25 Asian actors helping make Hollywood more diverse

Asian media representation in America might be scarce (to say the least), but these talented AF actors are helping to change all that!

According to the 2024 Census, there are almost 25 million Asian people living in the United States, which makes them a significant portion of the overall American population. When it comes to positive representation in mainstream media, however, the numbers aren't nearly as big. As a matter of fact, according to McKinzy and Company, only 3 percent of lead roles in Hollywood movies go to Asian actors.

Yup. You read that right. 3. Measly. Percent. (And don't even get us started on the whitewashing epidemic.)

Luckily for us (and despite all of the depressing statistics), there are Asian actors out there making names for themselves in television and film, and the work these men and women are doing now will help inspire future generations of Asian Americans who want to pursue futures in acting and the arts! It's been time to acknowledge the contributions Asian people made (and continue to make) to American culture—especially in the entertainment sphere! Here are 25 actors who are working hard to make sure Asian people get the visibility they so rightfully deserve!

George Takei

Where you know him: Star Trek

George Takei came out back in 2005 and has been married to his partner, Brad Altman, since 2008. Over the years, he's become an increasingly popular voice for gay rights. He recently told The Stage that he came out so publicly due to then-California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's refusal to pass the state's same-sex marriage legislation.

Margaret Cho

Where you know her: All-American Girl, Notorious C.H.O., Drop Dead Diva

Margaret Cho is a bisexual comedian who is all about telling it like it is and pushing normal societal boundaries. She's blunt, upfront, and has been a staunch advocate for both queer and Asian people for the entire duration of her career.

Joel Kim Booster

Where you know him: Fire Island

Comedian and actor Joel Kim Booster is a rising star in Hollywood. He garnered a lot of attention for his role in Fire Island and is completely versatile, both in acting and in life. We can’t wait to see how far he goes!

Michelle Yeoh

Where you know her: Everything Everywhere All at Once, Crazy Rich Asians, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

Michelle Yeoh is an incredible Malaysian actress who’s taken on some iconic roles since initially rising to fame in the 1990s. Her most recent, Evelyn Wang in Everything Everywhere All at Once won her the Oscar she’s deserved for decades, and we’re excited about her upcoming projects!

Ludi Lin

Where you know him: Power Rangers, Mortal Kombat

Chinese-Canadian actor and model Ludi Lin has turned some heads in recent years, starting with his role as Zack Taylor in the 2017 Power Rangers reboot. He also had a role as Murk in Aquaman, was in an episode of Black Mirror, and plays Liu Gang in the Mortal Kombat reboot films.

Lewis Tan

Where you know him: Into the Badlands, Deadpool 2

Lewis Tan, the British-born, Singaporean-American actor and one of the stars of AMC's Into the Badlands has a serious knack for not only acting, but also stunts and martial arts! He slayed (alongside Ryan Reynolds) in the role of Shatterstar in the Deadpool 2 movie!

Constance Wu

Where you know her: Crazy Rich Asians, Fresh Off the Boat

Taiwanese-American actress Constance Wu is literally one of our most favorite people ever! Her Fresh Off the Boat character Jessica Huang is probably the reason we even watch television in the first place. Since starring in the 2018 movie adaptation of Kevin Kwan's popular 2013 novel Crazy Rich Asians, she has become such an outspoken activist when it comes to Asian-American visibility and diversity in Hollywood! 

Nico Santos

Where you know him: Crazy Rich Asians, Superstore

Crazy Rich Asians and NBC's Superstore definitely wouldn't have been the same without the comedy of gay Filipino actor Nico Santos! We can't wait to see what other amazing projects Nico takes on in his blossoming acting career!

Ross Butler

Where you know him: 13 Reasons Why, Riverdale

When we're not stalking all of Ross Butler's Instagram pictures, we're watching the Singapore-born actor on Netflix's popular (and controversial) high school-themed show 13 Reasons Why. He also had a small role on the sixth season of MTV's Teen Wolf, and starred as Reggie Mantle on The CW's Archie Comics reboot, Riverdale.

Charles Melton

Where you know him: Riverdale, American Horror Story: Hotel

You've probably already seen Korean-American actor/model Charles Melton on American Horror Story: Hotel, but he is also making a name for himself as Reggie Mantle on The CW's Riverdale, taking over the duties left by the aforementioned heartthrob Ross Butler after he had to leave the show to commit to 13 Reasons Why. The recasting of Charles as Reggie is a big deal, as it kept the role Asian-American. Ross was very happy for Charles, and so are we!!

Michele Selene Ang

Where you know her: 13 Reasons Why

Another 13 Reasons Why star, Michele Selene Ang is a fresh face in the acting world, and is also very outspoken about the endemic whitewashing of Asian roles in the mainstream film and television industries. The Asian-American actress plays the role of Courtney Crimson, a gay high school girl with two gay dads.

Dev Patel

Where you know him: Lion, Slumdog Millionaire, The Newsroom, Skins

BAFTA Award-winning, Oscar-nominated, Indian-British actor Dev Patel's acting skills are a force to be reckoned with, and he brings South Asian representation to a film landscape that so desperately needs it.

Shay Mitchell

Where you know her: Pretty Little Liars, You

Canadian actress Shay Mitchell (whose mom is Filipino) burst onto the scene when she starting playing lesbian character Emily Fields in the popular Freeform series Pretty Little Liars. Although she admits that she used to hide her heritage in her teenage years (internalized racism is a problem a lot of young Asian people in North America deal with), she is proud to be Filipina, and we love seeing her on our TV screens every chance we get! She's currently starring in the Netflix thriller You.

Now that PLL is over, we can't wait to see what the future has in store for Shay, and what other kinds of acting projects she'll be a part of!

Priyanka Chopra

Where you know her: Quantico, Baywatch

Indian actress Priyanka Chopra made history as the first South Asian actor to star in a leading role in an American network series (ABC's Quantico), and the first South Asian actor to win a People's Choice Award! As if that wasn't impressive enough, Priyanka also won the international Miss World beauty pageant in 2000, is a current UNICEF ambassador, and has also been vocal about the need for diversity in entertainment. It's safe to say Priyanka is a complete and total badass!

Henry Golding

Where you know him: Crazy Rich Asians, A Simple Favor

Henry made a splash with fans after starring in 2018's Crazy Rich Asians (alongside Constance Wu) and A Simple Favor (alongside Blake Lively), proving that Asian men can be successful leads in mainstream, box office movies. The British-Malaysian actor has a ton of future projects in the works, and we can't wait to see how big his superstardom gets! 

Jamie Chung

Where you know her: Once Upon a Time

Korean-American starlet Jamie Chung got her start as a cast member during the 14th season of the MTV reality show The Real World in 2004, but she made the transition into acting afterwards, nabbing roles in a bunch of movie and TV projects. Her role as the kickass female warrior Mulan in ABC's Once Upon a Time is arguably her most notable, and in the series, her character also turns out to be gay!

Cassie

Where you know her: The Perfect Match, Honey 3: Dare to Dance, & her singing career 

You probably know Cassie Ventura (or simply, Cassie) best as the voice behind the hit 2006 bop "Me & U," but in recent years, the entertainer (whose father is Filipino and whose mother is African-American, Mexican, and West-Indian) has made a foray into acting. She had leading roles in the romantic comedy The Perfect Match and the dance flick Honey 3: Dare to Dance. She's proud of her Filipina roots, and we're proud of her for helping bring more Asian-American visibility to movies! We hope we see Cassie nail more awesome roles!

Harry Shum Jr.

Where you know him: Glee, Shadowhunters

We initially fell in love with Harry on Glee, but he really stole our hearts after playing Magnus Bane, a bisexual warlock on Freeform's popular fantasy series Shadowhunters. His character's realtionship with Alec Lightwood (played by fellow dreamboat Matthew Daddario) is EVERYTHING to us, and we can't get enough! (#Malec for life!)

Godfrey Gao

Where you know him: The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones & his modeling career

Godfrey Gao may be known mostly for his modeling—he was the first Asian male model to be the face of luxury label Louis Vuitton—but the Taipei-born Vancouver native (whose father is Taiwanese and whose mother is from Malaysia) has also got some acting chops. He's been in a ton of Taiwanese movies and TV shows, and he made his US film debut in 2013's The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones.

Vincent Rodriguez

Where you know him: Crazy Ex-Girlfriend

Gay Filipino-Americans need more representation and visibility in TV and movies, and luckily, we have talented folks like Vincent Rodriguez (who is stealing hearts as one of the stars of The CW's Crazy Ex-Girlfriend) to do just that! Rodriguez is also an accomplished theater actor, so we'll definitely be hearing more of his name soon!

Gemma Chan

Where you know her: Crazy Rich Asians, Mary Queen of Scots

There was so much to love in 2018's Crazy Rich Asians, but one of the film's best scene-stealers was Gemma Chan, who played Nick's supportive, strong, and super chic cousin Astrid! She was also in Josie Rourke's Mary Queen of Scots (alongside Margot Robbie and Saorise Ronan), and we'll be seeing more of Gemma's box office ascension as she stars in the upcoming superhero flick Captain Marvel. 

Alex Landi

Where you know him: Grey's Anatomy

Alex made headlines back in 2018 after he was cast to play Dr. Nico Kim, Grey's Anatomy's first gay male surgeon. Landi's (a New York native of Korean and Italian descent) casting was a big win for not only queer representation, but Asian male representation in a popular TV series! 

Awkwafina

Where you know her: Ocean's 8, Crazy Rich Asians

2018 blockbusters Ocean's 8 and Crazy Rich Asians had so many good things going for them, but one of the biggest show stoppers in both those films was the hilarious rapper/actress Awkwafina! The comedy world is in desperate need of Asian women's voices, and in an industry dominated by so many white men, Awkwafina's voice is a refreshing one! 

Chella Man

Where you know him: DC Universe's Titans

Okay, so Chella hasn't officially made his acting debut yet, but the deaf, Chinese-American, trans model and activist is set to play mute superhero Jericho in the second season of DC Universe's live-action Teen Titans adaptation Titans pretty soon, and we can't wait for him to slay such an important and ground-breaking role! 

Conrad Ricamora

Where you know him: How to Get Away with Murder

The openly gay, Filipino-American actor may be best known for playing the role of gay I.T. specialist/hacker Oliver on How to Get Away with Murder, but if the rumor mill turns out to be true, he'll be a household name soon! Conrad is on the shortlist to play a lead role in Marvel Studios' upcoming title The Eternals, and since the idea of an actual gay, Asian actor playing a gay, Asian role in a blockbuster movie is super exciting, we hoping and praying to the gay Gods that he lands the part!!