The Korean-American actress played Kira Yukimura.
Arden Cho is confirming the reason she did not return for Teen Wolf The Movie. In an interview with The Cut, the 36-year-old actress confirmed a Deadline report that she was “offered half the per-episode salary offered to her three counterparts.”
“I think I was actually offered even less,” she told The Cut, speaking out about the pay disparity for the first time. Cho added that when it came to that information, it didn’t come from her team, as she “probably would’ve never shared it.”
Cho made her debut on the MTV series in 2014, when she was cast as Kira Yukimura. Kira -- who was a half Japanese and half Korean teen with super powers -- was a pivotal role for the actress, as she was a character who mirrored her off-screen.
“What I loved about Kira was that she was so much like me,” Cho told the publication. “She had this heart to want to save her friends and fight for good, but she was super-dorky and really awkward and she just didn’t know what to do with herself.”
Unfortunately, in 2016, the character of Kira was dropped from the Teen Wolf storyline. For fans, it was definite, when Cho wasn’t on the list of returning characters for the highly anticipated Teen Wolf movie, out this fall.
Cho added that she didn’t make the decision not to return lightly, however, she was fortunate to be in a position to say no and make an impact for the next generation of Asian-American actors. “I wasn’t saying ‘no’ necessarily for me or because I was angry,” she said about her choice not to return. “I was saying ‘no’ because I hope that there will be more equality in the future.”
Cho didn’t share how exactly she found out about the pay but did note that she “appreciates artists who are a little bit more transparent because they realize that we’re all important.”
In February, it was announced that Tyler Posey, Crystal Reed, Holland Roden, Colton Haynes and Tyler Hoechlin would reprise their roles in Teen Wolf The Movie. However, like Cho, Dylan O’Brien will not be back to reprise his role in the series.
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