Raugi Yu was thrilled when he nabbed an audition to play a French ambassador. It was about 15 years ago, early in his acting career, and a rare time he害羞草研究所檇 been welcomed to try out for a role not specifically written for an Asian actor.

In the waiting room, a middle-aged white actor auditioning for the same job asked Yu why he was there. When Yu said he was reading for the French ambassador role, the man replied, 害羞草研究所淲ow, they害羞草研究所檙e really casting a wide net.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淭here was no consideration of how racist that is, and how that would mess with my audition so much, because I was young and I was like, 害羞草研究所極h, does that mean I don害羞草研究所檛 belong here?害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所� recalled Yu, who grew up in Montreal and speaks fluent French.

害羞草研究所淭hat guy got to me. I became angry. I became small. I became all these things I害羞草研究所檝e been working so hard not to be. But in the end, it was a good thing, because it was a catalyst for me.害羞草研究所�

Yu is among the Vancouver-based actors now pushing for greater diversity in television and film. He participated in an emotional roundtable video series posted online last fall, organized by the Union of British Columbia Performers, a branch of the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists.

Actors say the industry began to change about five years ago, but it has accelerated in the past year and a half with the #MeToo movement against sexual harassment and assault in the entertainment business. Discussions about gender have sparked conversations about race, and the voices of diverse actors are being heard more loudly, they say.

Yu, who appeared in 害羞草研究所淒iary of a Wimpy Kid,害羞草研究所� said the man害羞草研究所檚 comment to him about the ambassador role wouldn害羞草研究所檛 fly today.

害羞草研究所淣ow, nobody would say that. If he did, everybody would go, 害羞草研究所榃hoa, Raugi belongs here, man. That害羞草研究所檚 a weird thing to say, dude.害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟

Angela Moore, co-chair of the diversity and inclusion committee at the B.C. performers害羞草研究所� union, said the roundtable discussions were meant to showcase the experiences of Middle Eastern, North African and East Asian actors. The previous year, Moore participated in a roundtable with other African-Canadian performers.

One of the challenges of being a diverse performer has been trying to get more auditions, she said, and when she first started about 25 years ago she often had to wait for roles that were specifically meant for black actors.

害羞草研究所淎 lot of those roles were service roles, one-liners as a nurse or a prostitute,害羞草研究所� Moore said. 害羞草研究所淚 played nurses dozens of times. Nurse No. 2, nurse No. 3. I害羞草研究所檝e also played a police officer many times, or a guard.害羞草研究所�

She noted that many American shows are shot in Vancouver and the leading roles are often already filled with Hollywood actors by the time the production arrives north. Canadian actors are left to fight over smaller parts, she said, and opportunities get smaller still for people of colour.

害羞草研究所淚n the last few years, (the union has) made more inroads with the casting directors about being brought in for different parts, and (casting directors) have had conversations with producers,害羞草研究所� she said.

Moore said her goal is to collect Canada-wide data on representation of people of colour in television and film so that she knows the baseline in order to improve it.

Patrick Sabongui, a Canadian actor of Egyptian heritage, said the moment he realized his cultural identity was going to become an issue was on 9/11.

害羞草研究所淚 quickly identified that there were going to be a lot of work opportunities for a guy like me. Hollywood was going to want to see someone who looked like me as the villain, getting beat up and blown up and as the threat,害羞草研究所� he said.

As a younger actor with fewer opportunities, Sabongui took those roles. But as he evolved and became a parent, he said he began to feel guilty, though he still needed to accept those types of jobs to put food on the table.

Sabongui finally drew the line about five years ago and started to look for better parts, but the industry hadn害羞草研究所檛 quite caught up with his social conscience. The Middle Eastern or North African character could be an ally or a friend, but not the lead character, he said.

A turning point for him was a role on 害羞草研究所淗omeland,害羞草研究所� where he played an advocate for wrongly accused Muslim Americans. Now, he plays Captain David Singh on 害羞草研究所淭he Flash,害羞草研究所� an openly gay South Asian police captain. These are the kinds of roles he害羞草研究所檚 been pushing for, he said.

Recently, the issue of representation in the entertainment industry was highlighted on one Hollywood害羞草研究所檚 biggest nights when Canadian actress Sandra Oh delivered an emotional Golden Globes speech in which she celebrated this 害羞草研究所渕oment of change.害羞草研究所�

But while Oh spoke of a noticeable shift this year, there is still a need for improvement, actors say.

A lack of diversity on screen means that young stars can害羞草研究所檛 imagine themselves in those roles, said Mayumi Yoshida, a Tokyo-born actress based in Vancouver.

Yoshida said one of the reasons she moved to the city was because she saw Oh on 害羞草研究所淕rey害羞草研究所檚 Anatomy.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淚 actually thought, 害羞草研究所榃hy is she cast? It害羞草研究所檚 so odd,害羞草研究所� because I was so used to not seeing her,害羞草研究所� said Yoshida. 害羞草研究所淭hen, I thought, 害羞草研究所榃ow, I want to play roles like this.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淚f I hadn害羞草研究所檛 seen Sandra play that, then I still would害羞草研究所檝e thought that world belongs to them, not me.害羞草研究所�

Laura Kane, The Canadian Press

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