A Leading Man: Act 1

A three-part mini-series from director Steve J. Kung, this beautiful story follows a handsome and ambitious Chinese American striving for his big Hollywood break.

When you watch A Leading Man on JoySauce, after it successfully made the rounds in indie film festivals, you may notice the heartbreaking parallel between the trajectory of protagonist GQ Qi and the film itself. 

In the movie, GQ is a handsome, talented, and ambitious Chinese American actor struggling to make his big break in Hollywood after cutting his teeth on the Broadway stage. But the biggest challenge GQ faces is how to exist as an actor of Asian heritage with his dignity intact. The film itself is a stunningly composed and sharply written showbiz drama filled with pent-up ennui, a searing condemnation of the racism and sexism of Tinseltown. It is both shocking and unsurprising that it didn’t even get a DVD release, but we all know that sometimes neither talent nor beauty stands a chance in the face of longstanding discrimination.

JoySauce is proud to present A Leading Man as a three-part exclusive. Despite struggles for Asian actors being a better than in the past, this beautiful film’s themes remain deeply relevant to today’s entertainment industry.