Ali Wong knew exactly what she was looking for when it came to casting her love interest in the new Netflix rom-comAlways Be My Maybe.The comedian, who co-wrote the script with costar Randall Park, needed someone funny with solid acting chops, but most importantly, someone of Asian descent.EnterKeanu Reeves.Wong, who plays Sasha, a celebrity chef reigniting a childhood flame with former best friend Marcus in theWhen Harry Met Sally-esque comedy, says Reeves, 54, fit the requirements to a T.“It was really important to me that all of [Sasha’s] love interests were Asian-American,” Wong, 37, toldPEOPLE. “And we wanted to find a sexy Asian-American man who would be Marcus’ worst nightmare if he decided to confess his feelings. In everything I do it’s very important to show my attraction and desire towards Asian-American men.”Ali Wong, Keanu Reeves.Doane Gregory / NetflixAnd as she elaborated toThe Hollywood Reporter: “The only person in the entire universe who fits all those parameters is Keanu Reeves.”TheJohn Wickactor, who grew up in Canada as the son of an American with Chinese-Hawaiian ancestry, has long been on Wong’s radar, she toldVulture, ever since he starred in the 1994 flickSpeed.Doane Gregory / Netflix“Since I first watchedSpeed, I was very aware that Keanu was Asian-American because my family and community wouldn’t shut up about it,” she said. “Maybe other people didn’t know but I never forgot that.”Keanu Reeves.Doane Gregory / NetflixThough the team behind the film brainstormed other possibilities, including Tony Leung, Mark Dascascos, M. Night Shyamalan and even Paul Giamatti, Reeves remained the “dream guy,” director Nahnatchka Khan toldVulture.“We all thought it was going to be impossible to get him. What was the likelihood of him being available, and then also him being willing to play himself?” Park, 45, toldVulture.As viewers know, Reeves plays (spoiler alert!) a heightened, eccentric version of himself in the film, something Wong says he immediately embraced upon signing onto the role.RELATED VIDEO: Alice Eve on Keanu Reeves Becoming Her Confidant on Set of ‘Replicas’: He’s a ‘Vault’“The part where he’s listing off all those Chinese dignitaries, that was his idea,” she told PEOPLE. “And then the part where he’s like, ‘I don’t have a problem, Sasha, what’s your problem?’ and starts air fighting, he improvised that as well.”She added, “He’s a funny, sweet, professional guy who’s really like, about the work. And so much so that it wasn’t intimidating. He was very approachable.”Always Be My Maybeis streaming now on Netflix.
Ali Wong knew exactly what she was looking for when it came to casting her love interest in the new Netflix rom-comAlways Be My Maybe.
The comedian, who co-wrote the script with costar Randall Park, needed someone funny with solid acting chops, but most importantly, someone of Asian descent.
EnterKeanu Reeves.
Wong, who plays Sasha, a celebrity chef reigniting a childhood flame with former best friend Marcus in theWhen Harry Met Sally-esque comedy, says Reeves, 54, fit the requirements to a T.
“It was really important to me that all of [Sasha’s] love interests were Asian-American,” Wong, 37, toldPEOPLE. “And we wanted to find a sexy Asian-American man who would be Marcus’ worst nightmare if he decided to confess his feelings. In everything I do it’s very important to show my attraction and desire towards Asian-American men.”
Ali Wong, Keanu Reeves.Doane Gregory / Netflix
And as she elaborated toThe Hollywood Reporter: “The only person in the entire universe who fits all those parameters is Keanu Reeves.”
TheJohn Wickactor, who grew up in Canada as the son of an American with Chinese-Hawaiian ancestry, has long been on Wong’s radar, she toldVulture, ever since he starred in the 1994 flickSpeed.
Doane Gregory / Netflix
“Since I first watchedSpeed, I was very aware that Keanu was Asian-American because my family and community wouldn’t shut up about it,” she said. “Maybe other people didn’t know but I never forgot that.”
Keanu Reeves.Doane Gregory / Netflix
Though the team behind the film brainstormed other possibilities, including Tony Leung, Mark Dascascos, M. Night Shyamalan and even Paul Giamatti, Reeves remained the “dream guy,” director Nahnatchka Khan toldVulture.
“We all thought it was going to be impossible to get him. What was the likelihood of him being available, and then also him being willing to play himself?” Park, 45, toldVulture.
As viewers know, Reeves plays (spoiler alert!) a heightened, eccentric version of himself in the film, something Wong says he immediately embraced upon signing onto the role.
RELATED VIDEO: Alice Eve on Keanu Reeves Becoming Her Confidant on Set of ‘Replicas’: He’s a ‘Vault’
“The part where he’s listing off all those Chinese dignitaries, that was his idea,” she told PEOPLE. “And then the part where he’s like, ‘I don’t have a problem, Sasha, what’s your problem?’ and starts air fighting, he improvised that as well.”
She added, “He’s a funny, sweet, professional guy who’s really like, about the work. And so much so that it wasn’t intimidating. He was very approachable.”
Always Be My Maybeis streaming now on Netflix.
source: people.com
