Ronny Chieng and Chloe Bennet have joined the cast of Hulu’s “Interior Chinatown,” from 20th Television. The series stars Jimmy O. Yang and hails from creator and executive producer Charles Yu, who wrote the award-winning book it’s based on, and pilot director/EP Taika Waititi.
“Interior Chinatown” follows Willis Wu (Yang), a background character trapped in a police procedural trying to find his way into the larger story. His journey uncovers secrets about the strange world he inhabits, as well as his family’s buried history. While waiting tables and dreaming about a world beyond Chinatown, he inadvertently becomes a witness to a crime, unraveling a criminal conspiracy in the city and taking a stab at embodying a leading man.
Chieng (“Crazy Rich Asians”) boards the show as Fatty Choi, Willis’ best friend. Per his character description, his passions include video games and malted beverages. Unlike Willis, Fatty is much more comfortable with who he is and he’s content with his life working at the restaurant, drinking, hanging out and being the sidekick in the story.
Bennet (“Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.”) stars as Detective Lana Lee, a new lead making her debut appearance in the show-within-a-show “Black & White.” Lana brings a new energy to the series’ reliable but overworked premise. Exuding competence and an air of mystery, she represents everything Willis has dreamed of: success, a possible love interest and a bigger role in the story, and the two form an unlikely partnership. Described as “self-aware, compelling and enigmatic,” the character can easily move between worlds, but that capability comes with a complicated reality.
Yu serves as showrunner, while Dan Lin, Lindsey Liberatore and Elsie Choi executive produce for Rideback, along with Jeff Skoll and Miura Kite under their Participant banner and Dive’s Garrett Basch.
“Interior Chinatown” continues Hulu Originals’ trend in book-to-television adaptations including recent series orders for “Tiny Beautiful Things,” “The Other Black Girl,” and “Black Cake,” and releases “Dopesick,” “Nine Perfect Strangers,” “Normal People” and “Conversations with Friends.”
In addition to “Crazy Rich Asians,” Chieng has appeared in “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” and “Godzilla vs. Kong.” The stand-up comic and “The Daily Show” correspondent is currently under a deal to produce and create specials for Netflix, with 2019’s “Asian Comedian Destroys America!” and “Ronny Chieng: Speakeasy” being the first two of four. He will next be seen in the Blumhouse film “M3gan” and “Inspector Sun and the Curse of the Black Widow” in 2023. He’s repped by Artists First, APA, Sechel and Cohen Gardner.
Bennet is best known for starring in Marvel’s “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” Having begun her career in China and balancing acting with music, she has also been featured in ABC’s “Nashville.” Bennet voiced the lead character Yi in DreamWorks’ “Abominable.” A spinoff series, “Abominable and the Invisible City,” premiered on Hulu and Peacock earlier this month. Bennet returned to the big screen in MGM’s musical remake of the 80s classic “Valley Girl,” and she can next be seen in the upcoming third season of FX’s “Dave,” currently in production. She’s repped by CAA and Robby Koch at Hansen Jacobson.
