They Did That

The Secret Identity of Hollywood’s first Asian Oscar Nominee: Merle Oberon

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Episode notes

Before Michelle Yeoh’s historic win at the Oscars, there was another Asian actress nominated for the prize. Merle Oberon, the famous Golden Age actress, was the first Asian woman to ever be nominated for her performance in the 1935 film, “The Dark Angel.” The only thing was - no one knew she was Asian... In this episode we get into Merle’s complicated but fascinating story and learn about the problematic systems within Hollywood that caused Merle Oberon to hide her Asian identity to get cast in leading roles. 

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