Examples of yellowface


Examples of yellowface include the portrayal of East Asians in American film and theater and other Western media. It used to be the norm in Hollywood that Asian characters were played by white actors, often using makeup to approximate East Asian facial characteristics, a practice known as yellowface.
Media portrayals of East Asians have reflected a dominant Americentric perception rather than realistic and authentic depictions of true cultures, customs and behaviors. Yellowface relies on stereotypes of East Asians.

Fu Manchu, Charlie Chan, and Madame Butterfly

After the Civil Rights Movement

Note: This is also after the anti-miscegenation laws were repealed in the United States of America that prevented East Asian actors from playing opposite white actors as love interests.
YearTitleActor and RoleDirectorNotes
1970The Yin and the Yang of Mr. GoJames Mason as Y.Y. GoBurgess Meredith
1972The Paul Lynde ShowRay Walston as Mr. TemuraGeorge Tyne
  • Season 1, Episode 11: "Meet Aunt Charlotte"
1972–1975Kung FuDavid Carradine as Kwai Chang Caine
  • David Carradine wore yellowface makeup/prosthetics to look more East Asian
    • 1973Lost HorizonJohn Gielgud as ChangCharles Boyer as The High LamaCharles Jarrott
    1975One of Our Dinosaurs is MissingPeter Ustinov and othersRobert Stevenson
    1976Murder by DeathPeter SellersRobert Moore
    • Peter Sellers plays Inspector Sidney Wang, based on Charlie Chan and appropriately accompanied by his adopted, Japanese son Willie. Wang wears elaborate Chinese costumes, and his grammar is frequently criticized by the annoyed host much the same way that Inspector Clouseau. It could be argued that Sellers' role is in itself a parody of yellowface casting in earlier films.
    1980The Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu ManchuPeter SellersPiers HaggardPeter Sellers
    Richard Quine
    • This is the last Fu Manchu created.
    1980Flash GordonMax von Sydow as Emperor MingMike Hodges
  • Ming the Merciless is the sci fi version of Fu Manchu.
    • 1981Charlie Chan and the Curse of the Dragon QueenPeter Ustinov as Charlie Chan
  • In 1980, Jerry Shylock proposed a multimillion-dollar comedy film, to be called Charlie Chan and the Dragon Lady. A group calling itself C.A.N. was formed, protesting the fact that two white actors, Peter Ustinov and Angie Dickinson, had been cast in the primary roles. Others protested that the film itself contained a number of stereotypes; Shylock responded that the film was not a documentary. The film was released the following year as Charlie Chan and the Curse of the Dragon Queen and was an "abysmal failure". More successful was Wayne Wang's Chan Is Missing, which was a spoof of the older Chan films.
    • 1982Conan the BarbarianGerry Lopez as SubotaiJohn Milius
  • The character Subotai is a 'Hyrkanian' who in the mythos of Conan the Barbarian are the ancestors of Asians and further the character is named after Subotai one of the general so Genghis Khan, but the character however is played by the Hawaiian actor Gerry Lopez.
    • 1982The Year of Living DangerouslyLinda Hunt as Billy KwanPeter Weir
  • Actress Linda Hunt won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of an Asian man.
    • 1982Marco Polo Leonard Nimoy as AchmetGiuliano Montaldo
  • Italian and American television mini-series
    • 1983Reilly, Ace of SpiesDavid Suchet as Inspector TsientsinMartin Campbell
  • British ITV television mini-series
  • Episode 2: "Prelude to War"; Suchet dons eyelid makeup/prosthetics to play the Chinese character, who remarks on the disadvantages of "not being white".
    • 1984The Adventures of Buckaroo BanzaiPeter Weller as Buckaroo BanzaiW.D. Richter
  • Buckaroo Banzai is supposed to be half-Japanese, with a Japanese father played by James Saito and American mother played by Jamie Lee Curtis.
    • 1985'Joel Grey as ChiunGuy Hamilton
  • Film based on the Destroyer book series. Joel Grey garnered a Saturn Award and a second Golden Globe nomination for "Best Supporting Actor" for his yellowface portrayal.
    • 1989KickboxerMichel Qissi as Tong PoMark DiSalle, David Worth
  • Moroccan actor plays local Thai kickboxing champion.
    • 1993–1997'David Carradine as Kwai Chang Caine
  • David Carradine once again wore yellowface makeup/prosthetics to make him look East Asian
    • 1994Sabotage Adam YauchSpike Jonze
  • Beastie Boys music video.
    • 1996–1999Tracey Takes On... Tracey Ullman as Mrs. Noh Nang Ning
  • Ullman wore prosthetics to make her look East Asian.
    • 1997–2002MADtvAlex Borstein and Guest Star Role Susan Sarandon as Ms. Swan

    21st century

    Yellowface worn by a character in a film

    In some films, white characters, played by white actors, have played Asians, often as a disguise.
    Luise Rainer And Every Lead Actor The Good Earth
    Mary Pickford Madame Butterfly
    Mickey Rooney Breakfast at Tiffany’s
    Fisher Stevens Short Circuit
    Mike Meyers The Love Guru
    Emma Stone Aloha
    Scarlett Johansson Ghost in the Shell
    Billy Magnussen Birth of A Dragon
    YearTitleActorDirectorNotes
    1945First Yank into TokyoGordon DouglasTom Neal
    • A US soldier undergoes plastic surgery to look Japanese in order to rescue an American scientist held in Japan.
    1962My GeishaShirley MacLaineJack Cardiff
    1967You Only Live TwiceSean ConneryLewis Gilbert
  • James Bond disguises himself as a Japanese bridegroom in order to elude SPECTRE assassins.
    • 1978Revenge of the Pink PantherPeter SellersBlake Edwards
  • Inspector Clouseau had many disguises and this included the quintessential Chinaman stereotype.
    • 1981Hardly WorkingJerry LewisJerry Lewis
    1997The PestJohn LeguizamoPaul Miller
  • Leguizamo used yellowface twice in the film to disguise himself as both a Chinese and Japanese man to try and escape hunters trying to kill him and in both situations his character Pest portrayed them as stereotypical Asian caricatures.
    • 2011Robert Downey Jr.Guy Ritchie
  • The character of Sherlock Holmes donned yellowface to disguise himself as a Chinese man for a short while in the film.
    • 2014Magic in the MoonlightColin Firth as Wei Ling SooWoody Allen
  • Colin Firth portrays an Englishman who dons yellowface in order to pass as a Chinese illusionist.