MASTERMIND
Lacking representation in the industry, ALLY MAKI stands up proud as she raises the flags of AsianAmerican culture in Hollywood. By Therese Baluyot Interview by Janroe Cabiles Photographed by Brett Erickson
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reating ripples in Hollywood with her sanguine humor and superb performance in the acting scene, Ally Maki among others is living proof that Asian-Americans in the industry are more than doing martial arts or reading books page by page. The Jack-of-all-trades star got involved in acting at a fairly young age and started appearing on 2002 as Sasha in My Wife and Kids. With the budding passion she established and the warmth she received from people she got to work with, Ally found her safe haven in front of the rolling film. “There was just something about performing that made me feel at home,” the actress recalls. However, before soaring in acting, the actress admits that she was timid as a young girl. Being the wallflower that she was, doing voiceovers and venturing into musical theater became her gateway into acting as an outlet, and she bade goodbye to her introverted past self. With the boundaries established in the world of acting before, entering the scene as a fourth generation Japanese-American was a struggle, due to endless stereotypes and racial discrimination. “It wasn’t until I moved to LA that all these stereotypes and limitations became apparent to me. Casting directors or agents would say, ‘Do an accent for this,’ ‘Can you wear glasses?,’ or my worst fear, ‘Just do some of that martial arts stuff.’ It was never anything outside of that.” As she continues to grow in the industry, Ally foresees the Asian-American culture growing and exceeding the limitations of what Asian-Americans in Hollywood are used to portraying. “This industry raised me and I’m so grateful for that. I ask all of those people [involved in the industry] to do what they can to move the needle forward. Be open-minded. Consider a world where everyone’s story matters. We are underestimating our audiences if we continue to play the same stories over and over again with no variation. People are
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