Turning Red's Mei Actor Opens Up About Being Pixar's First Asian Lead
Turning Red star Rosalie Chiang shares her excitement about voicing Pixar's first Asian lead character. Disney and Pixar's latest animated feature follows 13-year-old Mei Lee as she confronts her own version of puberty, which includes turning into a giant red panda when she feels intense emotions. Turning Red director Domee Shi has earned high praise for the film, recognition for her work as the first female solo-director for Pixar Studios.
Shi worked alongside playwright Julia Cho to pen the screenplay, exploring the difficulties of adolescence while celebrating Chinese culture throughout the story. Although Turning Red did not receive a theatrical release, the film's authentic representation of Chinese culture intertwining with the Western world earned overwhelmingly positive reactions after the premiere on Disney+. As Mei confronts her perfectionist mindset and over-protective mother, Ming (Sandra Oh), she goes on a journey of embracing her own desires and aspirations, rather than succumbing to the pressures of the world around her.
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While speaking to Seventeen, Turning Red's star opens up about how it feels to voice Mei Lee for the first Asian-led film in Pixar history. Working for such a prestigious company is an honor in and of itself, Chiang notes, but the fact that the story is infused with so much from Chinese culture and the Asian experience made the experience even better. Admitting it is a little surreal, she hopes that Turning Red opens new doors for audiences and future filmmakers. Read more from Chiang below:
It's an honor and it's surreal. I feel like it hasn't really hit me that I'm the first Asian lead because I'm already grappling with the
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