Janet Yang is no stranger to the art of transformation. As the first Asian American president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, her journey from a young girl enamoured with cinema to becoming one of the most influential figures in Hollywood is a tale of perseverance, passion and vision
With an illustrious career that spans decades, Janet Yang is not only a trailblazer but also a storyteller who has dedicated her life to amplifying voices that deserve to be heard.
Yang’s love of film began early. “I grew up watching a lot of films and loving movies,” she says. But the idea of working in the industry felt like too distant a dream. Born to Chinese immigrant parents on the east coast of the United States, Yang’s upbringing was steeped in traditional expectations. “Of course, [my parents] fervently wished that their three children would be doctors, lawyers or engineers,” she says, laughing. While her siblings dutifully followed those paths, Yang’s rebellious streak led her to carve out a different destiny.
“I think my parents knew from the start that I wasn’t going to fit into a mould,” she says. This sense of freedom allowed Yang to explore her interests, which eventually took her to China in the 1980s after college. It was there, in Beijing, that she experienced a profound revelation. “For the first time in my life, I saw films that were made by, for and about people who looked like me,” she recalls. “It was a stunning epiphany.”
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Academy President Janet Yang at the 2022 Scientific and Technical Awards at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in 2023 (Photo: Al Seib / A.M.P.A.S)
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This pivotal moment inspired Yang to enter the world of film distribution, bringing Chinese cinema to North America through her company, World Entertainment. It was a bold move, one that set the stage for a career defined by bridging cultures and championing representation.
Her first major breakthrough in Hollywood came through her collaboration with Steven Spielberg on the epic war film Empire of the Sun (1987). “I just loved being on a movie set,” says Yang, recalling the awe of working on a production of such scale. This led to a partnership with Oliver Stone, under whose mentorship she produced the seminal The Joy Luck Club (1993), a film about four Chinese women who immigrated to San Francisco and who meet weekly to play mahjong and tell stories of what they left behind in China. It remains a landmark of Asian American storytelling in Hollywood today. “It was the first time my parents could brag about what I was doing,” says Yang with a smile. “The Joy Luck Club gave them a lot of face with their friends.” But for Yang, the film’s success was more personal. It was a validation of her belief that stories rooted in specific cultural experiences could resonate universally.
Now, as president of the academy, Yang sees herself as a steward of global cinema. “It was a very conscientious decision to make the academy more inclusive,” she says. Since her appointment, Yang has worked tirelessly to diversify the organisation’s membership, ensuring that it reflects the broad spectrum of talent across the globe. “It feels like the only way to stay relevant is to be global,” she says.
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