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Woman's Hour: On Being Seen: Actor Constance Wu, Zara McDermott, Dr Jess Wade, filmmaker Gurinder Chadha & Bridgerton's Charithra Chandran

On Being Seen: Actor Constance Wu, Zara McDermott, Dr Jess Wade, filmmaker Gurinder Chadha & Bridgerton's Charithra Chandran

BBC Radio 4 - Woman's Hour, On Being Seen: Actor Constance Wu, Zara McDermott, Dr Jess Wade, filmmaker Gurinder Chadha & Bridgerton's Charithra Chandran

Crazy Rich Asians actor Constance Wu on the nuances and pressures of representation.

If you met your hero, what would you say to them? Bridgerton's rising star Charithra Chandran in conversation with her hero, Bend It Like Beckham filmmaker Gurinder Chadha.

What does it mean when you are the first to 'be seen'? In 2018, Constance Wu received a Golden Globe Best Lead Actress nomination. She was the first Asian woman in 44 years to be named in the category for her historic role in Crazy Rich Asians, the first Hollywood film in 25 years to feature an all-Asian cast. After a tweet bemoaning the hit Chinese American sitcom Fresh Off The Boat, which launched her career, she was ‘cancelled’ by many from her own community. Wu talks to us about the pressures of representation and being seen.

What is our responsibility in what we show people? Zara McDermott, social media influencer, former Love Island reality TV star and now filmmaker, talks to us about the responsibility we have in reflecting a balanced and authentic image of ourselves online. In Zara’s recent BBC Three documentary, Disordered Eating, she questions her responsibilities as a social media influencer.

How can we help others be seen? Dr Jess Wade is a physicist from Imperial College London who creates wiki profiles for women in science. Wikipedia is the largest and most-read reference work in history, yet Jess says only 19 percent of profiles are of women. She tells us how and why she hopes to change that.

What if you see yourself in someone but choose the path not taken? Rotherham listeners, Becky and her mum Jackie, discuss how they do and don’t see themselves in each other.

If you met your hero, what would you say to them? An intergenerational conversation between two women who inspire each other: Gurinder Chadha is the Director of the landmark film Bend It Like Beckham which turned 20 this year, and Charitha Chandran plays Edwina Sharma in season two of the hit Netflix period drama Bridgerton.

Presenter: Jessica Creighton
Producer: Surya Elango

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On Being Seen: Actor Constance Wu, Zara McDermott, Dr Jess Wade, filmmaker Gurinder Chadha & Bridgerton's Charithra Chandran

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