Here are 7 fun things you need to know about Crazy Rich Asians.

1. Henry Golding wasn’t an actor, ‘discovered’ by accountant

1. Henry Golding wasn’t an actor, ‘discovered’ by accountant
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On US talk show The View, Golding who plays the romantic lead Nick, admitted he hasn’t acted before he got this starring role.

At first, the TV presenter didn’t even want to audition for the part.

When they offer came to audition he says he thought; “This is for someone else who is going to bring the A game who is a legitimate actor who the studio is going to gamble on.”

The director Jon Chu discovered the tall dark and handsome and charismatic former hairdresser through an accountant who’d met Henry years earlier when he was hosting TV travel shows.

Chu followed Golding on Instagram and one audition later a star was born.

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2. A watch on film for one second needed security

2. A watch on film for one second needed security
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When the glamorous brainy beauty Astrid (Gemma Chan), is giving a present to her husband Michael (Pierre Png), Kwan says it simply had to be a Paul Newman Rolex Daytona from the 1960s (one sold in 2017 for US $17.8 million).

He tracked the special Rolex down personally and the watch was borrowed from a collector.

It was flown around the world with its own body guard for a one second scene because they wanted to get everything authentic and well… just perfect for CRAs.

3. Author Kevin Kwan’s mother thinks its all bit of a yawn

3. Author Kevin Kwan’s mother thinks its all bit of a yawn
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“My mum is sort of like … so what?” said Kwan at a recent talk at the MilkenInstitute.

“She is in Texas but she spends part of the year in Singapore as well. Because she knows this crowd so well it’s not really exotic to her. It’s not really interesting. She’s like …what are you writing about my friends? And why is this interesting?”

The books are very much inspired by Kwan’s childhood growing up in Singapore where he was born and lived until he moved to Texas with his family at 11 years of age.

“As a kid you don’t really think of people and how much money they have. It’s just family.”

“When I was taken away from that world and planted in middle America I began to realise how strange my childhood had been.

“I had a nanny that I tortured miserably as a child. I think my father realised that and wanted us to learn to … mow our own lawns. Rather than you know, lots of gardeners.”

Here are 7 fun things you need to know about Crazy Rich Asians.

4. 30 make up artists were used in the making of this movie

4. 30 make up artists were used in the making of this movie
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So many characters filming in 99-degree heat and humidity in ball gowns and glamorous outfits meant lots of make-up artists were needed to keep everyone looking beautiful and cool.

Filmed on location in Singapore and Malaysia, stunning Singapore is the real star of the movie, along with the colourful designer outfits, cars, opulent houses and much more.

5. The reality of CRAs is even more glamorous and outrageous

5. The reality of CRAs is even more glamorous and outrageous
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Kwan says, “In my books everything is real. It’s 100 per cent real. As I always say I don’t have an imagination. I’ve just always been an observer of these scenes.”

“It is Downton Abbey in Asia. I wanted to take a framework of looking at a family of extreme wealth and really telling the story of what’s happening in Asia now. The fact that over the last century it has risen to become the region of the most powerful economic might.”

It is common for CRAs to have a ‘lucky fish’ in their aquarium, according to Kwan.

He says the one in the film was worth $250,000.

“There are surgeons in Asia who specialise in plastic surgery for pet fish so it’s quite popular,” added Kwan.

“There were so many stories that I had to take out of my books because my editor said ‘this is not believable. You are going to lose your audience.’ But it’s absolutely true.”

6. The Hollywood film with two Asian leads in a rom com

6. The Hollywood film with two Asian leads in a rom com
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A Hollywood movie hasn’t been made with an all-Asian cast since The Joy Luck Club in 1993.

It is also the first time ever that a Hollywood movie has starred two Asians leads in a rom com.

Kwan added; “That’s kind of amazing when you consider 60 per cent of the world population is Asian.”

Here are 7 fun things you need to know about Crazy Rich Asians.

7. More CRAs are on their way

7. More CRAs are on their way
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Asia has 637 billionaires and Europe 342 (Source: UBS & PWC Billionaires report 2017). There is a new billionaire created in Asia every other day.

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