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Film Synopsis

Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wing? is a feature documentary exploring the life of Virginia Wing, a Chinese American actress from Marks, Mississippi, who continues working in the industry well into her 80s. From the Jim Crow South to a decades-long battle against stereotyping in media, Virginia’s journey reveals the lasting impact of racial and gender biases while challenging the perception of Asian Americans as “perpetual foreigners.” Her family’s story also reflects the deep-rooted presence of Chinese Americans in U.S. history.

The film follows Virginia as she reconnects with her roots in Mississippi and reflects on her career in theater and Hollywood from the 1960s to today. Blending interviews with Virginia, her family—including her son and daughter—friends, and collaborators with archival footage and present-day scenes of her life in New York, the documentary offers a rich portrait of her experiences. It also highlights Virginia’s activism in advocating for better representation of Asian Americans in theater, film and TV. Historians and experts provide context on the intersectional struggles faced by people of color in the South and the entertainment industry.

Through Virginia’s career, the film examines the persistent challenges of racial and gender biases, celebrating both the barriers she broke and highlighting the ongoing battle to dismantle stereotypes. Those set to appear in the film include actors Baayork Lee (A Chorus Line), Alan Muraoka (Sesame Street), Tony Award winner Bill Irwin, and author Nancy Wang Yuen.

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About Virginia Wing

Virginia Wing was born in 1937 in Marks, Mississippi. She is an actress and singer who has over 200 credits in theater, film and TV. Most recently, she co-starred in the critically acclaimed 2023 off-Broadway production of Uncle Vanya headlined by Tony Award winners, David Cromer and Bill Irwin. She broke barriers in 1959 by being the first person of color to compete in the Miss Mississippi beauty pageant. She landed her first professional job as a chorus girl in a state fair production of West Side Story, featuring another up and comer and future Broadway legend, Tommy Tune. She was an early contributor at The Inner City Cultural Center in Los Angeles, the first minority owned multi-racial performing arts institution and collaborated with future Tony Award winners like George C. Wolfe. In 1985, she was nominated for an NAACP Image Award for Best Actress in a Stage Play. Among Virginia’s accomplishments is appearing on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and acting on various TV shows such as Hawaii Five-O, Police Story, Law & Order, Gotham and Third Watch.

To learn even more about Virginia Wing’s career and legacy, visit her Performing Arts Legacy Project page.

Virginia Wing IMDB page

Our Team

Larissa Lam

Director/Producer

Larissa Lam is an award-winning director and producer with over 25 years of experience in music, television, and film. She directed the documentary Far East Deep South, which has won numerous awards, including a 2022 Telly Award. Larissa participated in the Smithsonian’s History Film Forum Emerging Filmmakers Lab and has been featured on NBC News, PBS, and USA Today.

Baldwin Chiu

Producer

Baldwin Chiu produced the award-winning documentary Far East Deep South, which aired on PBS World Channel’s “America ReFramed.” He also produced content for the White House/Intel engineering campaign “Stay With It” under the Obama administration and contributed to the CBS News documentary “Being Different in the Delta.” Baldwin is a graduate of the ACT One film producing program.

Corey Ohama

Editor

Corey Ohama is an experienced filmmaker and award-winning editor. A graduate of the MFA Film Production program at San Francisco State, her work ranges from shorts to narrative features to acclaimed documentaries. Her editing has been featured on the PBS series Independent Lens and showcased at festivals such as SXSW, Tribeca, DOC NYC, and ZIFF. She specializes in social issue documentaries.