Ep 129. Jenny Han

Jenny Han, the author of the wildly popular Young Adult novel-turned-movie "To All the Boys I've Loved Before," stops by "The Daily Show with Trevor Noah" to chat about her success and what it means for representation in Hollywood.

No stranger to writing, Han discusses her roots as a writer and how she became interested in telling stories. She shares her experience of growing up as an Asian American and how that has impacted her writing and storytelling. Han also discusses her hesitancy in writing a protagonist that is Asian American, and why she ultimately decided to go forward with it.

Moving on to "To All the Boys I've Loved Before," Han reveals her initial apprehension of the book being turned into a movie. She talks about the excitement of seeing her characters come to life on the big screen, but also the worry of people not understanding the story as she intended it to be. She speaks to the challenges of adapting the book into a screenplay, as well as the importance of having an Asian American lead in a romantic comedy.

Noah and Han also delve into the wider implications of representation in media and why it matters. Han shares personal stories of how representation impacted her growing up, as well as how the lack of it has affected others. They discuss the responsibility that creators have in telling stories that accurately and fairly depict diverse groups, as well as the importance of diversity both on and off the screen.

As the conversation winds down, Han offers advice to aspiring writers and creatives, encouraging them to never give up on their passions. She shares that it took her several books before finally getting published, and stresses the importance of perseverance and self-belief.

Overall, Jenny Han's appearance on "The Daily Show with Trevor Noah" provides a thoughtful and insightful discussion on the importance of representation in Hollywood and media at large. Han's own experiences as an Asian American writer and the success of "To All the Boys I've Loved Before" serve as a powerful reminder of the need for diversity in storytelling.