Parry Shen Talks Revisiting GH’s Asian Quarter Story From the 1980s

Parry Shen and Lydia Look had General Hospital fans buzzing about how they want more screen time for the Wu family. In fact, Shen was very jazzed about one possibility in particular for their characters, Brad Cooper and Selina Wu, that could revisit a part of Port Charles history and include many other characters currently on the canvas.

Parry Shen: Revisit The Past

The two actors attended a recent Zoom fan event hosted by Coastal Entertainment. When a viewer asked what storyline Shen would like to see for his character and Selina, the actor had an answer ready and waiting. “The storyline that I would love to see happen [involves] a lot of the players who were on the show from the original Asian Quarter because they are all still around. It would be so great.”

The actor reminded fans he had another aunt in the wings. “I may have said this before, but Tia Carrere is supposed to also be my aunt. She played Jade back in the ’80s, the sister to Selina.” He mused, “We could have the sisters fighting, and Brad could be on whichever side.”

Before Selina Wu arrived in Port Charles, there was an even deadlier mob boss – Brad’s great-grandfather Mr. Chaing Wu. “Even the guy who played the grandfather, Mr. Wu, who was played by Aki Aleong, he’s around. We could even do modern-day flashbacks of him giving advice from Heaven or Hell. Probably he’s in Hell. That would be fun.”

Shen mused further about bringing back more family, like Brad’s father and Selina’s brother. “The guy who played my dad, my biological father, Steven Leigh, who played Kim Wu. He’s around. It would be great if they took that ball and ran with it.” 

Back in 1985, Mr. Chaing Wu, a local godfather in the Asian Quarter of Port Charles and head of the Wu crime family, stole two jade Buddhas from The Ancient One (played by the legendary Keye Luke). Once they were in his possession, he realized that the black pearls were missing. The crime boss assumed that Robert Scorpio (Tristan Rogers) and Anna Devane (Finola Hughes) were responsible.

The Wu Gang, along with Robert, Anna, Frisco (Jack Wagner), Felicia (Kristina Wagner), Sean (the late John Reilly), and the defiant group called Green Shirts, were all on a mission to find the black pearls. Later, Wu nabbed Robin Scorpio (Kimberly McCullough). The Ancient One offered to find the pearls to ensure her release. Eventually, Kim confiscated the pearls, but his sister Jade threw a wrench into his plan when she snatched the pearls and tossed them out the window to the people below. 

The Wu crime family turned up again in 2015 when Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard) called a meeting in New York City between the five mob families, the Triad, the Five Points gang, Cosa Nostra, the Jerome family, and Corinthos’s Northern Seafront organization. Selina backed Sonny up when he called out a traitor in their midst and shot Serge (Max E. Williams). Selina declared it would serve as a warning to the families.

Shen has put a lot of thought into revisiting the Asian Quarter plotline and characters. He even shared his thoughts with his fellow castmate, Finola Hughes. “I told Finola when I found out in 2013 that I was a Wu, and she was like, ‘Wow! That is fricking amazing.’ She didn’t say fricking, though. She said something else. [He laughed.] But she said that it was amazing, and, ‘I want to see where this goes.’” The actor couldn’t agree more. “That would be great,” Shen said.