Underappreciated Actress of Color #25: Françoise Yip

What...the fuck?

I first saw Canadian-born and raised Miss Françoise Fong-Wa Yip in Black Mask opposite Jet Li.  Naturally, I fell in love.  I love me a punk rock wig-wearin', ass-whoopin' woman.  The world needs a lot more of them, quite frankly.  (She was also in Rumble in the Bronx, but...come on.)

In the meantime, I waited.  I figured that once producers, writers, and directors saw what you're seeing to the left here right now, her career in Hollywood would take off.  Ah...me of too much faith.  I didn't see Miss Thang again until Romeo Must Die (you have to watch all the way through), where she wasn't nearly featured enough.  Years, later, I saw her again.  But to say she was grossly overlooked and underused in Blade: Trinity is an understatement of epic proportions.  I love me some Parker Posey and all (I actually do), but chica should have been given top billing.

So back to my original question: what the fuck?

How did Hollywood miss her?  How do you miss her?  Who looks at her and thinks, "Nah, we can't possibly come up with a kick-ass starring role for her?"  To her credit--and the lack of stupidity of some--she has stayed busy, but not starring-on-the-silver-screen busy.  So again...what the fuck?