Alexander Hodge has been deservedly deemed "Asian Bae" after starring as Andrew on season three of Insecure. 

Andrew, a homie of Issa's temporary boo ting, Nathan, finds himself in pursuit of a reserved and seemingly disinterested Molly, played by Yvonne Orji.

In addition to changing our minds about man-buns, Hodge, who is Chinese, knows his role on the HBO hit is crucial in more ways than one where representation is concerned. He's also well aware that he has someone to thank for his ability even to play the part — his real-life bae, who is a black woman. 

“I would say the biggest thing my real-life relationship allowed me to bring was a more grounded appreciation of black culture and the black community ― understanding that just listening to J. Cole doesn’t make you an expert on the black experience,” Hodge told HuffPost. “My real-life relationship definitely allowed me to sink into the character of Andrew more truthfully and see Molly for who she is entirely, without caricature or presumption.”

“It’s important to show any type of relationship that challenges the audience’s stereotypes of who is allowed to fall in love. Less than a century ago, there were laws about which races Black folks and Asian folks were allowed and not allowed to marry,” he continued. “Less than 10 years ago, same-sex marriage was illegal in most parts of the country. Popular representations of unconventional relationships helped bulldoze stereotypes about who could fall in love with each other.”  

The actor is also aware that his real boo could only inform on the role to an extent as anything more "would insinuate that black women are interchangeable and can all be treated the same, so I couldn’t allow myself to do that,” Hodge added. 

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