John Cho would love nothing more than to be “overrated, overpaid and overexposed.” Despite lead roles in popular film series like Harold & Kumar and Star Trek, John still felt Asian-Americans were underrepresented in film. This notion gave birth to “#StarringJohnCho, The Call for an Asian-American Leading Man.” The movement sparked conversations about diversity in casting, leading to positive strides towards diversity inclusion in Hollywood. In 2018, John landed the leading role in Searching, making it the first time an Asian-American actor would headline a mainstream, contemporary thriller film. The film premiered at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival and received widespread critical acclaim, grossing nearly $70 million at the box office.