'Insecure's 'Asian Bae' reveals he's dating a Black woman & how it helped him with his role
Alexander Hodge, also known as “Asian Bae” in the TV series “Insecure,” shared a couple of details about his life and character, including his relationship with a Black woman.
In the series, Alexander takes the role of Andrew, best known for his nickname “Asian Bae.” He is the love interest of Yvonne Orji’s character, Molly, a Black woman.
Apart from the fact that romantic relationships between Asian people and Black people in Hollywood are not usual, Alexander’s role is portrayed as a sexy, desirable person, which is also uncommon. For that reason, Alexander considers that his part is “revolutionary.”
NOT MANY MALE ASIAN ROLES
The actor revealed that when he was younger, there were a few Asian male role models he could look up to. He even felt ashamed of his Chinese heritage at some point during his life.
Alexander added that he was confused for Polynesian, Hawaiian, or Maori because those ethnicities had an “exotic attraction,” something that he didn’t have being Chinese. The actor pointed out that Andrew is “incredibly important” for his culture.
INSPIRING HIS CULTURE
“He’s important for my little cousins, so they believe they can be who they want to be. That they are strong, that their opinions matter, that they can get the girl. I hope they can find freedom in Andrew,” revealed Alexander.
Even though the interracial relationship that Andrew has with Molly is unusual, Alexander is familiar with it as he is in a relationship with Ava Luu, a Black woman. He revealed that his romance allowed him to understand the Black culture and community in a better way.
THE ROLE OF HIS INTERRACIAL RELATIONSHIP
“My real-life relationship definitely allowed me to sink into the character of Andrew more truthfully and see Molly for who she is entirely, without caricature or presumption,” admitted the actor.
Alexander pointed out, though, that he is careful not to bring anything from his personal life onscreen since that would insinuate that black women are interchangeable and can be all treated the same.
TRYING TO HELP THE SOCIETY
The actor’s role is very important to teach the society that we are all human beings and should be treated with respect, something that Doyin Richards, unfortunately, didn’t experience.
He uploaded a photo to his “Daddy Doin’ Work” Facebook page as a way to show his wife that he could take care of both of his daughters without a problem. However, people started making racist remarks because the girls have light skin, different from Doyin’s dark skin.
They said that he probably rented the girls, that he should go back to sell drugs, and that the photo would be better if the children were black. Thankfully, several people supported him and his “daddy duties,” but it was a clear example of how racist people can be.