COMING INTO HER OWN

Perhaps it is the authentic representation of identity that makes her first lead role all the more special. “Growing up, Asian American women were rarely the leads on the small screen. We were always portrayed as side characters,” Cho says. “Which is why it’s so great to see Ingrid Yun on screen. I think it’s refreshing and exciting to see life from the lens of an Asian American woman.”

She notes that while she and the character have very different personalities (“Besides the fact that she’s so much smarter than I am,” says Cho, “she’s also a dreamer and she’s not jaded about life—not yet.”), there are some similarities between them. “I feel like we’re both strong women with a mission and a drive to be respected, to be treated equally, and to be seen as who we are,” Cho asserts.

Just like how Yun is fighting for recognition within her law firm in the series, Cho is fighting the disparity within her acting career. “For a long time, I didn’t believe that I deserved to be here. I was often devalued and discriminated against. Whether it’s being paid lesser or treated worse, I accepted the bias,” she reflects. “But then the older I got, the wiser I became. I realised that I had to start believing in myself, or no one would. People say you can’t [find love] until you love yourself, and this applies to respect and credit; [you have to respect yourself and give yourself the credit that you deserve first].”

Surely, Cho is defining her own narrative when she turned down the offer to star in Teen Wolf: The Movie, the upcoming Paramount Plus film sequel to the popular MTV series in which she played Kira Yukimura, a high school student with kitsune supernatural powers who is the love interest of the show’s lead, played by actor Tyler Posey. Cho had a recurring role when she first appeared in season three of the franchise, and became a series regular in seasons four and five. However, she was abruptly dropped from the cast when season six rolled around. While the reason for her departure was not addressed at the point in time, it was apparent that the decision did not come from her end—in a YouTube video announcing the news, she noted that “sometimes, in a show where [there are] so many characters, there isn’t always room for everyone”. 

So it came as a surprise when fans learned that she declined to return and tie up the loose ends for her character’s story—until a report emerged from Deadline this February that Cho, who was the only actress of colour among the four female regular cast members, had been offered half the per‑episode salary proposed to her counterparts.

“To be honest, I don’t think I was surprised [by the offer] because this has happened so much in my career,” says Cho, a tinge of weariness in her voice highlighting the weight of the issue. “It’s unfortunate, the way things turned out. I mean, I loved Kira and would have loved to tell a great closing story for her, but you can’t control every thing.”Cho is not hung up over it though, for she is not one to dwell on the past. “I want to focus on the good and channel my energy into the other projects that I’m working on,” she says. She is grateful for her fans and supporters, but maintains that they should not get caught up with being upset. And while there is still a long way to go when it comes to the pay disparities in the entertainment industry, Cho is hopeful. “I think people are being a bit more transparent and they are more aware [of the pay inequity],” she shares, stressing that whoever leaked the report was not from her team. “It’s someone who saw that it was unjust and they shared it, and so I think things are really changing.”

So does she think she is sending a powerful message across the industry by turning down the offer? “I’ve actually been saying no a lot during the past couple of years,” says Cho. “Not because I didn’t want to work on those particular shows, but because I wanted to work on a story that I felt would bring change.”

It has not been easy, she admits. “But nothing good comes easy. Plus, looking back now, if I had said yes to some of these other shows, I probably wouldn’t have been able to do Partner Track,” she reflects. Learning how to say no has taught her a lot over the years and she hopes to encourage other women to do the same. “Sometimes, as Asian American women, we feel like we have to work so hard, and we’re not allowed to say no. But I’ve learned that saying no is so powerful. We do not have to do everything, and we definitely don’t have to do the things we don’t want to do.”

For Cho, this is just the start, whether it’s telling Yun’s story or calling for more diversity on screen. “I certainly hope that there’s a season two. I feel like season one is just scratching the surface. There’s just so much more to tell in Ingrid’s story and her journey,” she enthuses. “The show is a really amazing opportunity to reflect on the beautiful, diverse world that we live in. I really believe that this is such a beautiful time, with a lot of great shows coming out that highlight incredible Asian American and Asian talents. We’re becoming a part of the conversation, and hopefully one day, we no longer have to feel othered.”

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