I was just grateful that I was able to make a living in this industry at all." Reflecting now, she looks back with gratitude on the small strides Lane's presence made on the rest of Hollywood. "I was in selfish survival mode of working. "I was just trying to survive one week," Agena said.
But back in the early '00s, she wasn't thinking about setting a standard. Since the show premiered over 20 years ago, Agena has given several interviews about the significance Lane played for the Asian community. Lane is based on Helen Pai, a close friend of creator Amy Sherman Palladino, who also served as a coproducer on the series. Rory's rock 'n' roll best friend was a pillar of representation for young Asian American women who were searching to see themselves on screen. Lucky for audiences everywhere, Agena eventually regained her confidence - thanks to Incline Theater Company in LA - and went on to embody iconic characters, like Lane Kim from Gilmore Girls. Agena refrained from auditioning for other parts for the rest of the year, maintaining her drama scholarship by relegating herself to backstage work.
"It wasn't until that moment that my name wasn't on the board that I realized, 'Oh, perhaps the fact that I'm Japanese American might contribute to their decision of whether or not to cast me,'" she told POPSUGAR. She didn't think being Asian would limit her ability to embody a character, which is why she felt a "cold shock" when she was omitted from her school's callback list. Growing up in Hawaii, Agena felt confident and comfortable in a multicultural cast. Keiko Agena still remembers the first time she felt othered as a performer she was a college freshman trying out for a lead part in a play centered on three English women in the 1800s.
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