Chloe Bennet Defends Changing Her Last Name For Hollywood

There has always been the issue of just how far does racism extend in the world of Hollywood even in this day and age, and for Chloe Bennet, she knows only too well just how difficult it is to grow in the predominantly white industry as a mixed-race actress.

Chloe Bennet at the 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2' premiere

The 'Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.' star might be a popular face in television, but that only became so once she changed her name from Chloé Wang - the name she inherited from her Han Chinese father. She opened up about her decision to rebrand herself after one of her Instagram followers criticised her for praising Ed Skrein's decision to step down from 'Hellboy' over accusations of white-washing his would-be role.

'Changing my last name doesn't change the fact that my BLOOD is half Chinese, that I lived in China, speak Mandarin, or that I was culturally raised both American and Chinese', she explained. 'It means I had to pay my rent, and Hollywood is racist and wouldn't cast me with a last name that made them uncomfortable.'

She went on to say that she's using her status as a TV star to draw attention to race issues in Hollywood. 'I'm doing everything I can, with the platform I have, to make sure no one has to change their name again, just so they can get work. So kindly love, f*** off', she concluded.

Her outburst came after she was labelled a hypocrite for changing her last name despite showing her appreciation for Ed Skrein's decision to quit a forthcoming role after learning that the original comic book character had Asian heritage.

More: See pictures of Chloe Bennet from 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2' premiere

'DAMN, that's a man. Thank you Ed Skrein for standing up against Hollywood's continuous insensitivity and flippant behavior towards the Asian American community', she wrote in a post next to a screenshot of his official statement. 'There is no way this decision came lightly on your part, so thank you for your bravery and genuinely impactful step forward. I hope this inspires other actors/filmmakers to do the same.'