By Allen Voivod
Anna May Wong (née Wong Liu Tsong) was a prolific actress who is widely considered to be the first Chinese American Hollywood movie star. Born in 1905, she landed her first role as a Background Actor in 1919’s The Red Lantern, and her first leading role in 1922’s The Toll of the Sea. Frequently, however, the roles she got played into Asian stereotypes, and she was often sidelined as a supporting player.
Frustrated with the practice of typecasting, she founded her own production company in 1924 at 19 years old. Anna May Wong Productions was designed to support storytelling about Wong’s own culture, and to help other Asian actors move up from supporting to leading roles. After appearing in dozens of movies across four decades, she became the first Asian American series lead in a U.S. TV show, The Gallery of Madame Liu-Tsong.
In honor of these groundbreaking achievements, we’re thrilled to announce that Anna May Wong is the latest honoree in our Barbie Inspiring Women doll series, and the first Chinese American to appear in the collection.
“I was hyped to design a Barbie of Anna May Wong!” Lead Designer Carlyle Nuera told us. “She’s obviously a movie star and flapper fashion icon, but her legacy is as a trailblazer for Chinese American and Asian American representation in Hollywood and the media.”
Our Anna May Wong doll wears a rich red gown with a metallic gold dragon overlay at the bodice. Sparkly golden shoulder straps and a sheer cape with a draped neckline complete the elegant look. “Anna May Wong herself was so elegant in how she posed in photos, especially with her arms and hands,” Carlyle notes. “I used an Articulated Original body, so that the Barbie version of her could also pose elegantly.”
Our doll dazzles just as the real-world icon did under movie stage lights, with her signature chic bangs and smoky eye. A lot of thought went into the elements that would represent her in such a compelling fashion. “I decided on an existing face sculpt, Lavinia, for her,” Carlyle explains. “It had a lot of similar features to the real Anna May Wong: high cheekbones, angled nostrils, and a closed mouth shape. The Lavinia sculpt was a good base to then design the face paint, which captures the specificity of Anna May Wong’s eye shape and expression.”
Her legacy and her style were also captured in the packaging design by Laydiana Chiv. “We used elements of darkness and lighting effects similar to the film noir movies Wong was featured in. I also really wanted to bring some of the flower elements, which Carlyle used on the dress he designed, to bring some softness and balance to the dark palette. The image from the background comes from a photoshoot from her iconic movie ‘Daughter of the Dragon’ in 1931.”
It’s one thing to depict her in such a stunning outfit. But more importantly, she’s a part of the Inspiring Women Series for the incredible contributions she made to our world. “Her enduring tenacity while working in such a discriminatory and limiting era was brilliant,” Carlyle says. “Despite setbacks and injustices, like losing out on Chinese character roles to non-Chinese actors, Anna May Wong kept on, eventually starring in movies featuring Chinese American characters who were strong and had agency.
“What I especially love about this doll being released now,” Carlyle adds, “is the full circle from her blazing a trail for Asian American actors in the 1930s, to today when we have Michelle Yeoh being the first Asian to win the Academy Award for Best Actress, and ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’ becoming the most awarded movie in history. I think Anna May Wong would be proud!”
Whether you’re building your collection or starting a new one, getting her for yourself or as a gift for someone special, the Anna May Wong doll is a remarkable new entry to the Inspiring Women Series. Find her right now at Mattel Creations.
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