Have you noticed the significant increase in Korean-American actors and actresses on TV and movies lately?  Have you noticed there are more men than women in Hollywood?  You would think that there would be more women in front of the camera because let’s be honest, Korean women are great to look at which makes sense in such a visual medium.  Not that the Korean men aren’t studs but who doesn’t like looking at a Korean women?  They are undeniably beautiful women.  Then again, I guess it does take more than just looking good in front of a camera to make it in Hollywood.

This is a an anecdotal story I’m going to share and it does not provide any empirical evidence as to why there are more Korean guys than gals on the screen.  However, it does suggest something.  In my earlier days living in NYC, I roomed with actors and guys who worked at a movie studio.  I was the odd man out because I had a regular job unrelated to the entertainment industry.  I once asked one of my buddies if he ever saw Asian guys out on the audition circuit.  He quickly responded, “Are you kidding me?!  Those guys get more work than most actors out there.”  Huh?! What?  He continued to tell me that though there are only a few roles seeking Asian male faces, there were even less auditioning for them and he suggested that I just give acting a try – even though I had very little acting talent.  Well, to best illustrate this perception, let’s do a quick roll call here.

Ladies on a TV show or in a film in 2009
Smith Cho, Moon Bloodgood, Grace Park, Jamie Chung, Kelly Choi, Margaret Cho, Jenna Ushkowitz, Sandra Oh, Lindsay Price & Yunjin Kim

Guys on a TV show or in a film in 2009
Daniel Henney, Tim Kang, Ken Jeong, Aaron Yoo, John Cho, Rex Lee, C.S. Lee, Justin Chon, Rick Yune, Sung Kang, Rain, Lee Byung Hun, Daniel Dae Kim & James Kyson Lee

We may have missed a few folks but these are the Korean-Americans who were in a prominent role in their film or show.  Now 14 to 10 in favor of the men doesn’t seem like a big difference, but if we were to count up the hours of coverage or viewer impressions, then we would see the greater disparity. We don’t have time to count up every second and sum it all up but here are a couple proxies.

Weekly TV program comparison: Tim Kang, Ken Jeong, Rex Lee, John Cho, C.S. lee, Daniel Dae Kim and James Kyson Lee are in key roles on current weekly network television shows.

Movies: Only Moon Bloodgood and Jamie Chung were in big screen films this year versus John Cho, Aaron Yoo, Ken Jeong, Justin Chon, Rick Yune and Sung Kang.  And don’t forget that Hollywood is really gambling with Ninja Assassins and the predominantly Korean cast with Rain as the lead role.

So what are we trying to say?  Simple observations suggest that America is becoming more accepting of the Asian male and there are more opportunities for them.  But what about the ladies?  My conclusion is that there’s that much more competition on the female side of the fence where they’re competing against more open non-ethnic/racial specific roles.  Though they may be going on casting calls for Asian-American woman between 25-30, they’re also going on casting calls for (all) women between 25-30.  I thoroughly root for all the Korean women on the big and small screen, but I wish there were more of them up there.   Don’t you?

How many Korean-American guys can say they were named one of Hollywood’s hottest according to TV Guide?  James Kyson Lee is that guy and he’s a regular on the NBC hit show “Heroes.” So who’s James Kyson Lee?

A native of New York City, James graduated from Bronx High School of Science and continued his education at Boston University and New England Institute of the Arts where he studied communications & broadcasting.

After trying out improv and inspired by his passion for performing, James sold his used car and purchased a one-way ticket to Los Angeles, where he began his training in music, dance, and acting.

James’ television credits include CBS’s “CSI”, & “J.A.G.”, NBC’s “Las Vegas”, “The West Wing”, “Heist”, as well as ABC’s “Threat Matrix”, and FOX’s “All About the Andersons”.

He recently starred in Syfy’s telepic Star Runners, and will next be featured in upcoming films White on Rice, Hard Breakers, and How to Make Love to a Woman.

Well tonight, you can find James playing the character Ando, the sidekick to time traveling Hiro, on Heroes which premieres Monday tonight on NBC for it’s fourth season.  So what’s going to happen to Ando this season?

From BuddyTV: It’s interesting to see how Ando, a character who has evolved from a regular human being to a hero with power amplification and energy projection, in a storyline different from what we’re used to. After all, his portrayer, James Kyson Lee, has already hinted before, “He’s going to be starting a new business with Hiro [Masi Oka] and that’s gonna thrust us into some really unusual adventures.”

The nature of the business and the “really unusual adventures” will remain a surprise for now but Lee hints it’s related to superpowers. “I’m going to save it for the premiere, but you’ll find out the first episode,” Lee said. “You’re going to see a giant billboard. We’re back at Yamagato. This new venture that we’re starting, it’s a handful right now. That’s what this volume is about.”

While Ando and Hiro’s new venture alone would setup a potentially good storyline, Ando has another storyline that’s more worth looking forward to. “He’s going to partner with somebody that you would never expect on the show,” Lee said. “I’m going to keep that a little bit [mysterious], but someone that you totally did not expect.” Who could he be partnering with? Tracy? Angela? Or perhaps one of the newcomers like Robert Knepper’s Samuel Sullivan?

Ando is expected to appear in between 12 to 15 episodes of the fourth season’s 19 episodes. Sounds like Lee’s getting a more substantial role this season on Heroes and it’s about time.

Follow James Kyson Lee on Twitter>

James Kyson Lee, who is known for playing Ando Masahashi on NBC’s Heroes, is in a new upcoming indie comedy called White on Rice.  Angry Asian Man asked James a few questions before next week’s opening of the movie.

Describe your character in White on Rice.
Tim Kim is an aspiring guitarist/singer who wants to escape his corporate life to pursue his true passion: music. As Jimmy’s friend and co-worker, Tim tries to help out Jimmy’s lack of romantic life by introducing him to potential dates.

When Tim reconnects with his high school sweetheart Ramona, he unknowingly becomes Jimmy’s biggest rival in a bizarre love-triangle.

For the rest of the interview, go to Angry Asian Man>