Chris Grace: As Scarlett Johansson

Chris Grace

Chris Grace, America’s 88th-most beloved Chinese actor, celebrates the life of his greatest inspiration and the most capable portrayer of Asian lives today: Scarlett Johansson.

Confused by the decision his favorite actor made in Ghost in the Shell to play a part most thought would be a Japanese character, Chris wonders what might lead a huge star to make such a decision in his first solo hour that was a sellout at Edinburgh Fringe and won him a Hollywood Encore Producers’ Award. Casting a critical eye on how it impacts artists of color like himself, but also with empathy for someone who has shared the struggle of being an actor, he explores the role of race in casting, Hollywood and society in general. Also, the two of them are nearly identical physically so he figured it was finally time to play her on stage.

Chris says: “I wanted to encapsulate everything I had to say as a way of both expressing it as well as releasing myself from it, with the added bonus that my friends who are tired of hearing me talk about this stuff would know precisely which Fringe show to avoid.”

Exploring both Chris and Scarlett’s biographies through stand-up comedy, stage combat and the songs of Tom Waits, this show reimagines what is and isn’t possible… or appropriate… in the life of an artist.

Chris Grace: As Scarlett Johansson is a lovely, wry, empathetic comic tribute from one Asian actor… to another.