‘Mr. Yunioshi’ explores the question of what roles actors should choose to play

By May S. Ruiz

Mr. Yunioshi is a character in the 1961 movie ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s,’ which was adapted from Truman Capote’s novella of the same title. Mickey Rooney, wearing heavy make-up and mouth fittings, depicted  Mr. Yunioshi as a clumsy Japanese photographer who bumped into furniture and  lamps. Rooney’s interpretation – a ludicrous caricature – has since become the topic of much critical commentary.

In retrospect, it was a monumental mistake to cast Rooney as an Asian man. However, it can be argued that during the Golden Age of Hollywood, representation hadn’t entered our collective consciousness and movie studios hired mainly known ‘stars.’ In 1957 Yul Brynner played King Mongkut of Thailand on stage and later in the film adaptation of ‘The King and I.’ Katherine Hepburn was cast as an Asian Woman in the 1944 drama ‘Dragon Seed;’ Luise Rainer even won an Academy Award for her role in yellowface in the 1937 film ‘The Good Earth.’ That didn’t make it right, of course, but it was the reality at that time.  

A reversal of that situation is what’s in store in ‘Mr. Yunioshi.’ We’ll have the chance to see for ourselves how an Asian American playwright and actor imagined what Rooney was thinking to arrive at his depiction of the character when the play opens at the Sierra Madre Playhouse on Jan. 27. and runs through Feb. 5, ‘Mr. Yunioshi was written by J. Elijah Cho who also performs the titular role.

Interviewing an Asian American actor who plays the role of a white man portraying an Asian character is such a thrill for an Asian American like me who has called Pasadena home for 40 years! By email Cho informs me that his parents were both in the Air Force (now retired) so he and his brother moved around a lot when they were growing up. He knew acting was his calling the first time he saw Ke Huy Quan in ‘Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom’ as Short Round and in ‘The Goonies’ as Data. “Quan continues to inspire me as an actor!” Cho enthusiastically declares. 

When Cho graduated from high school on a military base in Korea, one of his aunts gave him a copy of Stephen King’s ‘On Writing.’ King’s book was what motivated him to write plays that he could ultimately perform himself when he went on to study Theatre Performance at the University of South Florida.

Cho’s role as Wonderboy AMC’s original series ‘Halt and Catch Fire’ was his introduction to American audiences. He says, “’Halt and Catch Fire’ is, to date, my biggest acting credit, and I’m so grateful to have been a part of a show that I am also a huge fan of. I auditioned for that through my agent in Tampa and we filmed in Atlanta. What I’m best known for right now is this YouTube video from Jubilee Media, ‘Do All Asian-Americans Think Alike?’ I’ve been recognized a few times for that, which is weird and fun. I’m hoping soon I’ll be known for Mr. Yunioshi!”

Asked when he wrote ‘Mr. Yunioshi’ and what prompted him to, he replies, “I wrote Mr. Yunioshi after my time on ‘Halt …’ was over but I had the idea before then. The play was written as sort of a humorous but heartfelt response to a local theater gatekeeper and also the limited roles and opportunities specifically for Asian American actors. I hope someday other Asian actors will see and want to do the show for their communities. I think Mickey Rooney is the most pointed to example of yellowface in cinema and people have protested screenings of ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’ because of his scenes. I don’t think of myself as an agitator, but I thought it was a subject that a lot of people (myself included) felt strong feelings about and that maybe humor and empathy could be used to help us navigate a way through it.”

Cho adds, “I think it can be hard for an actor to navigate what roles they choose because they have very little say in the opportunities they are given. I think writing helps but it comes with its own set of responsibilities. I believe an actor’s responsibility is to live truthfully under imaginary circumstances. And it certainly helps when you’re given a bit of control over those circumstances.”

As to the audience takeaway, Cho says, “Empathy! I think that’s the big thing I hope audiences take from Mr. Yunioshi. I also hope they laugh and that they can leave some things behind, if that makes sense? I’ve had a few people tell me they thought I’d be angrier, but I don’t want to hate Mickey Rooney. I mean, I’ll make fun of him, but I think audiences can tell if it’s mean. And I don’t want to put more meanness out there.”

Mr. Yunioshi has been performed in New York and Australia so I ask if Australian audiences react similarly as those in New York and if the Edinburgh Fringe is next. Cho states, “The New York Fringe in 2016 was the first draft of the show and was still very tongue-in-cheek. My friend, Joe Wagner, directed me for the Hollywood Fringe and helped ground my performance and really find the comitragic character of Mickey Rooney. A tape of the Hollywood performance played online in Sydney during the lockdown, so unfortunately I didn’t get to see the audience reaction in Australia! And oh gosh, Edinburgh! I would love to do it at some point but we’ll have to see when!”

While having acting credentials on a television series and being on YouTube are helpful in furthering his career, they don’t necessarily result in getting the roles he wants. Cho explains, “I have a lot more experience on stage and I think that provides a degree of comfort. And I’m grateful for any opportunity to perform so I love being on set. Lately, I’ve been trying to remind myself that the type of credits I have hasn’t been as integral to finding collaborators as just staying busy and putting myself out there and I think that’s what really opens doors.”

I ask him how he prepares for Mr. Yunioshi and if the role gets easier now that he’s performed it a few times, he responds, “It’s a solo performance, so it’s only me on stage the entire time; and that’s challenging in a lot of ways. I’ve performed it a lot now and I feel like each show has prepared me a bit more mentally and emotionally for the next. It has gotten easier and while it is exhausting, I’m always so excited to perform it for people!”

So what’s next for him? Cho says, “I’m writing a few new things – a horror comedy pilot and a horror screenplay among them… I’ve also got a few things for stage that are in the works. The next thing for me will be a sketch show at the Pack Theater with my team, Surprise B*tch! (or Surprise Beach, if we think there will be children present but it’s a late enough show that I think we’re okay…).”

Lastly, I ask him if there’s anything he wants me to include in the article that I had omitted to bring up. He says, “I’m always anxious that I’ve forgotten to express gratitude to all of the people that have helped with the show, so real quick: Thank you, Mom, Dad, Josh, Aunt Susie, Ari & David Stidham, Sierra Madre Playhouse, Hollywood Fringe, Joe Wagner, Jack Holloway, and you and your readers! I hope you can come see Mr. Yunioshi at Sierra Madre Playhouse, January 27 – February 5!”

While Mr. Yunioshi is a comedy, at the core it examines thought-provoking questions: Should actors have the opportunity to play ANY role? Could there ever have been a ‘right’ way to play it? What compels an actor to play a character that they really shouldn’t be playing?

Mr. Yunioshi is what Cho imagined informed (however ill it was) Rooney’s acting choice in his portrayal of a fictional Asian character. He treated his subject with kindness and compassion – he showed that Rooney’s intent was simply to make the audience laugh. And many people did when the film was first released. But we have since evolved as a society and we now recognize that insensitivity is no laughing matter.