Astrid may be a supporting character in Crazy Rich Asians, but she has main character energy in the movie, and she deserves a spinoff ASAP. One of the best romantic comedies in recent years, Crazy Rich Asians is a hilarious and bubbly movie that never slows down but still leaves ample room for a touching and deeply thought-out story about class, trust, and what it means to be “good enough” for someone. The film premiered in August 2018 and was an instant hit, earning $239 million at the box office (via BoxOfficeMojo) and a 91% on Rotten Tomatoes.
The film stars Constance Wu as Rachel Chu, a Chinese-American NYU professor who travels to Singapore to meet her boyfriend, Nick Young’s, family. Little does Rachel know, her boyfriend is actually the scion of one of the richest and most powerful families in the country. While she’s there, Rachel meets Nick’s extended and eccentric group of family and friends, all of whom have found their own ways to live comfortably, or uncomfortably, within the gilded palace of the family. One of the most likable characters in Crazy Rich Asians and in Nick’s family is Astrid Leong-Teo (Gemma Chan).
Astrid Leong-Teo Is Nick’s Cousin In Crazy Rich Asians
Astrid Is One Of The Few People Who Is Nice To Rachel
Astrid Leong-Teo is Nick’s cousin in Crazy Rich Asians, the daughter of Henry Leong Sr. and Felicity Young. Felicity is Nick’s deceased father’s sister. It’s said that Astrid’s father’s family, the Leong’s, are even richer than the Youngs, making her a particularly wealthy member of the family and uniquely positioned to understand Nick at a personal level. Astrid is known for her beauty and style, buying expensive clothes and jewelry on a whim. Despite her mᴀssive wealth and fine tastes, Astrid is one of the most down-to-earth members of the family and one of the few to treat Rachel kindly.
Astrid has never seen herself as above others. Both men she loved in her life were well below her station in life, as far as her family was concerned, at least. In Crazy Rich Asians, Astrid is married to Michael Teo (Pierre Png), a former military specialist who now runs a start-up. When Astrid finds out Michael has been having an affair at the end of Crazy Rich Asians, she separates from him and runs into Charlie Wu (Harry Shum Jr.), the man she used to love but who her parents disallowed her from marrying because he was “new money”.
Astrid’s Storyline About Class Differences Is More Relevant To The Themes Of Crazy Rich Asians
Astrid Shows The Difficulty In Making Real Connections
Astrid’s storyline is an interesting one in Crazy Rich Asians, and it’s filled with a lot of thematic weight for something that only occasionally weaves in and out of Nick and Rachel’s story. The love story between Nick and Rachel is incredibly fresh and one of the reasons this recent rom-com should go down as a classic in a few years, but Astrid’s story has a bit more to do with the ideas of class and generational wealth that are at the core of Crazy Rich Asians.
Despite everything she has, there is a tragic sadness in her character, as she can never trust anyone’s motivations.
As the movie stands, it’s a bit more of a “fish-out-of-water” story, and it’s excellent for it, but Astrid’s tale could explore another avenue in the series. Astrid frequently has to face how her immense wealth paints others’ ideas of her. Despite everything she has, there is a tragic sadness in her character, as she can never trust anyone’s motivations. It makes her appreciation and love for Rachel all the more meaningful because it puts Astrid in a vulnerable position, where she must trust Rachel not to take advantage of her, as many have tried to do.
Even her husband disappoints her in the end. When Astrid catches him cheating, Michael convinces her the problems in their marriage come from the wealth inequality between them. It’s a fair point, and Astrid considers it, leaving Michael to think about how she could be responsible for her husband’s infidelity. However, Astrid is a wise woman, and for all her worries and doubts, she’s filled with self-confidence. When she returns to Michael, she confronts him with the reality that it was his insecurity that broke them. She did nothing but love him.
Astrid is often referred to as “The Goddess” for her beauty and fashion sense.
Crazy Rich Asians is filled with interesting themes and ideas about culture and wealth and Astrid offers a look into a particular side. Though she seemingly has everything, her quest for real connection and love always seems out of her grasp. Nick has managed to find his love, thanks to the strength and integrity of Rachel, but Astrid has yet to acquire that. Her understanding of inequality is nuanced but not perfect and her search to find someone who loves her for her would fit in very well with the franchise’s themes.
Gemma Chan Has The Charisma To Lead A Spinoff
Chan Is Now A Major Movie Star Who Can Draw Viewers
Another reason that Astrid would do well to have a spinoff is that she just so happened to be played by Gemma Chan. At the time of her casting in Crazy Rich Asians, Gemma Chan had not quite found the stardom she would eventually receive. Astrid is a relatively small character in the movie after all. Now, it feels like kismet because Chan has gone on to become a major movie and TV star. With roles in Eternals, Raya and the Last Dragon, The Creator, and Don’t Worry Darling, Chan has proven she’s more than capable of leading a blockbuster.
Of all her roles, it’s always in her most down-to-earth, human ones that she shines best. Something like a Crazy Rich Asians spinoff would be perfect to showcase her talents in drama and romance. Now that she has such an impressive CV, she would also bring a large fanbase to another movie in the franchise, ensuring its success rivals that of the first film.
A Crazy Rich Asians Spinoff Starring Astrid Has Been Discussed
Astrid Is A Prominent Character In The Last Two Books Of The Series
There actually have already been discussions regarding a Crazy Rich Asians spinoff. Sadly, since 2023, updates have not been positive about any more installments of the Crazy Rich Asian franchise, and in late 2024, the director, Jon M. Chu, said about the film (via ScreenRant),
“There are a lot of questions about Crazy Rich Asians 2. I always promised the cast, I will not bring them back unless we get a script that’s better and has as much urgency as the first movie. And I think we just haven’t gotten there yet. The first movie, even though people think,’It’s like the book, so the second book should fit in,’ it’s actually not. There’s a lot of shifting, architecturally, and so it’s not a straight translation. And then there are characters that you want to see in a movie that are part of the book. We’ve done some versions and it’s never quite hit. The bar is high for all of us to come back to do that, so I’m not going to put the audience through that until we’re ready to do it.”
So at the moment, it seems like a Crazy Rich Asian installment starring Astrid may not be in the works. If the franchise does ever get picked up again, Astrid would be the right person to put at the center of it. Astrid is a major character in Kevin Kwan’s book series which the movie is adapted from, and she has an even bigger role in the books than she does in the movies.
She’s a major character in the next two novels in the series, China Rich Girlfriend and Rich People Problems. If anyone ever wants to return to the Crazy Rich Asians franchise, Astrid Leon-Teo will almost certainly be a part of it.
