenage Mirai and they enter a world of wonder, meeting characters from their past and future as they uncover their beautiful family’s story. Featuring the voices of John Cho and Daniel Dae Kim, Mirai is the 10th highest grossing Japanese film in 2018 (according to Wikipedia).

Another Japanese film, Shoplifters also received a nomination for Best Motion Picture – Foreign Language. According to Wikipedia, Shoplifters is the 4th highest grossing Japanese film of 2018. Upon receiving the Golden Globe nomination, Director Hirokazu Kore-eda said, “Thanks to many people’s help, Shoplifters has spread its wings farther and farther since the Cannes Film Festival in May. As it is my first nomination for Golden Globe Awards, I am looking forward to being a part of this new experience. My thanks to the Hollywood Foreign Press.”

Shoplifters won the Palm d’Or at the 2018 Cannes International Film Festival.

Filipino American Cinematographer and Academy Award nominee Matthew Libatique was the man behind the camera lens for A Star Is Born which received a nomination for Best Motion Picture – Drama. Libatique also made a couple of cameos in the film. In addition, Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper received nominations for Best Actress and Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama. Cooper also received a Best Director – Motion Picture for the project.  

The 2019 Golden Globes will air live on NBC Sunday, January 6th.

For a complete list of the nominees, you can click here

AWKAFINA TO HOST SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE

Rapper and Actress Awkwafina is scheduled to host Saturday Night Live on October 6. The Crazy Rich Asian’s star will be joined by rapper Travis Scott. The last time an Asian American woman hosted SNL was Lucy Liu back in 2000.

The official announcement was made on Saturday Night Live’s twitter account yesterday with a photo of a cork board with the first three hosts and musical guests kicking off the show’s upcoming season.

Past Asian SNL hosts include Jackie Can, Kumail Nanjiani and Aziz Ansari.