Asian actresses in Hollywood have been making headlines for their talent, beauty, and captivating performances, inspiring audiences around the world with their groundbreaking roles and dynamic performances. From Crazy Rich Asians to Killing Eve, Asian actresses are redefining what it means to be a leading lady in Hollywood.
But what is it about these actresses that has captured the hearts and minds of audiences everywhere?
In this article, we will explore the reasons why people are so fascinated by Asian actresses in Hollywood, from their unique perspectives and cultural backgrounds to their groundbreaking performances and tireless advocacy for diversity and representation.
49 Highly Sought-After Asian Actresses in Entertainment
From the struggle for representation to the breaking of cultural barriers, we will delve into the fascinating world of Asian actresses in Hollywood and uncover what makes them so captivating to audiences worldwide.
So, sit back and get ready to explore the wonderful world of Asian actresses in Hollywood.
Lucy Liu
American actress, model, artist, and occasional film producer born in Jackson Heights, New York City. She rose to prominence for he portrayal of the vicious and ill-mannered Ling Woo in the television series Ally McBeal.
She is also known for her roles in popular films such as Charlie’s Angels, Kill Bill: Vol. 1 and 2, Kung Fu Panda, and Elementary. Liu is an advocate for breast cancer awareness and LGBTQ rights. She was named one of Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people of 2009.
Grace Park
Born in Los Angeles California to Korean parents, Grace Park is best known for her role as Sharon Valerii (Number Eight) on the sci-fi series Battlestar Galactica. She has also appeared in popular shows such as Hawaii Five-0, The Killing, and A Million Little Things. Park is an advocate for Asian American representation in media and has been named one of the 20 Asian actors making a mark in Hollywood by Variety magazine.
Kelly Hu
American actress born in Honolulu, Hawaii to Chinese and Hawaiian parents. She first gained recognition after winning Miss Teen USA 1985. After her pageant success she began appearing in television shows such as Baywatch Nights, Nash Bridges, X2: X-Men United, and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.. In 2017 she was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Michelle Yeoh
A Chinese-Malaysian actress and dancer, she is best known for her roles in Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, Bangkok Dangerous, The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, and Crazy Rich Asians. She has also appeared in numerous James Bond films including Tomorrow Never Dies and Casino Royale. In addition to acting she is also a philanthropist and an advocate for animal rights.
Ming-Na Wen
Macanese-American actress born in Coloane, Macau to Chinese parents. She gained recognition for her roles as Dr Jing-mei Chen on ER and Agent Melinda May in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.. Wen is also a Disney Legend, having provided the voice to Mulan in the eponymous animated film and its follow-ups, as well as voicing characters on animated shows such as Sofia the First and Phineas & Ferb.
Zhang Ziyi
Chinese actress born in Beijing, she rose to fame for her roles in Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, Hero, House of Flying Daggers, Memoirs of a Geisha, and The Grandmaster. She has been nominated for numerous awards including two BAFTAs (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) and three Golden Globe Awards for Best Actress. In 2017 she was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Gemma Chan
English actress born in London to Chinese parents. She is best known for her role as Astrid Leong-Teo in Crazy Rich Asians, and has appeared in popular television shows such as Doctor Who, Sherlock, Humans and Secret Diary of a Call Girl. She has also starred in films such as Captain Marvel, The Innocents, and Crazy Rich Asians.
Claudia Kim
Born in Seoul, South Korea she began acting professionally at age 16 when she first landed roles in Korean television dramas and commercials. She made her Hollywood debut portraying Dr Helen Cho in the film Avengers: Age of Ultron. Since then she has gone on to portray Nagini (the snake) in Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, and Dr. Helen Cho in Avengers: Endgame.
Rosalind Chao
Born in Anaheim, California to Chinese parents she is best known for her roles as Keiko O’Brien on Star Trek: The Next Generation, Rosalind Shinn on The West Wing and Linda Tran in Supernatural. She has also appeared in shows such as Grey’s Anatomy and Dynasty.
Liu Yifei
Chinese actress born in Wan, she first gained recognition after appearing in several television series including Demi-Gods & Semi-Devils and Swordsman II. Her break-out role came when she portrayed the title character of the film Mulan. She has also appeared in The Forbidden Kingdom, Outcast and Once Upon a Time.
Kelsey Chow
American actress born in Columbia, South Carolina she first gained recognition after appearing on the show One Tree Hill. She has also starred in films such as The Sleepover Club and A Cinderella Story: Once Upon a Song. In addition to acting she is also an advocate for animal rights and environmental conservation.
Olivia Munn
American actress born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma to Chinese parents she is best known for her roles as Sloan Sabbith on HBO’s The Newsroom and Psylocke in X-Men: Apocalypse. She has also guest-starred on shows such as New Girl, The Daily Show, and The Newsroom.
Constance Wu
American actress born in Richmond, Virginia she is best known for her role as Rachel Chu in the hit movie Crazy Rich Asians. She has also starred in films such as Hustlers and The Feels, and television shows such as Fresh Off the Boat, Eastsiders and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. In 2019 she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical. .In 2017 she was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Maggie Q
American actress born in Honolulu, Hawaii she is best known for her role as Nikita on the TV series of the same name. She has also starred in films such as Mission: Impossible III and Divergent, as well as television shows such as Designated Survivor, Stalker and The CW’s Nikita.
Nichole Bloom
American actress born to a Chinese father and a Jewish mother she is best know for her roles in Superstore and Shameless. She has also appeared in films such as Project X and Moms’ Night Out, as well as TV shows such Safe House, Scorpion and The Fosters.
Jamie Chung
American actress born in San Francisco, California she is best known for her roles in The Real World: San Diego and The Hangover. She has also appeared in films such as Premium Rush, Sin City: A Dame to Kill For, and Big Hero 6, as well as television shows such as Once Upon a Time and Gotham.
Brenda Song
American actress born in Carmichael, California she is best known for her roles on Disney Channel’s Suite Life series, which includes The Suite Life of Zack & Cody and its spin-off series The Suite Life on Deck. She has also starred in films such as Special Delivery and College Road Trip, as well as television shows such as Scandal and Dollface. In 2019 she was nominated for an MTV Movie Award for Best Kiss.
Tamlyn Tomita
Japanese-American actress born in Okinawa, Japan she is best known for her roles in The Joy Luck Club, Karate Kid Part II, and The Day After Tomorrow. She has also starred in television shows such as How to Get Away With Murder, Grey’s Anatomy and Hawaii Five-O.
Ellen Wong
Canadian actress born in Scarborough, Ontario she is best known for her role as Knives Chau in the film Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. She has also appeared on TV shows such as Being Erica and The Carrie Diaries. In 2019 she was nominated for a Canadian Screen Award for Best Lead Actress – Drama Series or Limited Series.
Sandra Oh
Canadian actress born in Nepean, Ontario she is best known for her role as Cristina Yang on the medical-drama series Grey’s Anatomy. She has also starred in films such as Sideways and The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement, and television shows such as Killing Eve and Private Practice. In 2019 she was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series.
Arden Cho
American actress born to Korean parents she is best known for her role as Kira Yukimura on MTV’s Teen Wolf. She has also appeared in films such as Windfall and A Weekend With the Family, as well as TV shows such as Chicago Med and Last Resort.
Chiaki Kuriyama
Japanese actress born in Tsuchiura, Japan she is best known for her role as Gogo Yubari in the 2003 film Kill Bill: Volume 1. She has also appeared in films such as Battle Royale, The Grudge and The Wolverine, as well as TV shows such as Parasyte and Attack on Titan.
Li Bingbing
Chinese actress born in Wuchang, Heilongjiang she is best known for her roles in Transformers: Age of Extinction and Resident Evil: Retribution. She has also starred in films such as Forbidden Kingdom and Air Strike, and television shows such as Eternity Love. In 2019 she was nominated for a Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress.
Kristin Kreuk
Canadian actress born in Vancouver she is best known for her roles on TV shows such as Smallville and Beauty & The Beast. She has also starred in films such as Eurotrip, Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li and Partition, as well as television shows such as Chuck and Burden of Truth. In 2019 she was nominated for a Canadian Screen Award for Best Lead Actress – Drama Series or Limited Series.
Gong Li
Chinese actress born in Shenyang, China she is best known for her roles in films such as Raise the Red Lantern and Curse of the Golden Flower. She has also starred in films such as Memoirs of a Geisha, Miami Vice and The Grandmaster, as well as television shows such as Confucius and Barresto. In 2019 she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.
Tia Carrere
American actress born in Honolulu, Hawaii she is best known for her roles on TV shows such as General Hospital and Wayne’s World. She has also starred in films such as True Lies, Lilo & Stitch and Showdown in Little Tokyo, as well as television shows such as Relic Hunter and Curb Your Enthusiasm. In 2019 she was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.
Huang Shengyi
Chinese actress born in Shanghai she is best known for her roles in films such as Huo Yuanjia and The Forbidden Kingdom. She has also starred in films such as Red Cliff and Curse of the Golden Flower, as well as television shows such as Town of Love and Eternal Love. In 2019 she was nominated for a China Film Media Award for Best Actress.
Olga Kurylenko
Ukrainian actress born in Berdyansk, Ukraine she is best known for her roles in films such as Quantum of Solace and Oblivion. She has also starred in films such as To the Wonder and The November Man, as well as television shows such as Hawaii Five-0 and Strike Back. In 2019 she was nominated for a Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress.
Chloe Bennet
American actress born in Chicago, Illinois she is best known for her role as Daisy Johnson in the Marvel Cinematic Universe films Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D and Avengers: Infinity War. She has also appeared on TV shows such as Nashville, The Night Shift and Valor, as well as films such as Shanghai Calling and Abominable.
Katie Leung
Scottish actress born in Motherwell, United Kingdom she is best known for her role as Cho Chang in the Harry Potter films: The Chamber of Secrets and The Goblet of Fire. She has also appeared in films such as Before I Sleep and After Earth, as well as television shows such as Run and Strangers. In 2019 she was nominated for a British Independent Film Award for Best Actress.
Rinko Kikuchi
Japanese actress born in Hadano, Japan she is best known for her roles in Babel and Pacific Rim. She has also starred in films such as 47 Ronin and The Brothers Bloom, as well as television shows such as Terrace House and And Your Bird Can Sing. In 2019 she was nominated for a Japanese Academy Award for Best Actress.
Koyuki
Japanese actress born in Zama, Japan she is best known for her roles in films such as The Last Samurai and Letters from Iwo Jima. She has also appeared in films such as Blood: The Last Vampire and The Wolverine, as well as television shows such as Kanso! Itoshijin and Over Time. In 2019 she was nominated for a Hochi Film Award for Best Supporting Actress.
Shu Qi
Taiwanese-French actress born in Xindian District, Taiwan she is best known for her roles in films such as So Close and Three Times. She has also starred in films such as A Beautiful Life and Mission: Impossible 3, as well as television shows such as The Queen of SOP and Inseparable. In 2019 she was nominated for a Hong Kong Film Award for Best Actress.
Hailee Steinfeld
American actress born in Tarzana, California she is best known for her roles in films such as Pitch Perfect and Edge of Seventeen. She has also appeared in films such as Bumblebee and Ender’s Game, as well as television shows such as Dickinson and True Grit. In 2019 she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy.
Fan Bingbing
Chinese actress born in Qingdao she is best known for her roles in X-Men: Days of Future Past and Iron Man 3. She has also starred in films such as Double Xposure and Skiptrace, as well as television shows such as The Empress of China and Huan Zhu Gege. In 2019 she was nominated for a Hundred Flowers Award Best Actress.
Devon Aoki
American born in New York City, New York she is best known for her roles in 2 Fast 2 Furious and Sin City. She has also starred in films such as DOA: Dead or Alive and War, as well as television shows such as Mutant X and Arrow. In 2019 she was nominated for an MTV Movie & TV Award for Best Performance in a Movie or TV Show.
Nora Miao
Hong Kong born in Hong Kong she is best known for her roles in The One Armed Swordsman and Come Drink with Me. She has also starred in films such as King Boxer and Half a Loaf of Kung Fu, as well as television shows such as Court Lady and Flying Fox of Snowy Mountain. In 2019 she was nominated for Hong Kong Film Award Best Supporting Actress.
Joan Chen
Chinese born in Shanghai she is best known for her roles in Twin Peaks and The Last Emperor. She has also starred in films such as Lust, Caution and Saving Face, as well as television shows such as Heaven & Earth and Marco Polo. In 2019 she was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series.
Chasty Ballesteros
Canadian actress born in Vancouver, Canada she is best known for her roles in Sharknado 4: The 4th Awakens and 9-1-1. She has also appeared in films such as I Spit on Your Grave III: Vengeance Is Mine and Revolt, as well as television shows such as CSI: Miami and The Mentalist. In 2019 she was nominated for a Shorty Award for Best Actress.
Moon Bloodgood
American born in Anaheim, California she is best known for her roles in Falling Skies and Terminator Salvation. She has also starred in films such as Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li and Eight Below, as well as television shows such as Hollywood Heights and Code Black. In 2019 she was nominated for an Imagen Awards for Best Actress – Television Series.
Vanessa Hudgens
American actress born in Salinas, California she is best known for her roles in High School Musical and Sucker Punch. She has also appeared in films such as Journey 2: The Mysterious Island and Spring Breakers, as well as television shows like Powerless and Grease Live! In 2019 she was nominated for a Teen Choice Award for Choice Female Hottie.
Tao Okamoto
Japanese actress born in Chiba, Japan she is best known for her roles in The Wolverine and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. She has also starred in films such as The Sea of Trees and Kiyomori, as well as television shows such as Suits and Hannibal. In 2019 she was nominated for a Japanese Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.
Elodie Yung
French-Cambodian actress born in Paris, France she is best known for her roles in Daredevil and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. She has also appeared in films such as Gods of Egypt and G.I. Joe: Retaliation, as well as television shows like Crossing Lines and Banlieue 13 – Ultimatum. In 2019 she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film.
Yunjin Kim
South Korean actress born in Seoul, South Korea she is best known for her roles in Lost and Mistresses. She has also starred in films such as Shark and Seven Days, as well as television shows such as The Defenders and Ironside. In 2019 she was nominated for an International Emmy Award for Best Performance by an Actress.
Yūko Takeuchi
Japanese actress born in Urawa, Japan she is best known for her roles in The Twilight Samurai and Shikoku. She has also appeared in films such as Ju-on: The Grudge and Sukiyaki Western Django, as well as television shows like Taira no Kiyomori and One Million Stars Falling from the Sky. In 2019 she was nominated for a Japanese Academy Award for Best Actress.
Chi-ling Lin
Taiwanese actress born in Taipei, Taiwan she is best known for her roles in Red Cliff and Lust, Caution. She has also starred in films such as Crossing Hennessy and Shanghai Grand, as well as television shows like Life Plan A and B and Honey and Clover. In 2019 she was nominated for a Hong Kong Film Award for Best Supporting Actress.
Awkwafina
American rapper, actress, comedian, presenter, musician and writer born in unknown location she is best known for her roles in Crazy Rich Asians and Ocean’s Eight. She has also appeared in films such as Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising and The Farewell, as well as television shows such as Girl Code Live! In 2019 she was nominated for a Critics’ Choice Movie Awards for Best Actress in a Comedy.
Sandrine Holt
British-Canadian actress born in London, England UK she is best known for her roles in Resident Evil: Apocalypse and The L Word. She has also starred in films such as Paycheck and Surviving Evil, as well as television shows like House of Cards and Fear the Walking Dead. In 2019 she was nominated for an ACTRA Awards for Outstanding Performance – Female.
Jennifer Tilly
American actress born in Harbor City, California she is best known for her roles in Liar Liar and Bride of Chucky. She has also appeared in films such as Monsters Inc and Bullets over Broadway, as well as television shows like Family Guy and American Dad!. In 2019 she was nominated for a Critics’ Choice Television Award for Best Guest Performer in a Drama Series.
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