Celebrating AAPI Voices in the Entertainment Industry

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Asian actors make up a very small percentage of Hollywood, with only 1% of them taking the leading roles in projects. The Front Page Initiative would like to highlight some of these Asian stars who are doing amazing on the big screen and paving the way for future Asian characters.

Gemma Chan

Chinese-British actress Gemma Chan is an incredibly well-rounded figure in Hollywood. Starring as Sersi in the highly-anticipated upcoming Marvel film, the Eternals, she is a role model for many young women. One of the fifteen women selected to appear on the cover of the September 2019 issue of British Vogue, she is also a jurisprudence graduate from Oxford!

Awkwafina

The half-Chinese and half-Korean American is a renowned actress, comedian, rapper, and television host. Starring in Raya and the Last Dragon and part of the star-studded Ocean’s 8 cast, she is a force to be reckoned with! She is even co-creator, writer and executive producer of her namesake Comedy Central series Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens!

Dev Patel

Known for his roles in The Last Airbender and Lion, Patel is a brilling British-Indian actor who has a well-deserved Academy Award nomination under his belt. He is also an up-and-coming director, set to direct Monkey Man (2022). His talent for drama manifested in his high school years and he has not stopped proving his abilities since!

Auli’i Cravalho

This incredible actress has probably made a lot of childhoods with her impeccable role as the titular character in Moana. Born in Kohala, Kawaii of Native Hawaiian descent, Cravalho has an immense passion for singing and acting. She is a real champion of the arts, especially for younger audiences!

Kunal Nayyar

Hilarious, well-rounded, and unique. That’s what we think about Kunal Nayyar in his infamous role as Raj Koothrappali in the Big Bang Theory. So brilliantly committed to his characters and well-rounded in his pursuit to deliver his best on-screen, Nayyar is truly extraordinary.

Ki Hong Lee

Range! Versatility! Such things can be used to describe the Maze Runner star who has taken on comedic roles, creepy roles, and much more. As a Korean-American actor, he is a role model for all aspiring AAPI entertainers. To add to his impressive list of qualifications, not only is he a wonderful actor, he is also a Psychology graduate from UCLA.

Freida Pinto

This Indian actress, born and raised in Mumbai, has been doing incredibly in her role, starting with her role as Latika in Slumdog Millionaire. Since then, she has been killing it in the fashion industry, cultivating a reputation of being a style icon, and starring in films like Rise of the Planet of the Apes and The Mindy Project, even starring in Bruno Mars’ Gorilla music video!

As the entertainment industry continues to broaden their range of diversity, we look forward to seeing more Asian entertainers in the spotlight. If you would like a recommendation to an Asian starred movie, send us a DM, we’d be more than glad to send you a list of marvelous, talented, capable entertainers! There is more where this list came from!

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Published June 1, 2021

Written by Fiona Xu ~ Graphics created by Fiona Xu