'The Good Doctor’s Dr Audrey Lim is perfect portrayal of empowered woman, says Christina Chang
Art and entertainment in America always manages to address significant issues that surround our lives every day. One of such most-talked-about topics is representation of women, and of color, on screen. ABC’s latest hit medical drama, ‘The Good Doctor’, is also not out of that list. While we have been seeing various ethnic communities becoming essential parts of stories, a healthy representation of Asian-Americans, especially in recurring roles, has still been a rare sight. The medical drama, however, overrides that trend and brings one of the most important social communities of America to limelight. As a Taiwanese-American actor, as well as a vital character on the show, Christina Chang is thrilled and proud at the same time. At MEA WorldWide (MEAWW), we recently had the opportunity to sit with Christina and get her perspective on the matter.
Within three seasons of the show, Christina became a series regular and feels that it is hugely important for her as someone who represents her community.
“It’s frustrating that it took Crazy Rich Asians to make us en vogue (given that it took so long for that movie to be considered worth making) but I’m also extremely grateful that it’s happening now. My daughter can look at screens and billboards and see more people that look like her up there. That’s a win. This wasn’t the case when I was coming up as an actor”, she says.
While neither she nor we can ignore the fact that this is a change that we are seeing after ages, it still gives hopes to aspiring actors. She is proud of this change and adds, “While we certainly have a ways to go, I’m very proud to be a part of a show that has made an effort to bring Asian American actors into the light (thanks to Daniel Dae Kim). I’m also proud the writers’ room is diverse (thanks to David Shore).”
But Dr Audrey Lim is not just a projection of ethnicity in media. It is also a huge portrayal of the woman of today. It is not that other shows do not see women in lead roles. In fact, millennial television has opened up to female lead characters a lot more than we had ever seen or could expect. But more than most leading women are expected to be ‘bold and powerful’ through their dressing, dialogue, body language etc. Although there is nothing wrong about doing so, it tends to set a type for characters that are sketched for women in the lead.
On the contrary, Dr Audrey Lim reflects the same qualities of a self-reliant, ambitious woman, who is not only a great leader, but also emotional and sensitive, where it is required. She is all that an empowered woman is supposed to be, and a lot more, but without making it visible or obvious. So, when we asked Christina how Audrey differentiates from the rest, she had the most apt and incredible response that you can only expect from a woman who has been there, seen that.
“Oh, thank you! I learned a long time ago that anyone who is truly in power doesn’t have to preen, they just *are*powerful. It’s the difference between wanting and knowing, or trying and being. I think Audrey is quite confident in her skills as a surgeon which automatically gave her confidence to gracefully lead when she was an attending and currently as chief of the department.”
As the journey of Dr Audrey Lim continues to unfold, we can expect to see more shades to the leading woman on the show. You can watch Christina’s character come to light, with every new episode of ‘The Good Doctor’, currently airing Season 3, every Monday at 10.30 pm only on ABC.
