CAPE 35th Anniversary Gala: Randall Park, Manny Jacinto Celebrated

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On Saturday evening at Downtown Los Angeles’ Vibiana, a converted 19th-century cathedral, the Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment (CAPE) celebrated 35 years of advancing Asian and Pacific Islander representation across film, television, and media.

Founded in 1991 by publicist Fritz Friedman, television producer Wenda Fong, and film producer Chris Lee, the organization, per its website, was born during a private meeting at the Mandarin in Beverly Hills. The trio had gathered a handful of friends and Hollywood associates to create a coalition that would help create a pathway for fellow Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders looking to punch through decades of one-dimensional media stereotypes and a severe deficit in representation.

And while many of those struggles still exist today, a new crop of leaders in the Asian and Pacific Islander community have continued to fight for greater visibility, stories that reflect their own experiences, and lead roles that break historical barriers.

The night highlighted achievements by the likes of director Kitao Sakurai; Kalikolehua Hurley, Head of Cultural Trust at Walt Disney Animation Studios; actor Ben Wang; and Jinny Howe, the Head of UCAN (U.S.-Canada) Scripted Series. Fellow honorees Randall Park, Manny Jacinto, and the women of hit series The Pitt also took the stage to accept their awards, while Chanpan, consisting of Grace Dumdaw and twin brothers Lance and Matthew Tran, performed halfway through the ceremony.

When accepting the Renaissance Award, Park, who co-starred alongside Ali Wong in Always Be My Maybe and made his feature directorial debut, Shortcomings, in 2023, deadpanned, “I say this with humility. I can’t think of anyone who deserves this award more than me.” On a more serious turn, he said, “The best stuff happens amongst our family and friends and our community. So I want to take this time to thank my family and thank my friends and thank you all because you all are my community.”

The women of Emmy-winning show The Pitt took to the stage to accept the Radiance Award. Executive producer-writer Simran Baidwan and writer Valerie Chu were joined by Lily Singh, Kristin Villanueva, Tal Anderson, and Isa Briones. Baidwan recognized that the honor highlighted the “hard work that comes from behind the camera to in front of the camera,” and how the moment was “a recognition that representation matters.” She added, “Our stories matter. We matter.”

Baidwan quoted director and screenwriter Gina Prince-Bythewood: “Cultural specificity doesn’t yell your name, it brings you in.” In The Pitt, Baidwan continued, the cast and crew “truly take that to heart by spending great time and care to tell authentic, meaningful, complex stories from the very perspectives of AAPI women and non-binary folks working in the healthcare industry, all of whom are too often tokenized or cast aside from television.”

Jacinto, who received the Champion honor, concluded the night with an earnest speech reflecting on his career. “One thing that’s been consistent this past decade is Cape’s consistent support for our community,” said the actor, who has starred in a slew of projects including Freakier Friday with Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis and Star Wars series The Acolyte. “They continue to push diverse stories to connect all of us together, provide resources to upcoming talent, especially to those who don’t necessarily feel like this industry is meant for them.”

As guests filtered from the main hall and into the courtyard strung with lights, the cultural theme continued with a 360-degree outdoor bar hosted by Martell and mooncake pairings alongside the cognac inside an intimate mahjong lounge. Drinks were poured from bottles of Martell Blue Swift, the house’s expression made of cognac VSOP finished in bourbon casks, while tiles shuffled and conversation mixed with slick afterparty records.

The night ended with thrilling news from CAPE, which announced that it had raised $357,146 toward its $500,000 campaign goal by the end of 2026 and surpassed the goal for the evening.