Back in May, Constance Wu threw a tantrum on social media because… her ABC show, Fresh Off the Boat, had been renewed for another season. Fresh Off the Boat was the first time most people saw Wu, and the visibility allowed her to audition for bigger and bigger roles, like the lead in Crazy Rich Asians, and the lead role in Hustlers, which comes out within the next month. Her social-media tantrum came across, to me, as incredibly unprofessional more than anything else. You can be honest about not being particularly fulfilled on your (cushy) network TV gig, and you can do it in a way where you don’t look like a raging narcissist with tunnel vision about how many actors would kill to be in your position. Constance is still getting asked about the whole situation, and her answers still… suck. Here are some new quotes, from her LA Times (via ET) interview:
The role she missed out on because Fresh Off the Boat got renewed: She missed out on doing a play in which she would have taken on a “not Asian-specific” role. “I had this moment of heat where I got upset because I had to give up a job I had been looking forward to and had been chasing for a while,” Wu expresses, describing it as a “Twitter fiasco.”
She’s just dramatic: “It was moving to me how many people from the show reached out to me, and even on set … to say, ‘Just so you know, we love you and we know who you are, and you didn’t deserve any of that stuff.’ Because they also know that I’m an actress — I can be dramatic. I mean, that’s our toolkit, right? I’m dramatic. I’m emotional. But they also know that that doesn’t represent me because they have a hundred episodes of behavior that proves otherwise.”
She didn’t know people paid attention to her Twitter: “I’m not beating myself up for it, because I know me. But I don’t think I realized that people were paying so much attention to my Twitter. I like that people are expressing their feelings about it, because it improved my awareness of what it means to be a … public figure…I’ve had a back and forth about it. It’s the line between being a role model, but also authenticity.”
She didn’t “demand” top billing in Hustlers, she was always playing the lead: “A woman owning her power rather than being like, ‘Who, me?’ I think, is a threat to the patriarchy. I know some people were like, ‘Constance demanded top billing.’ No, the script had me as the lead. But it’s a juicier story to say the other stuff.”
Her historic career: “I am grateful for my entire career. But the fact that my career has been historic shouldn’t necessarily be a call [to say to] me, ‘You should be so lucky’ — it should be a call to pay attention to the fact that this kind of thing shouldn’t have been historic. Me getting to play a fully human experience as an Asian American, that shouldn’t be historic. But it is. Let’s talk about the system, not whether or not I deserve to be in it and how I need to feel about it. I want to be careful not to blow up my profile anymore. If it happens as a natural extension of me doing the thing that I think I am meant to do, which is to be an actor, then I welcome it and I’m grateful for it,” she relays. “That’s not the part of myself I’m seeking to put energy into … but it teaches me.”
“I’m an actress — I can be dramatic. I mean, that’s our toolkit, right? I’m dramatic. I’m emotional.” God that annoys me. Unprofessional behavior shouldn’t be waved away because “I’m an actress, I’m allowed to be DRAMATIC!” I don’t know – it just feels like Constance instantly went to a place of “whatever, it’s fine, I know I’m an amazing person,” rather than really examining why people called her out.
Photos courtesy of Getty, Avalon Red.
Ugh, I really liked her up until May and she isn’t doing herself any favors. I’m still going to see Hustler’s though.
No. She is just unprofessional.
And childish. There’s a time and a place to be emotional: you call your friends and whine, you don’t do it on SM.
I agree, it’s a definite non apology. All she had to do was acknowledge it, own it and we could start to move on.
I still love Crazy Rich Asians though.
Woof. I always try to be very careful and empathetic in this era of cancel culture. I know I have Said and done things in the past that are problematic. Some I didn’t know were at the time because of ignorance. I hate that we don’t allow people to grow or change anymore.
But in this case, she’s clearly not growing or changing. And it’s cringeworthy to watch.
Agreed.
Her historic career… 👀…
she sounds like a total idiot
She does sound like an idiot. A spoiled idiot
Did her FOtB co-workers really say that to her? If so, I think her answer is fine. They are the people she was being disrespectful to and the ones who deserve an apology.
Randoms in the internet who have nothing to do with the show have nothing to be apologised for. People on twitter have become too accustomed to getting offended on other people’s behalf and demand apologies for things that never affected them.
How many of the co-workers were hair, make up, etc. who would lose their jobs if Wu complained about them?
@Cindy…those “randoms on the internet” are also the viewers who watch the show…which is how she and her co-workers are paid…in actuality “randoms” have EVERYTHING to do with the show….no “randoms”…no show….and what she said was disrespectful…PERIOD!
Exactly, I’m over it. She’s human and made a mistake, no need to keep beating her up about it.
Randall Park was asked about it on Keep it and he said while he understands her sentiment, the method of execution could be better. He seemed to think the show was done as well so he understands why she would be disappointed at losing the chance to do a new project.
I took it as a very diplomatic way for a producer to guide her behavior… “we know you’re better than that” is actually a polite way of saying you’re acting like an ass and we need you to do better
I think she would have been better served by first copping to acting entitled, and then saying “It’s no excuse-but I am dramatic and sometimes act emotional first, then think later.” Something that would have acknowledged and apologized, then explained. That’s the thing with social media for all of us-sometimes cooler heads don’t get a chance to prevail.
lol…she’s obnoxious. But few people know how to be successful w/o being obnoxious or worse.
Did any of the people that sympathized w/ her privately defend her publicly during her tantrum?
I know every time Randall Park did press for his Netflix movie, he was asked about this and he would nervously laugh before he gave the same canned speech that was quoted here. I felt bad for him because he was getting a lot of those questions.
Is she saying the boys (children) sympathized? Doubt that.
So she learned nothing from being a whole ass…
Okay
I cannot stand diva behavior. It’s so unattractive.
I don’t blame her for being disappointed in losing out on other stuff, but she publicly acted horribly. Complain to your friends, your family, your agent, but as a professional, don’t put it out there publicly that you’re mad you STILL HAVE A JOB.
I don’t think these comments are the end of the world, but she didn’t really help her case too much by just dismissing it all as being dramatic.
I agree. I rolled my eyes at her comment, but I’m not going to ‘cancel’ her or anything, when there are some male actors out there doing much worse and still getting roles. I wouldn’t call her career Historic, but it is nice to see an Asian woman getting more lead roles, rather than being a side kick. Idk, if we keep seeing more diva antics, maybe, I just don’t see this as pearl clutching behavior.
Agreed, on both points, and while she was definitely unprofessional, what she said in the last paragraph is too true.
You are not Meryl Streep.
She’s Heigl-ing herself.
Yep, which is really sad since I like Fresh of the Boat, and was happy she seemed to be building a great career out of it.
this. and she doesn’t even have an aggressive momager to blame it on. If Hustlers isn’t a giant success, her star will likely star to descend.
Sorry “my career has been historic”….????
I think it was over a Marvel role. They were casting asian actors for some movies and just re-cast Gemma Chan for The Eternals. It’s the kind of gig you really don’t wanna miss, but her reaction was so stupid.
She said it’s a play. But I agree. I think it was for Eternals and doesn’t want to say anything in case Marvel calls again.
Not a toolkit, just a tool
What’s annoying is because CRA was such a monumental movie for Asian Americans, by default I (as an Asian American) feel like we have to “support” her as she’s one of the leading Asian American actresses right now. But really very few people, online and IRL in the community like her and prefer Awkwafina or Ali Wing. We more just put up with her and are cheering hardcore for all the other actresses on the side. I find her insufferable and super pretentious with her “I’m an acTOR” schtick. What she fails to realize is acting has a lot of so with like ability and people just wanting to see you on screen because they like you. That’s how movie stars are made, they are liked. They should be talented too but her lack of appeal doesn’t help her cause at all.
Jennifer Lopez follows everyone from Hustlers except Constance Woo…
Really? That’s interesting.
Ohhhh that is an interesting tidbit
Interesting…
CW is such a boring actress. I see her career fading. If I were her I’d be happy-as-hell to be on FOtB and getting a paycheck. I loved CRA but they should have cast another actress. All the other women in the film are far more talented.
I’m just not that interested in whether or not Constance Wu is a bitch, ya know? Were her actions excellent? Of course not. She had an unprofessional tantrum. Maybe she has them a lot. I don’t care.
I also can see why she called her career “historic.” It’s historic in that she’s in the group of actors that has “mainstreamed” (wrong word? not sure. someone help me out if so.) films and television that revolve around Asian Americans. Her career is historic in the same way Tempest Bledsoe’s and Sabrina Le Beauf’s careers were “historic.”
OMG she should not do press at all. Seriously we should forgive the tantrum because she’s passionate? Honey a lot of us are passionate about stuff at work but we keep that in check because that’s how you are a professional. Do I blast out how much this sucks or that sucks at work? No. That is not an excuse.
Also, saying she didn’t know people paid attn to her Twitter is so disingenuous because she knows how many followers she has and she actually responded to one of them mid tantrum.
Honey please!