Sophia Michaels
Diversity does not equal representation, an unfortunate truth many Asian and Asian American actors in Hollywood have grappled with for decades. When Sherry Cola realized she’d been cast as a lead actor in “Joy Ride,” which hit theaters on July 7, the mental shift required to process the reality of the situation was jarring.
“There was a moment where Ashley [Park] and I had a really long day, and the two of us were in the van, going back to our hotel, and we were so tired because it’d been like 12 hours of filming this incredible, rare film,” Cola tells POPSUGAR. “And I tell Ashley, ‘Wow, everything we’ve filmed so far is important, like every scene is a big scene.’ I was just in shock, reflecting, and she looks at me and says, ‘I guess this is what it’s like to be a lead.'”
“Not often do Asian actors get to do that: to be multidimensional and do various things in one project.”
For Cola and Park, who are both in their early 30s and whose previous acting résumés had primarily consisted of supporting roles, the realization was weighty. “It was such an epiphany and such a moment of gratitude that we get to be a part of a film that’s never been done,” Cola says. “We just kept wrapping our heads around the fact that everything in this film is a big moment, from the nightclub to the K-pop dance to doing drugs on the train, the scene with the hot basketball boys — literally everything was such a big moment. It’s such a wake-up call when you’re still surprised that people want to see this [story] because I think we’ve been so brainwashed by the industry and by this country, to be frank, that our stories aren’t important that we almost started to believe it. So in those moments when we see representation on the page, we have to pinch ourselves and do a double-take.”
That epiphany resonated with the entire lead cast, including Cola, Park, Stephanie Hsu, and Sabrina Wu, who carried the impact of their roles with them into every scene. “We didn’t take it lightly, and we absolutely gave it our all,” Cola says. To be given the opportunity to ad-lib, sing with one another in the recording studio, and “shine in such a brightly comedic way” was “liberating.” Cola adds, “Not often do Asian actors get to do that: to be multidimensional and do various things in one project.”
For the uninitiated, “Joy Ride” is the story of four friends who find themselves on an unapologetically explicit journey of self-discovery as they travel across Asia. At its core, the film is about friendship, but the trailer boasts a drug-smuggling escapade infused with moments of hilarity, including a K-pop rap scene complete with colorful costumes. So why does being part of such a comical, chaotic movie hold so much resonance for Cola and her castmates?
“When I got the call that I booked [the role], the tears were just overflowing, because the journey is simply not overnight,” Cola explains. “I can’t believe I get to be a part of this film that is gonna make history in a lot of ways because of what it is and what it represents and how wild it is, how messy it is, and how imperfect all the characters are. It really is the journey of discovering who your chosen family is, discovering how to be comfortable in your own skin.”
Alongside the film’s “humor, heart, and horniness,” “Joy Ride” is among the rare instances in which APIA actors have been given depth on screen. “That’s everything we’ve ever wanted as actors, and more,” Cola says. “As fans of TV and film, we want characters that you can relate to and aren’t a monolith, and are multidimensional. All we want to do is tell universal stories, and if we happen to be representing our people, then hell yeah.”
