Gao Wenjun apologises for racist joke
29 May – Chinese actor Gao Wenjun recently made an apology over a racist joke that was made in a Spanish comedy sketch he performed in recently.
As reported on ECNS, the actor was recently blasted by Chinese Netizens, when he appeared on "Aida", a comedy sketch by Spain's Telecinco, playing a small character who appeared in a pub that has a sign saying "No Dogs or Chinese" on it.
The 30-year-old actor, who has been residing in Barcelona since 2009, made his apology via an interview with Xinhua News Agency, saying that he only received the script a few days prior to shooting and rehearsed the scene without the set-up that include the controversial sign.
Gao stressed that he had never intended to mock his own people, though admitted feeling guilty for accepting the role.
The skit, featuring a character called "Racist Mauricio", reportedly was meant to pay tribute to martial arts actor, Bruce Lee, in which Gao plays a character called Wang who taught Mauricio a lesson by cracking open a watermelon with one blow using his bare hand.
Realising the commotion it had created, the Spanish Embassy in China issued an official apology via its official website, saying that the opinion voiced by the fictional character does not represent the general Spanish society.
