Constance Wu has intensified her public criticism of Broadway actor Andrew Barth Feldman over the ongoing casting row surrounding the musical Maybe Happy Ending. Wu, who initially slammed Feldman on social media for accepting a role originally written for an Asian character, now says a private conversation with the actor has left her “so disappointed.”
The Tony-winning musical, which is set in Seoul and was praised for its Asian-led cast, caused a stir when it was announced that Feldman, who is white, would be replacing Darren Criss in the lead role of Oliver. Criss, who is of Filipino and European descent, made history when he won a Tony for his performance. Feldman, who is the real-life boyfriend of his co-star Helen J. Shen, is set to appear in the musical for nine weeks.
“Silence Is Complicity in Racism”
In a series of posts on her Instagram account, Wu, 43, first called Feldman “cowardly, disrespectful, and just really, really sad to just ignore an entire population and remain silent.” She noted that Feldman had not acknowledged a petition with thousands of signatures from B.D. Wong, a veteran stage actor and prominent advocate for Asian American representation.
“Historically, remaining silent is complicity in racism,” she wrote. “I hope you at least say something ABF, even if it’s disagreement. Please stop ignoring.”
View this post on Instagram
A few days later, the Crazy Rich Asians star again called out Feldman’s silence. “Maybe ignoring it will be a lot less drama/headache for you personally Andrew, I get it. But sometimes it’s worth it to suffer a bit of discomfort to at least acknowledge the voices of a population of people who have not had the racial privilege that you were born with. For your own integrity if for nothing else. Please stop ignoring us.”
A ‘Disappointing’ Voice Memo
In a new update, Wu revealed that Feldman had reached out to her privately, and they had a “peaceful” and “in-depth phone call about Asian American representation and erasure in theater.” This was followed by a series of emails and texts, which she said made her “hopeful.”
However, her hope was short-lived. “But after a recent voice memo he sent me, all I can say is that I am so disappointed in him. And feeling pretty discouraged,” Wu wrote.
She added that it feels “exhausting and increasingly lonely” to speak up about Asian American erasure when it feels like no one is listening. Wu also took aim at the producers of Maybe Happy Ending for remaining silent, stating, “Your plan is working, guys – I heard your box office doing great.”
Read more: ‘Maybe Happy Ending’ Faces Backlash for Casting White Actor After Asian-Led Win
She concluded by saying that while she feels for Feldman for being “saddled with this responsibility by your producers,” he must take a stand.
“But sometimes we don’t choose our responsibilities, they choose us,” she wrote. “So the question that remains is: what are you choosing to do with it? Silence is a choice.”
Feldman, who made his Broadway debut at age 17 in Dear Evan Hansen and starred opposite Jennifer Lawrence in the movie No Hard Feelings, has not yet responded publicly to Wu’s latest comments. He is expected to continue in his role in ‘Maybe Happy Ending’ through November 1, after which Darren Criss will return.
