China has a rich cultural heritage that includes its cuisine, spoken language, sports, economy, and, of course, distinctive writing. In addition, people in the country mentioned above are known for their considerable talent in mathematics, a subject that most people find challenging.
However, China and its people go beyond merely being about culture, business, and intelligence; they also take a step forward by invading the American film industry. The list below shows ten celebrities that you wouldn’t believe are of Chinese-American descent:
#10: Lucy Liu
Lucy Liu’s Early Life
Lucy Liu was born on December 2, 1968, in Jackson Heights, Queens, New York. Both of her parents are from China; her father is Tom Lie, a civil engineer, and her mother is Cecilia, a biochemist.
Lucy Liu, who was raised by immigrants in New York City, has always attempted to strike a balance between a desire to embrace her background and a willingness to go beyond the confines of the Asian-American experience.
In 1986, she finished high school at Stuyvesant High School and decided to enroll in NYU after. She transferred to the University of Michigan after her first year there because the gloomy and sarcastic environment disheartened her.
She fit in some additional training in dance, singing, visual arts, and acting while in college and soon received a degree in Asian Languages and Cultures.
Lucy Liu’s Early Role
Lucy Liu was cast as the lead in an Alice in Wonderland performance during her senior year after trying for a minor role. She was inspired by the event and made the decision to pursue a career in acting.
She relocated to Los Angeles and spent time juggling day jobs in the food industry with auditions. Eventually, in 1990, she was cast as a waitress in a cameo role on Beverly Hills, 90210.
Additional walk-on roles in programs like The X-Files, ER, and NYPD Blue followed that appearance in 1993. She appeared in Rhea Perlman’s brief sitcom Pearl in 1996 as an aspirational college student.
She made her debut on the big screen in Jerry Maguire in 1996, in a role of an ex-girlfriend. Also, she had previously recorded a scene in the indie Bang in 1995, but it was delayed for two years.
#9: Michelle Yeoh
Yeoh Choo-Kheng, professionally known as Michelle Yeoh, is a Malaysian-American actress, model, and producer. Michelle Yeoh is most recognized for her work in movies that involve martial arts. She currently ranks among the most paid Asian actresses.
Michelle Yeoh’s Early Life
Michelle Yeoh was born to Chinese parents on August 6, 1962, in the mining town of Ipoh in West Malaysia. Her mother’s name is Janet Yeoh, while his father is Kian Teik Yeoh, a lawyer and MCA politician.
Young Michelle might have spent several weekends swimming and diving with her friends; she became a representative at the national level and once a champion in her country. However, she revealed that her true passion was dance, especially – though not exclusively – ballet.
She has been a ballet dancer since she was 4; then, at 15, Yeoh relocated with her parents to England to attend a boarding school there. She later majored in ballet while attending the Royal Academy of Dance in London.
However, she could not pursue a career as a professional ballet dancer due to her spinal injury while practicing ballet. Because of this incident, she then instead focused on choreography and other arts.
She thereafter earned a B.A. degree in Creative Arts with a minor in Drama.
Michelle Yeoh’s Early Role
Yeoh took home the title of Miss Malaysia in 1983 at the age of 21. She competed for Malaysia in the 1983 Queen of the Pacific beauty contest held in Australia, where she took first place.
She entered the film industry immediately and went on to appear in several action-packed martial arts movies.
After being married, she took a short vacation from acting but returned with several successful movies, including “Crouching Dragon, Hidden Tiger” and “Tomorrow Never Dies.”
She soon began venturing out to appear in English-language movies, bringing Malaysia on the international stage. She became one of the most well-known actresses because of her stunts and effortlessly performing action scenes.
For instance, she began producing action films in 1985 with Hong Kong’s D&B Films. She made appearances in movies like Yes, Madam in 1985, and after that, she handled most of her stunts and was injured several times.
She never received formal martial arts training; instead, she prepared for her martial arts action scenes using her dancing discipline and the on-set trainers. In her movies, she dances a lot.
She received numerous national awards and was invited to serve on juries for numerous prestigious film festivals due to her consistent performances and international hits.
#8: Kelly Mi Li
Kelly Mi Li is a Chinese-American investor, entrepreneur, and film producer turned actress. She is most well-known for being the executive producer, starring in Bling Empire on Netflix, and the executive producer of Cypher, a Sonar Entertainment FBI decoding series.
Kelly Mi Li’s Early Life
Kelly Mi Li was born on November 13, 1985, in Kunming, China. Kelly’s father was a doctor who eventually had to return to China because he couldn’t find work.
Moreover, they moved to Chicago when her mom got a job at the University of Illinois. Kelly’s mother strived to provide a better life for her while at the same time raising her.
When Kelly turned 18, she began working in a life insurance company in New York. She then relocated to Los Angeles, where she worked in both the food and beverage and real estate development industries.
Following her successes in the field, including converting Jim Morrison’s former home into an elite speakeasy, she finally entered the world of internet investing.
Kelly Mi Li’s Early Role
When Kelly Mi Li was 18 years old, she began working as an insurance agent in New York City. Later, she moved to Los Angeles, where she worked in the food and beverage and real estate industries.
She invested in start-ups like Nature Box and MeUndies when she was employed there. She subsequently made a move to become an East-WestWest Artists talent manager, where she assisted in bridging American and Asian artists.
She co-produced the 2021 television program “Bling Empire,” whose producer was Christine Chiu. The purpose of the Bling Empire is to demonstrate how millionaires of Asia-American spend their money.
In addition to producing the Netflix reality series, Li and Chiu also acted as stars in it. Kelly is a general partner of the Los Angeles-based internet publishing company Be Great Partners and is also a businesswoman.
#7: Joan Chen
Joan Chen is a Chinese-American actress, screenwriter, film director, and film producer. She is most recognized for her roles in “Red Rose, White Rose,” “Twin Peaks,” and “The Home Song Stories,” and she first gained wide recognition after participating in the 1987 film “The Last Emperor.”
Joan Chen’s Early Life
Joan Chen was born in Shanghai, China, on April 26, 1961, into a family of doctors. Her parents, Chen Xing Rong and Zhang An Zhong, raised her and her older brother, Chase.
She studied at the Shanghai Institute of Foreign Languages and the Shanghai Film Academy in China. Then, at age 17, Chen enrolled at the prestigious Shanghai International Studies University as an English major after graduating high school one year early.
Jiang Qing, the wife of Mao Zedong, first spotted Chen when she was 14 years old, which led to her selection for the Shanghai Film Studio’s Actors’ Training Program in 1975.
There, she was spotted by the well-known director Jin Xie, who cast her as a deaf girl whose senses are later restored by the army’s medical staff in his 1977 film “Youth.”
At the age of 20, Chen relocated to the United States and enrolled at California State University, Northridge, where she studied filmmaking.
Joan Chen’s Early Role
Joan Chen has achieved both critical and financial success in China, Hong Kong, and Hollywood. Besides being a Chinese-American actress, Joan Che is also a screenwriter, producer, and director.
At the age of 14, she began her acting career in China in Xie Jin’s Youth, which it followed by other films after. For instance, in 1979, Chen Chong appeared in Zhang Zheng’s Little Flower alongside Tang Guoqiang, for which she earned the Hundred Flowers Award.
Moreover, she eventually got her first Hollywood movie which was filmed in China, Tai-Pain. Joan Chen also appeared in different shows, such as ‘Miami Vice’ as May Ling.
Then, later, she played Josie Packard in the David Lynch/Mark Frost television series Twin Peaks and the 1987 Bernardo Bertolucci film The Last Emperor. In 1989’s The Blood of Heroes, written and directed by David Webb Peoples, she co-starred with Rutger Hauer.
Joan Chen then earned another award, the Golden Horse Award, and a Hong Kong Film Critics Society Award for her performance.
After growing weary of playing an exotic beauty in Hollywood movies, Chen transitioned into directing in 1998 with the critically acclaimed Xiu Xiu: The Sent Down Girl, which she made from her friend Yan Geling’s novella Heavenly Bath.
Later, in 2000, she was the director of the Richard Gere and Winona Ryder-starring film Autumn in New York. Chen returned to acting in the middle of the 2000s and started to work hard, switching between English- and Chinese-language roles.
#6: Russell Wong
Russell Wong is an American actor who works in both film and television. He is known for being a seductive, charismatic leading man whose great looks are matched by his acting prowess. He also rose to prominence after playing a role in the television series “Vanishing Son.”
Russell Wong’s Early Life
Russell Girard Wong, professionally known as Russell Wong, was born on March 1, 1963, in Troy, New York, U.S. His mother’s name is Connie Van Yserloo, a Dutch-American artist, while his father is William Wong, a restaurant owner.
Russell has a brother, and his name is Michael Wong, a model and also an actor. When Russell’s parents divorced when he was seven years old, he and his mother went to California and settled close to Yosemite.
Russell Wong went to Santa Monica College for his tertiary. He is also capable of pulling off many of his stunts because he is a skilled dancer and martial artist.
Russell Wong’s Early Role
Russell Wong, an Asian-American actor, began his career as a dancer in music videos in the 1980s, which led to his first acting part in the musical “Ge wu sheng ping.”
When he was only 22 years old, Russell Wong began his acting career in 1985. He made rapid progress in his profession in a short period, inspiring people with his work and gaining wide recognition.
Furthermore, James Clavell’s “Tai Pan” was Russell’s big-screen debut. He had a standout appearance as a guest star on the drama series “21 Jump Street” and was awarded the leading role in Wayne Wang’s critically praised independent romance comedy “Eat a Bowl of Tea.”
Following a supporting role in 1987’s “China Girl,” a retelling of “Romeo and Juliet,” and gaining recognition, Wong had a breakthrough role in 1989 as Ben in the James Clavell novel “Tai-Pan,” which was his first English-language movie.
Soon after, Russel was cast in supporting roles in “China Cry” and “New Jack City.” Russell won praise from the critics in 1993 for his superb performance in “The Joy Luck Club.”
He played Jian-Wa in Vanishing Son, a made-for-television film series followed by a 13-episode syndicated series, making him one of the first actors of Chinese descent to play a major part in a primetime American television series.
After “Vanishing Son” was finished, Russell moved on to other prominent roles on the big screen, including vital roles in “Takedown,” in which Skeet Ulrich also starred, and “Twisted,” which starred Sam Jackson and Ashley Judd. Russell’s breakthrough performance in “Romeo Must Die” with Jet Li established his star power.
Russell’s future films include the summer hit “Mummy 3,” directed by Rob Cohen, and the black comedy “Dim Sum Funeral,” which also stars Bai Ling and Kelly Hu. In the upcoming fall film “Unshakable,” he will co-star with Ving Rhames in a martial arts thriller.
#5: Malese Jow
Elizabeth Melise Jow, professionally known as Malese, is an American actress and singer. She is most known for playing Geena Fabiano in the Nickelodeon teen comedy “Unfabulous” and “Anna,” a teen vampire, in “The Vampire Diaries,” a show on The CW.
Malese Jow’s Early Life
Malese Jow was born on February 18, 1991, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She was raised in California in her later years after being born in Oklahoma.
Her father is a Chinese-American, while her mother is Caucasian of Cherokee descent. Malese Jow, the eldest of the family’s four children, has a younger sister named Makenna Jow as well as two brothers named Jensen and Braden Jow.
When Jow was just nine years old, her mother, Lanae Tillery Jow, relocated to California with all of her kids. Jow began her singing career by performing at local events in her hometown. At age 6, she performed in talent shows, community baseball games, and charity events.
She was selected to perform with vocalist Rodney Lay and the country music group “The Wild West” at the age of 7 over several adult singers. She also served as the opening act for artists like Ray Price, George Jones, Ty Herndon, and Brenda Lee.
She was discovered in 1999 by the McDonald’s advertising manager, who hired her for several radios and TV jingles. Jow competed in the kid vocalist division of Ed McMahon’s “Next Big Star,” which was shown on “PAX-TV” in 2002.
She won four rounds on the program. Following her victory, Mr. McMahon invited her to join him on his Branson variety show tour.
Malese Jow’s Early Role
At age 6, Malese started her singing career, performing at community gatherings and opening acts for artists like Brenda Lee and Rodney Lay. Malese also made appearances as a kid artist in “Dellaventura” and “Barney & Friends.”
In 2004, she started her professional acting career. She won in all four rounds of PAX-“Next TV’s Big Star” in 2002.
Following a few performances as a young artist, she started her acting career in 2004 as “Geena Fabiano” in Nickelodeon’s “Unfabulous,” which resulted in a few nominations for awards.
She then went on to play various teen characters in movies and television shows like “Bratz: The Movie,” “iCarly,” and “Hannah Montana.” She made a smooth transition from being a famous teen artist to playing more serious roles.
She received praise for her work in television shows like “Big Time Rush,” “Star-Crossed,” and “The Flash,” as well as in movies like “The Social Network,” “Plastic,” and “I Wrote This for You.”
In addition, Jow has released a single and appeared in music videos. She also was on the 2015 “Maxim Hot 10” list.
#4: Lisa Lu
Lisa Lu, also known as Lisa Lu Yan, is a Chinese-American actress, singer, and film producer. She won the Golden Horse Awards three times in the 1970s for outstanding performances. She also played the matriarch of Singapore’s richest family in the well-known 2018 comedy-drama “Crazy Rich Asians.”
Lisa Lu's Early Life
Lisa Lu was born in Beijing, China, on January 19, 1927. She studied Chinese opera in Beijing when she was a teenager, along with her mother, the opera performer Li-Tung Chen.
She had performed well in opera before departing for the United States from China. Lisa settled in California after coming to the US, where she eventually started her acting career.
She also took part in various opera plays and swiftly rose to prominence as a Peking opera prima donna in California. She was chosen as a tutor in multiple opera institutes in the United States because of its excellent Beijing style.
Currently, even at her age, she still teaches opera as a professional.
Lisa Lu's Early Role
Lisa Lu began her career as a teenager; she started by appearing in Kunqu theater plays, a traditional kind of Chinese opera.
Communist forces triumphed in the Chinese Civil War, which lasted from 1927 to 1949. The new regime provided financial assistance and supported China’s theaters financially during the majority of the 1950s; however, by the end of the decade, it had stopped, and by the 1960s, the theaters had closed.
Thus, by the late 1950s, Lu had emigrated to the US in search of other career opportunities.
Lu made her acting debut in the 1960s “The Mountain Road” as Madame Su-Mei Hung, the widow of a Chinese commander, and the set was during World War II.
She appeared in a 1961 Bonanza episode as the Chinese slave girl Su Ling (1959). Lisa Lu also made appearances in the 1962 Western movie “Rider on a Dead Horse” and the crime thriller “Womanhunt” (1962).
For the rest of the decade, she only made a few television appearances. For instance, in “The 14 Amazon,” in which she played the semi-legendary She Saihua.
Shen then appeared in the American horror movie “Terror in the Wax Museum.” There are also films in which she starred, such as the “Empress Dowager Cixi” in “Qing Guo Qing Cheng,” and she played her role again in the sequel “The Last Tempest.”
Moreover, these movies mentioned above are only a few of all the films that haven’t been discussed yet. For instance: “Demon Seed,” “Saint Jack,” “Tai-Pan,” and many more. Additionally, Lisa Lu also narrated a documentary film in 1982.
#3: Michaela Conlin
Michaela Conlin is an American actress. She is most recognized for her portrayal of Angela Montenegro on the Fox crime procedural comedy-drama Bones.
Michaela Conlin’s Early Life
Michaela Conlin was born on June 9, 1978, in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Her mother is an accountant and of Chinese descent, while his father is a contractor and an Irish descent.
Conlin was raised in Allentown with his older sister. She attended Parkland High School, where she performed in the plays “Bye Bye Birdie” and “The Crucible.”
Furthermore, after graduating from high school in 1996, she enrolled at the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University, where she earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in theatre in 2000.
She starred in many plays at the Playwrights Horizons Theater School and the Atlantic Theater Company. She also went to Amsterdam to enroll in the Experimental Theatre Wing’s International Training Program.
Michaela Conlin’s Early Role
Michaela Conlin made her stage debut at the age of seven and went on to perform in several local and regional shows throughout Pennsylvania.
Conlin was selected to take part in the cable documentary series “The It Factor,” which explored the lives of aspiring actors in New York City after she received her degree from NYU.
She soon moved to Los Angeles, California, where she earned her first significant role in the series MDs. Her role is an idealistic young intern who is taken under the wing of the hospital’s two renegade doctors, played by William Fichtner and John Hannah.
Furthermore, the drama series “The DA” gave her a leading role as an outspoken political strategist to Steven Weber’s district attorney.
In addition to her television roles, Conlin has acted in several films, such as “Garmento” and “Love the Hard Way” with Adrien Brody. She most recently finished shooting the independent movie “Open Window” with Robin Tunney.
Conlin played May in the Amy Adams-starring film “Enchanted”, but her lines were deleted from the final version. However, the DVD’s special features include the deleted sequence.
#2: Ne-Yo
Shaffer Chimere Smith, also known as Ne-Yo, is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, record producer, and actor. He initially gained prominence as a songwriter in 2004 when the song “Let Me Love You,” which he wrote for vocalist Mario, became a smash.
Ne-Yo's Early Life
Shaffer Chimere Smith, also bares the screen name of Ne-Yo, was born on October 18, 1982, in Camden, Arkansas. He was raised in Las Vegas, Nevada, only by his mother.
Ne-Yo’s mother is African-American, while his father is of African-American and Chinese ancestry. The fact that both of his parents were musicians may have inspired his love of music and songwriting.
But after his mother and father were divorced, he was raised by his mother as a young child. Then they relocated to Las Vegas, Nevada, along with his mother.
Her mother, who was very supportive of his desire, served as an inspiration for him to decide to make his passion a career.
Ne-Yo's Early Role
Ne-Yo also began to develop his skills in writing songs in Las Vegas after they moved, also where his mother raised him. Ne-Yo first appeared in the music industry as a member of the R&B group Envy, but the group regrettably broke up in 2000.
When the song he wrote for Mario became a hit, as aforementioned above, the Def Jam label president was so taken with the song that he agreed to a recording deal.
After signing by Columbia Records, he was disappointed to learn that his record project had been put on hold for more than a year, leading him to part ways with the label empty-handed.
He finally made his breakthrough in 2006 by releasing his highly successful album “In My Own Words,” which peaked at number one on the Billboard 200.
He then had further chart-topping record releases and rose to prominence as a songwriter. Ne-Yo gained notoriety for his songwriting but also his performances as a singer, dancer, and actor.
He has appeared in several movies, including “Stomp the Yard,” “Battle: Los Angeles,” “Red Tails,” and others.
#1: Janel Parrish
Janel Meilani Parrish Long, professionally known as Janel Parrish, is an American actress and singer. Janel Parrish is best known for playing “Mona Vanderwaal” in the Freeform television series “Pretty Little Liars.” She also played a role as Lara Jean’s eldest sister in “To All The Boys I Loved Before.”
Janel Parrish’s Early Life
Janel Parrish, also known as Janel Meilani Parrish Long, was born on October 30. 1988 in Honolulu, Ouhum, Hawaii. Her mother’s name is Joanne (Mew), while his father’s name is Mark Phillip Parrish.
Parrish’s mother is of Chinese descent, and her father is Caucasian. She also has a sister named Melissa Nohelani, who is eight years older than her.
At age 6, Parrish started taking piano lessons. A year later, she also enrolled in acting, singing, tap dancing, and jazz dance classes.
After ninth grade, she left Moanalua Elementary and Moanalua High School to be homeschooled. She relocated to Los Angeles with her family at the age of 14.
She competed in Star Search (2003) that same year. However, she didn’t make it past the first round.
Janel Parrish’s Early Role
In 1996, Janel Parrish made her acting debut in “Les Misérables” as Young Cosette. She first appeared on the U.S. national tour before moving on to the Broadway version.
She then appeared in several television shows as a guest star before securing her breakthrough role as Jade in Bratz in 2007.
At that point, Janel went on to play Vanessa in the brief sitcom The O’Keefes on The WB. Later, she made a character reprise appearance on the NBC supernatural drama Heroes.
Three years later, she was chosen to play Mona Vanderwaal in Pretty Little Liars, which would become her most prominent role in 2010. Due to her work on the entire season of the show, Parrish garnered four Teen Choice Awards.
Additionally, she participated in the 19th season of “Dancing with the Stars” and acted in the film “Bratz: The Movie.”
Furthermore, Janel Parrish also played a role as Margot Covey in the To All the Boys film series, who is the main character’s sister, Lara Jean.