While "Marco Polo" has Kublai Khan as its central formidable figure, his first wife, Empress Chabi, is an equally strong character in the story. Joan Chen, who plays the role of the empress, recently talked about her character, as well as how "Marco Polo" has influenced the TV landscape.
In an exclusive interview, Joan Chen acknowledged that she was instantly drawn to working on "Marco Polo" because it offered something new and meaningful for her. Working in Hollywood for decades, Chen understands that there are limitations to being an Asian actress. "There is always the danger of some kind of stereotype," she said via Northwest Asian Weekly.
However, when "Marco Polo" first premiered on the streaming site in 2014, the show and Netflix opened doors of opportunities that has never happened to Asian actors in Hollywood before. Parent Herald previously reported on the show's international success, which Joan Chen commended as a smart move for Netflix. "Minorities are big consumers now," she said in the interview. "If you don't include diversity in your shows, your business isn't going to thrive."
Family is where you find it. pic.twitter.com/744RmJBvlh
— Marco Polo (@MarcoPoloMP) August 27, 2016
Joan Chen also stated that because "Marco Polo" is not airing on a traditional TV model, this too worked to the actors' advantage. The actress said that she got the scripts to "Marco Polo" all at once before filming, which allowed her to develop Empress Chabi into a three-dimensional figure better.
As a historical figure, Empress Chabi was highly regarded in the Mongol empire. "Mongols really valued queens as much as kings," the actress said. She read books about Mongol queens to draw out insights for her character in "Marco Polo." "Chabi isn't on the battlefield, but she's not shy about offering advice and expressing her opinion," she added.
While Netflix hasn't confirmed "Marco Polo" for its third season, Joan Chen hopes to get back to work as soon as possible. She also hopes to take advantage of the fact that minorities in Hollywood are growing in demand. She has been inspired by "Marco Polo's" success that she's also looking into other projects that promote Asian culture and diversity.
"Marco Polo" Season 2 was released on Netflix last July. The first season is also available for streaming on the site.
