Following a wave of harassment for her performance as Ada Wong in the Resident Evil 4 remake, actress Lily Gao released a statement responding to the backlash on Tuesday.
“Being the first Asian actor to portray Ada in the Resident Evil video games is an honor, and I will forever be grateful to our producer and director for making the decision on authentic representation,” Gao said on Instagram. “It’s unfortunate that with the game’s release also came the all too familiar feeling of ‘I don’t belong’.”
Shortly after the Resident Evil 4 remake came out, Gao momentarily left Instagram due to an overwhelming amount of hateful comments on her posts. Much of the harassment came from people upset that this new version of Ada Wong wasn’t as flirtatious as past iterations of the character – a critique that Gao more-or-less addresses in her statement.
“While criticism is expected, it’s not the first time an actor of color faces racist and sexist harassment simply for participating,” Gao continues. “Inauthentic casting perpetuates an unhealthy image that further dehumanizes the community they seek to reflect. It is time we stop only capitalizing on the sexualized, eroticized, and mysterious Asian woman, and make space to honor every kind of Asian woman. My Ada is a survivor.”
The Resident Evil 4 remake came out late last month and is selling like hotcakes. Many believe it already ranks among the franchise’s very best.
Written by Kyle Campbell on behalf of GLHF.
