9 Asian Americans to Watch in 2015: TV and Movies

With a new year comes new movies, new characters, and new opportunities to watch our favorite thespians and discover new ones. Here’s a small sampling (you get a break this time, Mindy, Harry, Lucy, Steve, Jamie, and Randall!) of Asian Americans to watch in 2015:

1. Chloe Bennet

Chloe Bennet photo Marvel
With “Avengers: Age of Ultron” releasing in May 2015, Marvel fans will be watching the tied-in “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” closely for clues and teasers. Bennet’s Skye began season one mostly supporting the plotlines of Clark Gregg and Ming-Na Wen’s characters, but has steadily progressed to carry the emotional weight of the show. Her quick-witted, authority-defying portrayal stands out among the stern personalities that make up most of the cast.

2. Katie Chang

Katie Chang Getty
Katie Chang was phenomenal as the lead in 2013’s “The Bling Ring” (a.k.a., the most beautiful and entertaining movie of 2013 that 80% of your besties missed). Look for the Chicago native in 2015 in indie “Anesthesia,” starring Kristen Stewart, and high school comedy “The Outskirts,” starring Victoria Justice and Eden Sher.

3. Maggie Q

Maggie Q Summit Entertainment
As Tori in that other dystopian YA blockbuster series (seriously, “Hunger Games?” Four movies and zero Asians?), Maggie Q had some of the best moments in “Divergent,” albeit way too brief. “Insurgent” drops in November. Her CBS freshman drama, “Stalker,” is unfortunately getting the axe in March.

4. John Cho

John Cho Selfie Entertainment Weekly
“Selfie” received a fair amount of buzz when it launched, with Cho starring along Karen Gillan in a lighthearted opposites-attract workplace comedy. Though ABC decided viewers weren’t enamored enough to air it past episode 7, the remaining six episodes are releasing on Hulu. Cho will appear in “Get A Job” in 2015 with a who’s who of comedic talent, including Anna Kendrick, Miles Teller, and Christopher Mintz-Plasse.

5. Ki Hong Lee

Ki Hong Lee People
People Magazine’s #4 Sexiest Man Alive made his big screen debut this past year as a lead in “The Maze Runner.” He reprises his role in “The Maze Runner: Scorch Trials” this September. Look for him also in “The Stanford Prison Experiment.”

6. Constance Wu

Fresh Off the Boat ABC
Admit it: you’ve watched the “Fresh Off the Boat” trailer multiple times, haven’t you? With the ABC series premiering on February 4, all eyes will be on Wu, Randall Park, and Hudson Yang to see how this sitcom where all of the principals are Asian American will connect with audiences. Wu has appeared in a number of projects in recent years, including the dark comedy “EastSiders.”

7. Kimiko Glenn

Netflix "Orange is the New Black" Season 2 Kimiko Glenn as Brook
“Orange Is the New Black” is scheduled to return for season three in June. Glenn and her castmates were recently nominated for the Golden Globe for best television series, comedy or musical, and the SAG Award for outstanding performance by an ensemble in a comedy series.

8. Jordan Rodrigues

CIERRA RAMIREZ, JORDAN RODRIGUES
Jordan Rodrigues is originally from Sydney and now resides in Los Angeles. The smoking hot fan-favorite actor was introduced to a wider audience this past year in “The Fosters” as Mat, the guitar-playing love interest to Mariana. “The Fosters” returns on January 19 on ABC Family. Rodrigues is also set to appear in “Breaking Through,” a dance movie produced by John Legend.

9. Arden Cho

Arden Cho Teen Wolf MTV
Arden Cho returns as part of the main cast of “Teen Wolf,” MTV’s high school drama featuring various supernatural species. She plays Kira, a sword-wielding high school student who also happens to be a Kitsune, or fox spirit. The show’s fifth season kicks off this June.

Photo credits: Marvel, Getty, Summit Entertainment, ABC, People, Netflix, ABC Family, MTV

Asian Americans in Young Adult Book-to-Movie Adaptations

While it’s been a great year for Asian American talents in television with the orders of ‘Fresh Off the Boat’ and ‘Selfie,’ AA actors have also been landing some breakout roles in Hollywood blockbusters thanks to young adult novels.

Continue reading “Asian Americans in Young Adult Book-to-Movie Adaptations”

It’s an Asian Take-Over at the 2014 Met Gala

It’s May, which means two things: 1) it’s Asian American Heritage Month, and 2) it’s that time of the year for that one event where celebrities, designers, and really rich people pay upwards of $25,000 per ticket just to get in. Ladies and funky gentlemen, the Met Gala happened yesterday. Continue reading “It’s an Asian Take-Over at the 2014 Met Gala”