Gemma Chan thinks it is important that men join the feminism movement and the fight for gender equality.

Gemma Chan for Glamour UK

Gemma Chan for Glamour UK

The 'Crazy Rich Asians' star says it "really heartens" her when men become "allies" with women.

She said: "It always really heartens me when a man does speak out not to just defend women but to make it clear they are an ally. It is so important ... We can't do it without bringing men along for the ride."

And the 36-year-old actress hates the conversation surrounding women and their ageing process as she thinks it is just another form of "control".

She added: "It's been a way of controlling women and making women feel insecure about ourselves and that they aren't adequate. We need to change things, especially in the beauty industry. The ageing process is going to happen to all of us, how are we going to deal with it? I think anti-ageing is a prehistoric term."

Gemma has had to face racial prejudice in her life too but the rejection has just made her more "determined".

She explained to GLAMOUR UK's March digital issue: "Back when I started out a lot of the parts that I would be asked to audition for would be specifically ethnic parts. But I was told things like, 'We really liked you, we liked your read, but can you do more of an accent, you sound too English!' There were preconceived ideas of what someone like me should sound like ... I put that energy into my work and it just makes me more determined to do what I do. That's why it's so important for a film 'Crazy Rich Asians' to come out and challenge and subvert people's ideas of what Asian people are like or perhaps what women are capable of ... I think we need to challenge prejudice as a whole, to be honest."

See the full feature in the March digital issue of GLAMOUR UK, available online now. https://www.glamourmagazine.co.uk/magazine


Tagged in