This after Rain—arguably South Korea’s biggest popstar before boy and girl bands stole his thunder—did it with Speed Racer and Ninja Assassin.

In The Green Hornet, Chou plays Kato, the sidekick role that was made famous by Bruce Lee. Interestingly, Rain’s Ninja Assassin is a role obviously inspired by Lee.

Judging from these roles that Hollywood tends to give to Asians, it would seem the West has not gotten over from the Bruce Lee/martial arts era of the late ‘60s to ‘70s. When they see a role in the script that as much as requires a flying kick, they automatically think... Asian.

But what I find more ironic is, it’s Jay Chou who is finally making the foray. Nevermind Jackie Chan, Jet Li, Zhang Ziyi, Gong Li , Rain or his compatriot Jun Ji-hyun because these stars were never coy about chasing international stardom.

But Jay Chou?

Back in 2003, the guy, who with his “regular” face and unmanufactured image was the anti-thesis of a pop idol, has expressed disinterest in going beyond his comfort zone in Asia. He was just keen on his music and never even entertained offers of doing—but what else—kung fu movies.

And who could blame him? He was enjoying immense popularity through his music that cut across cultural and language barriers. His songs were not just being sung and played in the Chinese world but in the rest of Southeast Asia.

When the topic of learning English was broached then, he dismissed it as something unnecessary. Why not? He was at the top of his game without having to master the art of saying “hello, how are you?”.

Besides, Asia itself is a big market. Who needs the West?

But seven years on and Chou has obviously gotten the hang of movies since he debuted in his first lead role in Initial D in 2005. Hollywood was not going to be far behind.

Chou said he just had to take the Kato role because it was previously played by his idol, Bruce Lee, and that it is a “positive Asian role” that he noted was “rare in Hollywood”.

We always make a big-to-do about Asians making it in Hollywood. But perhaps the only thing that these stars can boast about making it to the West is rubbing elbows with bona fide Hollywood stars.

The other perks—like glamorous red carpets and VIP treatments—they already get to enjoy as Asian stars.

If we look at it, there hasn’t been much change in the Holywood roles that our stars play over the years: from Bruce Lee’s Winslow Wong in Marlowe (1968), Jackie Chan’s Inspector Lee in Rush Hour (1998) to Jet Li’s Han Sing in Romeo Must Die (2000), they were all brawny characters who use their martial arts skills against evil.

Even Lee Byung-hun’s Storm Shadow in G.I. Joe: The Rise of the Cobra (2009) was a ninja bodyguard and Rain’s Ninja Assassin (2009) says it all. And now, there’s Chou’s Kato joining the fray. In short, from 1968 to 2010, nothing has changed.

On the other hand, it’s the Asian actresses who have been given more diverse roles. Gong Li’s Cuban Isabella in Miami Vice (2006) and Zhang Ziyi’s Chiyo in Memoirs of a Geisha were not stereotypical in the strictest sense. But Jun Ji-hyun’s Saya in Blood: The Last Vampire was a female counterpart of the Bruce Lees and Jackie Chans, nevermind that she’s a vampire. Don’t even get me started with Michelle Yeoh.

But there are worthwhile takes too like Rinko Kikuchi’s deaf-mute Chieko Wataya in Babel (2006) that earned her an Academy nomination for best supporting actress and Ninomiya Kazunari’s young Japanese soldier in Letters from Iwo Jima (2006), directed by Clint Eastwood.

Perhaps, with globalisation and breaking down of cultural barriers, it’s just a matter of time that we can see our homegrown Asian stars take on Hollywood without having to literally kick butts but still kick ass.

But what is it about Hollywood that continues to lure our stars?

Chou said he did not do The Green Hornet to make it in Hollywood but to use it as a jumping board to push his music to America.

During the filming, Chou—whose English is “not so good”—changed the script deliberately adding in Chinese lines.

“When I’m popular, maybe they’ll all speak Chinese.”