Last week, Steven Yeun appeared on Conan and talked about other Asians who claim they get mistaken for him all the time. I have to admit, I can relate. No, I have not been mistaken for Steven Yeun (at least not yet), but I have been mistaken for other girls simply because we’re both Asian. Sometimes it’s a girl who’s completely different in height, age and ethnicity. Heck, sometimes it’s Lucy Liu.
The point is, Steven Yeun is right. Not all Asians look alike. While he decided to prove his point with interracial lookalikes, I have developed a fail-proof game to help practice telling all Asians apart (because clearly, some people need assistance with this).
Answers will be provided below, but remember, we are here to foster an environment of learning and enlightenment. So let’s begin!
1. Steven Yeun vs. Daniel Dae Kim
I know it must be really hard for some of you to see that these are two different people, but they are! One is Steven Yeun, an actor from The Walking Dead (hint: he’s the guy in the first picture you saw). The other is surprisingly not Steven Yeun! He’s an actor named Daniel Dae Kim, best known for Lost and Hawaii Five-O.
2. Rinko Kikuchi vs. Doona Bae
Oh, the challenges of being critically acclaimed. One is Japanese actress and Audrey Cover Girl Rinko Kikuchi, known for Babel, Pacific Rim and the upcoming Kumiko, The Treasure Hunter. The other is not even Japanese at all. Yup, there are different kinds of Asian! Doona Bae is a Korean actress and the Wachowski’s newest favorite who stars in Cloud Atlas, Jupiter Ascending and the upcoming Netflix series Sens8.
3. Dev Patel vs. Suraj Sharma
Sometimes, all you need to do is turn in a great performance in an Oscar-nominated film and….not get nominated for your acting. One is Dev Patel, the kid from Slumdog Millionare, who is also in The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel franchise, The Newsroom and the upcoming Chappie. The other is Suraj Sharma, the kid from Life of Pi, who will be in the upcoming Sundance winner Umrika. Can’t tell the difference? Just ask Claire Danes!
4. Randall Park vs. Kim Jong Un
This is where it starts to get tough. One is a ruthless North Koren dictator. The other is an actor who plays the North Korean dictator in The Interview and now plays the dad in Fresh off the Boat. Confusing, right?
5. Mindy Kaling vs. Malala Yousafzai
After a drunk, old man mistakened Mindy Kaling for Malala Yousafzai, Kaling responded, “Did he really think I’m Malala? And that if I were, I’d be at the Boom Boom Room?” But we can’t blame the man! After all, Audrey Cover Girl Mindy Kaling is a 34-year-old actress/showrunner and Malala is a Nobel Peace Prize winner at the age of 17.
6. Lee Byung Hyun vs Dr. Ken Jeong
According to Lee Byung Hyun, this mistake is something that actually happens so let’s help clear it up for people! Lee Byung Hun is an action star who will be the newest Terminator, while Dr. Ken Jeong is a comedian who bares all in The Hangover series. It’s okay, we can see how people mistake them by the their body types. So similar!!!
7. Priyanka Chopra vs. A White Girl in Brownface
Aren’t white girls great at playing Indians? Judging by the people who put white girl Amy Jackson in brownface for Ek Deewana Tha, Bollywood sure seems to think so. The actual Indian is Priyanka Chopra, Bollywood superstar and Audrey Cover Girl. That being said, we totally see how you can’t tell these two apart… I mean it’s uncanny!
8. Psy vs. G-Dragon
Kpop, kpop, kpop! All Kpop stars look the same right? That’s why it’s so hard to tell the “Gangnam Style” singer and BIG BANG member apart. I mean, aside from a few very devoted fans, who can tell the difference?
9. Makoto Kusanagi vs. Scarlett Johansson
Ooops, my bad! I forgot Scarlett Johansson was white. Didn’t she just blend in so well with the Japanese people in Lost in Translation? No worries, she’s going to be a great Makoto Kusanagi in the Ghost in the Shell movie.
10. Harold vs. Kumar
This one hardly needs explanation. John Cho and Kal Penn just look so alike. I mean, even I can’t tell them apart. But here’s a tip– Harold (played by John Cho) is Korean while Kumar (played by Kal Penn) is Indian.
All jokes aside, we hope you see how ridiculous it is to believe that all Asians look alike. After all, if people can take the time to learn the difference between Marvel’s Chris Pratt, Chris Evans and Chris Hemsworth, surely they can learn the difference between Asians, right?
Answers: 1. Steven Yeun (A), Daniel Dae Kim (a); 2. Rinko Kikuchi (A), Doona Bae (a); 3. Dev Patel (a), Suraj Sharma (A); 4. Randall Park (A), Kim Jong Un (a); 5. Mindy Kaling (A), Malala; 6. Lee Byung Hun (a), Ken Jeong (A); 7. Priyanka Chopra (a), Brownface (A); 8. Psy (A), G-Dragon (a); 9. Makoto Kusunagi (a), Scarlett Johansson (A); 10. Harold (a), Kumar (A)
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