Footage of Linda Hunt as Billy Kwan from The Year of Living Dangerously was included in a montage presented at the Oscars, resulting in backlash.
During the 2018 Oscars, a montage sequencing showcasing past Best Supporting Actress winners, Linda Hunt was featured for her role in 1983’s The Year of Living Dangerously.
In the film, Hunt played a half-Asian male photographer by the name of Billy Kwan. Hunt’s performance was awarded the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress later that year.
Hunt’s portrayal of Billy Kwan is now largely regarded as ‘yellowface’ for recreating Asian features through makeup.
Many were quick to pick up this year’s Oscars montage that featured Hunt as Billy Kwan.
“That was Linda Hunt in yellowface as ‘Billy Kwan’ during that Best Supporting Actress montage but sure let’s pretend like it’s worth casual inclusion,” Vulture writer E. Alex Jung tweeted.
“#Oscars all about inclusivity and diversity this year, but still includes a clip of Linda Hunt as Billy Kwan,” wrote another Twitter user.
“Third #Oscars montage for Best Supporting Actress had a great lineup of women until I saw Linda Hunt playing Yellow face and she won an Oscar for it,” said another.
Wow we are really showing that clip of Linda Hunt from The Year of Living Dangerously? Sounds good, everybody! #oscars
— Stephen Sajdak (@stephensajdak) March 5, 2018
#Oscars all about inclusivity and diversity this year, but still includes a clip of Linda Hunt as Billy Kwan.
— Asian Americanist (@americanist) March 5, 2018
btw that was Linda Hunt in yellowface as “Billy Kwan” during that Best Supporting Actress montage but sure let’s just pretend like it’s worth casual inclusion
— E. Alex Jung (@e_alexjung) March 5, 2018
The Academy is so clueless that on a night talking about inclusion they still showed clips of Linda Hunt as Billy Kwan and RDJ in ironic blackface for Tropic Thunder
— Kevin J. Harrington (@KJHcomedy) March 5, 2018
Linda Hunt playing Billy Kwan would *not* go over well in 2018 #Oscars
— Marlow Stern (@MarlowNYC) March 5, 2018
