Who’s who in the Crazy Rich Asians saga
THERE are almost as many characters in Kevin Kwan’s trilogy as there are grains of rice at your average Chinese dinner. OK, that may be a bit of an exaggeration – but, really, there are a lot of them! Here’s a guide to some of the main ones.
Rachel Chu: An AmericanChinese economics professor at New York University. She falls in love with Nicholas Young, and most of the first novel, Crazy Rich Asians, revolves around her adapting to his incredibly rich Singaporean family. Played by Constance Wu in the upcoming film.
Nick Young: A history professor at NYU. Despite his family’s ridiculous wealth, he is generally quite humble and level-headed. Played by Henry Golding.
Eleanor Young: Nick’s mother. A controlling, social status-obsessed woman who disapproves of her son’s relationship with Rachel. Played by Michelle Yeoh.
Astrid Leong: Nick’s fashionable, very beautiful cousin. Often keeps out of the social spotlight despite her family’s ridiculous wealth. Played by Gemma Chan.
Michael Teo: Astrid’s husband. An ex-army man who owns a successful start-up company. He finds it very difficult to adapt to Astrid’s high-class world.
Charlie Wu: An ex-lover of Astrid’s who still has feelings for her.
Eddie Cheng: Nick’s cousin, who is very spoilt and demanding. His parents are very rich but live a humble lifestyle – something he is very ashamed about.
Kitty Pong: A gold-digging former soap actress who becomes involved in the Young-T’sienShang clan’s shenanigans.
Carlton Bao: Thesonofa Chinese billionaire who is revealed in the second book, China Rich Girlfriend, to have personal connections with Rachel. His girlfriend, Colette Bing, is the daughter of one of the richest men in China.
Oliver T’sien: Another of Nick’s cousins (yes, he has a lot of them). A colourful and flamboyant character who knows all the gossip in town.
Shang Su Yi: Nick’s extremely wealthy and powerful grandmother who lives in Tyersall Park, a very huge estate in Singapore that resembles a pal
ace.
AFP