Sessue was a renowned Asian American Hollywood star during the period of early to late 1900s. He was known not only as an actor but he wore the hats of a producer, author, even a martial artist, and a Zen monk. This fame and popularity was actually just an accident that happened to Sessue. He was born into a provincial governor’s family as the second eldest son. The status and reputation of a family that Sessue was born into brought future stresses and anxieties to uphold the family honor. He was set and forced to being the honorable naval officer but due to a ruptured eardrum, his perfect health was damaged thus failing the navy’s physical. His father became ashamed and the relationship between him and his father sunk. Sessue also attempted seppuku, a ritual suicide derived from Japan. After failing he moved to the United States in 1911 to study and had plans to become a banker in Chicago.
Instead Sessue decided to drop out and go back to Japan. During the wait time he had in Los Angeles to take the ship back to Japan he wandered around Little Tokyo and found himself at a theater and was interested in acting and performing. He then found himself being in a Thomas Ince production that turned into a silent movie. The movie called The Typhoon was filmed in 1914 and became a hit. However it wasn’t until Sessue was casted in The Cheat in 1915 that brought him huge success and stardom. He was recognized for his unique charisma and good looks in the romantic movie. Sessue found himself instantly rich and successful in the Hollywood industry.
From then on Sessue continued in his success as he was casted as the leading man in many romantic drama genre films and his popularity among the women audience was very fast and vast. He was also known for his acting influenced by the Zen. This meant that his acting was natural without the “force” in acting. He was one of the first stars to emphasize natural acting, as Classical Hollywood was known for its dramatic gestures and face expressions. His wealth and popularity led him to making films where he had total control over the content. Unfortunately due to anti-Asian laws like limits on immigration and the hostility towards Japanese-Americans, as well as the production code, Sessue had to take his production overseas where he also found success in some of his work of plays.
Here I thought Mr. Miyagi from The Karate Kid or Harold and Kumar were the real successes of Asians in Hollywood but other actors and actresses like Anna May Wong and of course Sessue Hayakawa had already set the path for successful Asians in Hollywood. Through Sessue and his successes, Asians don’t have to be known as the deviant, exotic, eccentric people that don’t know American culture. The Asian figure of femininity and weakness has been rebuked through Sessue’s successes as a lead male actor. I wonder why Asians started having geeky and pathetic roles in movies? Where did the suave James Bond-like Asians go in the movies?! But Asians being successful in Hollywood brings unity through the hybridity of both American and Asian cultures. There is no longer a conflict but instead a harmony that results into a new culture and wave of talent and elegance in this case in acting and film. Asians even before our time were recognized for exceptional talent and skill even in the American Hollywood industry.
-Madelyn Kim
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