Constance Wu Slams Andrew Barth Feldman for Joining Maybe Happy Ending Cast

Constance Wu just made it very clear how she feels about Andrew Barth Feldman stepping into Maybe Happy Ending. Short version: she is not thrilled.

What happened (quick version)

• Wu posted on Instagram saying she had multiple conversations with Feldman — calls, texts, emails — about Asian American representation, and while it started hopeful, she ended up feeling disappointed in his decision to take the gig.
• The controversy centers on Feldman, who is white, taking over the role of Oliver in Maybe Happy Ending, a musical set in Seoul, South Korea. He is temporarily filling in for Darren Criss, who is Filipino American.
• Per The Hollywood Reporter, Feldman began performances on September 2 and is set to hand the role back to Criss when Criss returns in November.
• Wu and others argue the part should go to an Asian or Pacific Islander actor. She also pointed out that producers and folks behind the scenes have largely stayed quiet as the backlash grew.
• She apologized to people supporting B.D. Wong's petition, which has more than 2,400 signatures urging producers to recast Oliver with an Asian actor.

What Wu said

Wu says Feldman reached out to her to talk about representation — which initially gave her some hope — but after their back-and-forth, she told him she was going to post publicly and used the word 'disappointed' to his face. She also called out the production for the radio silence, noting that a bunch of behind-the-scenes folks seem to be waiting for the storm to pass.

'All I can say is that I am so disappointed in him... Sometimes responsibilities choose us. The question remains, what are you choosing to do with it?'

The broader issue

This is one of those inside-baseball theater dust-ups that hits a nerve: the show is set in Seoul, and the role at the center of it all is being played (even if temporarily) by a non-Asian actor. That is why the conversation is less about one performer and more about a pattern — the feeling, as Wu put it, that Asian Americans keep being unheard and unseen. The petition led by B.D. Wong is basically the community saying: enough, cast the part accordingly.

Where it stands now

Feldman is currently playing Oliver. Criss is expected back in November, and Feldman will step aside before that. As of Wu's post, she says the production has not publicly addressed the controversy. Her message to Feldman lands on a pretty blunt point: even if producers put you in this spot, you still have a choice about what you do with it.