CHOW YUN-FAT - 'CHINESE DE NIRO' SLAMS PREJUDICED HOLLYWOOD

Chinese action star CHOW YUN-FAT is appealing for bigger roles in Hollywood following comparisons with Robert De Niro and Cary Grant in his native country. The actor plays the pirate lord Captain Sao Feng in Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, and has also enjoyed lead parts in Anna and the King and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. But despite his impressive resume and good looks, the 51-year-old is adamant his progress in Hollywood is being unfairly hindered by ethnic background. He says, "Honestly, I prefer (to do) more dramas. In American society ... Asian actors are not accepted as leading men. Maybe we have to wait for a few more years." Moviemaker Jeff Adachi, who has filmed a documentary on the subject, agrees, adding, "He has experienced a glass ceiling in Hollywood. "The tragedy is that there are roles that should be offered to Asian leading men but people are not used to seeing that... so it's something that studios are not willing to invest in."