The Top 20 Best International Actor (Asia)
A list created by Shanghai's Online Magazine (City Weekend)
List activity
610 views
• 0 this weekCreate a new list
List your movie, TV & celebrity picks.
20 people
- Sunny Wang was born on 2 November 1982 in the USA. He is an actor, known for Lost in the Pacific (2016), In Time with You (2011) and Pigeon Tango (2017). He has been married to Dizzy Dizzo since 27 December 2015.
- Godfrey Gao was born on 22 September 1984 in Taiwan. He was an actor, known for The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones (2013), The Jade Pendant (2017) and Toy Story 3 (2010). He died on 27 November 2019 in Ningbo, Zhejiang, China.
- Actor
- Producer
- Director
Daniel Wu, is a renowned Hong Kong- American actor, director, and producer. With a career spanning over twenty five years, Wu has made significant contributions to the Asian film industry, and gained recognition for his roles in martial arts and action films as well as drama, showcasing both his broad acting range and physical agility.
Wu's journey in the entertainment world began when he moved to Hong Kong in the late 1990s and was discovered by auteur director Yonfan who cast him in the lead role of gay art house film, "Bishonen". He then quickly rose to fame, starring in films like Benny Chan's "Gen-X Cops", "Purple Storm", and most notably in "City of Glass" for which he earned the first of five Hong Kong Film Award nominations, as Best New Performer.
He received two more Hong Kong Film Award nominations in 2005, for Best Actor in "One Night in Mongkok", Best Supporting Actor in Jackie Chan's "New Police Story", an iconic role that also brought him Taiwan's Golden Horse Award as Best Supporting Actor. The following year Daniel made his directorial debut with "The Heavenly Kings" , a humorous glimpse into the Hong Kong music industry, which won him the prestigious Hong Kong prize as Best New Director for his 2006 feature. Daniel was again nominated for Best Actor in 2015 for his role in Dante Lam's psychological thriller "That Demon Within".
His string of international film hits includes Frank Coraci's 2004 remake of "Around the World in 80 Days", "Blood Brothers" (2007), "Overheard" (2009), Quentin Tarantino's presentation of "The Man with the Iron Fists" (2012), "Europa Report" (2013), China's submission to the 88th Academy Awards "Go Away Mr. Tumor," Duncan Jones' adaptation of the renowned video game, "Warcraft" (2016), "Geostorm" (2017), as well as the remake of "Tomb Raider" (2018). He also starred and executive produced the AMC TV show "Into the Badlands" (2015-2019). Most recently, Wu starred in the box office hit "Caught in Time" (2020), as well as appearing in Lisa Joy's feature directorial debut, romantic sci-fi noir thriller "Reminiscence" (2021), and the HBO series, "Westworld" (2022).
He can also be seen in the Disney+ limited series, "American Born Chinese" (2023) based on the award-winning graphic novel by Gene Luen Yang. Wu appears as Sun Wukong, better known as The Monkey King, a mythological and all-powerful god who journeys into our world in a pursuit to find his son.
Beyond his cinematic accomplishments, Daniel Wu is recognized for his advocacy work, supporting the Asian American community as well as other charitable causes. Daniel was also the 2022 recipient of The Bruce Lee Award, in honor of the legendary actor, presented each year by AWFF and the Bruce Lee Foundation to an individual in the film industry whose efforts in the field of martial arts has created a legacy of excellence. Daniel is also an accomplished race car driver currently racing in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge series. Daniel Wu's multifaceted career, marked by talent and versatility, has solidified his status as a prominent figure in the global entertainment landscape and making him a household name throughout the global Chinese community.- Actor
- Producer
- Director
Sung-Ho Kang is a Korean-American actor and producer from Clarkston, Georgia who is widely known for playing Han Lue from the Fast & Furious series of films and Better Luck Tomorrow. He also acted in Raya and the Last Dragon, Pearl Harbor, Ninja Assassin and Obi-Wan Kenobi. He is married to Miki Yim.- Actor
- Producer
- Director
Brian Tee will star opposite Nicole Kidman in the prestige limited series "Expats," as "Clarke Woo" husband to "Margaret" (Kidman), directed by the acclaimed Lulu Wang for Amazon Prime. Tee also stared as Dr. Ethan Choi, on NBC's hit drama "Chicago Med," produced by Dick Wolf and won a 2020 NAMIC Vision Award (Best Performance - Drama) for his work on "Chicago Med."
On the big screen Tee has shared his talents in many giant blockbuster movies. Tee is known around the world for his starring role as "D.K. The Drift King," in Universal's franchise "The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift," directed by Justin Lin. He was a lead in FOX's summer hit "The Wolverine," starring Hugh Jackman and Directed by James Mangold. He played "Hamada," the head of park security in Universal Pictures' and Amblin Entertainment's box office smash "Jurassic World." And continuing his tent-pole career, Tee starred in Paramount Pictures' and Michael Bay's "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2," as the iconic villain "Shredder."
As a character leading man, Tee romanced audiences as the lead opposite Anne Heche in the Hallmark movie "One Christmas Eve." He starred in the series "Mortal Kombat: Legacy 2," as "Liu Kang," produced by Warner Brothers, took on a lead role in Lifetime's "The Gabby Douglas Story" as the inspirational Coach "Liang Chow," and also gave a standout comedic performance in Justin Lin's comedy, "Finishing the Game," as the insanely hilarious Vietnam Vet, "Mac Chang."
A talent in all genres, Tee gave an unforgettable, heart wrenching performance as "Jimmy Nakayama," in the action drama "We Were Soldiers," opposite Mel Gibson. And on the comedy side, Brian has featured in big budget comedies "Austin Powers: Goldmember," alongside Mike Myers and "Fun with Dick and Jane," with comedy great Jim Carrey.
On the small screen, Tee was a series regular playing "EMT Eddie Choi," in "Crash," a STARZ TV series based on the Academy Award winning film. He recurred on the hit NBC series "Grimm," CBS's "Hawaii 5-O," and ABC's "Grey's Anatomy." Tee has made memorable guest star appearances on shows such as "Chicago Fire, Chicago PD, Lucifer, ZOO, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, The Lottery, Legends, Beauty and the Beast, Burn Notice, The Good Guys, CSI, Dark Blue, Bones, Lie To Me, Jericho, Entourage, The Unit, Wanted, Without A Trace, JAG, Family Law, The Pretender, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer," among others.
As the consummate artist, Tee continued to stretch his range Internationally. He starred in the Korean American romantic comedy indie feature "Wedding Palace," and was the lead villain in Korea's highly anticipated action film "No Tears for the Dead," opposite, Jang, Dong-Gun and Kim, Min-Hee, Directed by the acclaimed Lee, Jeong-Beom ("The Man from Nowhere.")
In love with his craft, Tee never stops honing his talents and embraces all mediums. Brian returned to the stage to rave reviews for his lead performance in "Snow Falling on Cedars" at the prestigious Hartford Stage.
A Los Angeles native and mixture of multiple Asian descents, Tee is proficient in both Japanese and Korean, and holds a bachelor's degree in Dramatic Arts - Acting from the University of California, Berkeley. His muse is his Family, his amazing wife Mirelly Taylor and magical daughter Madelyn Skyler who are his life's love and inspiration.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Growing up in the suburbs of Chicago, Choi dreamed of becoming an actor. Against his family's wishes, Choi left college to pursue that dream. He literally ran away from home, cutting all ties with his family for 5 years to train and study before moving to Los Angeles. His dream became a reality as he landed guest appearances in 6 television series during his first year including "The West Wing" and "Roswell". Choi gained recognition as both a comedic and dramatic actor with memorable guest turns on hit sitcoms "The King of Queens", "Reba", "According to Jim" and recurring roles in critically successful dramas such as "House" and "24". In 2008, Choi landed a starring role in the ABC Family series "Samurai Girl" opposite Jamie Chung, as well as recurring arcs in 2009 with Starz's "Crash" and Fox's "Glee", and in 2010 with TNT's "Hawthorne" and FX's critically-acclaimed "Sons Of Anarchy" playing Henry Lin.
In 2004, Choi was cast in Steven Spielberg's "The Terminal". This sparked a surge in Choi's film career as he completed more than a dozen films through 2012 working with acclaimed writer/director David Ayer in "Street Kings" and "Harsh Times", and high profile roles in Lionsgate's "War" opposite Jason Statham, "Red Dawn" opposite Chris Hemsworth and Jeffrey Dean Morgan and his supporting lead role in the Marvel blockbuster, "Captain America: The First Avenger" playing Howling Commando Jim Morita.
Choi gained 25 pounds to play the tough but hilarious Chester Ming alongside Leonardo DiCaprio and Jonah Hill in Martin Scorsese's Oscar-nominated, "The Wolf Of Wall Street".
Along with his many film achievements, Choi has starred in several television shows including "Ironside" and "Allegiance" both for NBC Universal. Most notably, Choi inhabited the role of Judge Lance Ito for FX's highly-acclaimed Emmy-winning, Golden Globe-winning "The People v. OJ Simpson: American Crime Story" for Ryan Murphy. Choi has several feature films coming out in 2017 including, "Spider-Man: Homecoming" with Tom Holland, "Bright" with Will Smith, and "American Express" with Joel Edgerton. Also in 2017, he recurs on the television shows, "The Last Man On Earth" for FOX, "Counterpart" for Starz, and a leading role on NBC's "Untitled Kourtney Kang Project". Author: Fifteen Minutes- Actor
- Director
- Producer
Ron Yuan just wrapped as one of the ensemble leads in Disney's live adaptation Mulan (2020), directed by Niki Caro. Yuan plays battle hardened "Master Sgt. Qiang", 2nd in command of the Imperial Regiment.
Yuan signed on as series regular, Prince Nayan, on Netflix's Marco Polo (2014), created by John Fusco. Yuan filmed Roland Emmerich's Independence Day: Resurgence (2016) playing "Yeong", the main weapons engineer. Before that, he was in The Accountant (2016), directed by Gavin O'Connor, playing a reluctant Silat Master. He appeared on Jon Bokenkamp's The Blacklist (2013) as Quon Zhang. He was seen in the final season of Sons of Anarchy (2008) as the intense and unpredictable "Ryu Tom". Yuan played hard-nosed "Lt. Peter Kang" in the short-lived CBS series Golden Boy (2013), and had small roles in episodes of Justified (2010) and Castle (2009). Yuan joined Francesca Eastwood and Annie Q. Riegel in MDMA (2017).
In Mortal Kombat 11 (2019), he voiced "Scorpion". His made his directorial debut with Step Up China (2019). In the ABC/Freeform series Siren (2018), Yuan played "Aldon Decker", a military marine biologist who unwittingly falls in love with a predator mermaid. His obsession spirals out of control as he tries to bring her back to his research facility. Yuan designed the fight sequences as well as going behind camera as Action Director for Wild Card (2015), scripted by William Goldman and directed by Simon West. Yuan completed designing and directing the action on the popular action franchise Black & White: The Dawn of Justice (2014). He played character in story arcs on FOX's Touch (2012) (opposite Kiefer Sutherland) and NBC's Awake (2012) (opposite Jason Isaacs).
He was the voice behind major gaming campaigns (Call of Duty-Black Ops 2, Halo, Star Wars' Old Republic, Resident Evil, World of Warcraft, Medal of Honor, Army of Two, Guild Wars 2, Deus Ex, Drake's Uncharted, and many more). Yuan's MiniFlix Films with Sony Television (SPE) co-produced three films (Three Bullets, Tea and Remembrance, Lollipops) in which Yuan wrote, produced and directed. Yuan's award winning work in short film and features has premiered in more than 30 film festivals worldwide, including Toronto, Sundance (Park City, Utah), Tribeca (Manhattan), Athens, Cairo, Seattle, Kansas City (Missouri), Austin (Texas), and Beijing & Macau (China), and Los Angeles, Newport Beach & Comic Con (all California).- Actor
- Additional Crew
- Casting Director
Allen Theosky Rowe was born in Taipei, Taiwan and is of Chinese descent. He speaks English and fluent Mandarin because he lived in Taiwan, Hong Kong and China for most of his childhood life. He was also known as DJ Theosky in his short stint in the EDM scene. Theosky later switched career paths and pursued his interest in the cinematic world.
His career as an actor began in Beijing China when he was cast in the critically acclaimed TV series, "Tou Du" (2001). Where he generated his popularity by playing the lead villain Duck Blood Soup. To this day, he is still recognized in China for his raw portrayal. In addition Theosky appeared in numerous music videos for Jay Chou, Amanda Lee, which he also co-star with in the feature film "Ronin Boys" and other top artists in Asia.
Theosky then went on to America to finish up his education. Shortly after his graduation. He would be cast in his first American TV show "Monk". Other TV credits include: "FBI: Mist Wanted", "NCIS:LA", "MacGyver", "S.W.A.T" , "The Last Ship", "Chicago P.D." , "CSI Cyber" , "Hawaii Five-O." (2013), "Gang Related" , and "Days of Our Lives"
Theosky resides in Los Angeles, CA. but also lives in Asia while filming out there.- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
John Yohan Cho was born in Seoul, South Korea, and moved to Los Angeles, California as a child. His father was a Christian minister. Cho was educated at Herbert Hoover High School at Glendale, before moving on to the University of California at Berkeley, where he studied English literature. Upon graduation, he moved back to Los Angeles, working for a while as a teacher at Pacific Hills School where he taught 7th grade English. He also began acting with the famed Asian American theatre company East West Players.
A screen acting career began with small roles in projects such as Wag the Dog (1997), Bowfinger (1999), and the critical favorite Better Luck Tomorrow (2002). His breakthrough came when he appeared in the teen romance comedy American Pie (1999) and helped coin the phrase "MILF". Other roles followed, and he scored another hit in the slacker comedy Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle (2004). Cho also starred in the hugely successful franchise reboot Star Trek (2009), in the sought-after role of Hikaru Sulu, and has continued working steadily in Hollywood, starring in the indie drama Columbus (2017), thriller film Searching (2018), and the horror follow-up The Grudge (2019). As well as acting, Cho is also a singer and performs in the band Viva La Union.
He is married to actress Kerri Higuchi, and they have two children.- Actor
- Producer
- Director
Daniel Dae Kim has made a career of creating multifaceted and stereotype-breaking roles as an actor, director and now, producer. Prior to his seven-season portrayal of Chin Ho Kelly on "Hawaii Five-0," Kim was best known for his role as Jin Soo Kwon on the hit TV series "Lost," for which he shared a 2006 Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Ensemble, and was individually honored with an AZN Asian Excellence Award, a Multicultural Prism Award and a Vanguard Award from the Korean American Coalition, all for Outstanding Performance by an Actor. In 2009, he was recognized with the prestigious KoreAm Achievement Award in the field of Arts and Entertainment, and has twice been named one of "People" Magazine's "Sexiest Men Alive."
Most recently, he received a Broadway Beacon Award for his role as the King of Siam in Lincoln Center's Tony Award-winning production of "The King and I," as well as the Theater Legacy Award from New York's Pan Asian Repertory Theater. Outside of his artistic endeavors, he actively pursues interests in the community at large, having most recently served as Cultural Envoy and Member of the U.S. Presidential Delegation for the United States at the World Expo in Korea.
Born in Busan, South Korea, and raised in New York and Pennsylvania, Kim discovered acting while a student at Haverford College. After graduation, he moved to New York City, where he began his career on stage, performing in classics such as "Romeo and Juliet," "Ivanov," and "A Doll's House." Despite early success, he deepened his knowledge of the craft by enrolling at New York University's Graduate Acting Program, where he earned his Master's Degree.
After receiving his MFA, Kim's film career began in earnest with roles in "The Jackal," "For Love of the Game," "The Hulk," "Spider-Man 2" and "The Cave," as well as the Academy Award-winning "Crash." Most recently, he created the role of Jack Kang in "The Divergent Series films, "Insurgent" and "Allegiant." Kim is set to star as Ben Daimio in the highly anticipated feature: "Hellboy: Rise of the Blood Queen".
Kim has also lent his voice talents to animated series and films, such as the award-winning Studio Ghibli film, "The Tale of Princess Kaguya," as well as the PBS nature documentary series, "Big Pacific". He's also voiced characters for several video games, including Johnny Gat in the bestselling series, "Saints Row."
On camera, he has guest-starred on numerous TV shows, including "CSI," on the network, "ER" and two seasons on "24" as CTU Agent Tom Baker. In 2008, he starred in the Emmy Award-nominated miniseries "The Andromeda Strain."
In addition to his onscreen career, Kim spearheads his production company 3AD, established in 2014 by Daniel Dae Kim to produce premier content for TV, film and digital media - in development partnership with ITV Studios America. Committed to storytelling that features characters and cultures traditionally underrepresented in today's media, 3AD produced projects include this season's acclaimed new series The Good Doctor (ABC),where he serves as Executive Producer. Daniel Dae Kim can be found on Twitter/Instagram/Facebook @danieldaekim and is repped by UTA and KlevanLongarzo LLP and EPR. 3ADmedia.- Actor
- Producer
Russell Wong has earned a reputation as a sexy, charismatic leading man whose good looks are matched by his skills as an actor. The sixth of seven children, Russell Wong was born in Troy, New York; the son of restaurateur William Wong and Dutch-American artist Connie Van Yserloo. When Russell was seven years of age, his parents divorced, and he moved with his mother to California, settling near Yosemite. Russell attended Santa Monica College. As a trained dancer and a martial artist, Russell is able to perform many of his own stunts.
Russell made his big screen debut in James Clavell's "Tai Pan". He made a memorable guest appearance on the drama series "21 Jump Street" and won a leading role in Wayne Wang's acclaimed independent romantic comedy "Eat a Bowl of Tea". Supporting roles in "China Cry" and "New Jack City" soon followed. In 1993, Russell gained critical acclaim for his outstanding performance in "The Joy Luck Club".
Russell scored a high-profile role in 1994, when he was cast in the leading role in the made-for-TV movie "Vanishing Son" produced by Rob Cohen, in which he played a Chinese political activist exiled in America. The show was popular enough to spawn three sequels, and was later spun off into a syndicated TV series. People magazine named him one of the "Fifty Most Beautiful People" in 1995.
After "Vanishing Son" ran its course, Russell moved on to more big-screen work, including major roles in "Takedown", co-starring Skeet Ulrich, and "Twisted" with Sam Jackson and Ashley Judd. His breakthrough performance opposite Jet Li in "Romeo Must Die" firmly established Russell's star power.
Russell is next seen in this summer's blockbuster "Mummy 3" directed by Rob Cohen, as well as "Dim Sum Funeral" a black comedy co-starring Bai Ling and Kelly Hu. He will star alongside Ving Rhames in the martial arts thriller "Unshakable" this Fall.- Actor
- Stunts
- Additional Crew
Stephen Oyoung was born in the USA. Stephen is an actor, known for Spider-Man 2 (2023), Insecure (2016) and For All Mankind (2019).- Actor
- Producer
Terence Yin was born on 19 May 1975 in Hong Kong. He is an actor and producer, known for The Man with the Iron Fists (2012), Lara Croft: Tomb Raider - The Cradle of Life (2003) and New Police Story (2004). He has been married to Dongdong Xu since 1 May 2024.- Chen Tang has been called by critics and audiences alike as being a "chameleon-like" actor on film and stage. He gravitates towards character work that allows him to transform his look and feel in his work. He can most recently be seen reprising his series regular role in the Netflix/MAX series "Warrior". From Bruce Lee Entertainment, Bruce's daughter Shannon Lee, Justin Lin, director of the "Fast and Furious" franchise, and Jonathan Tropper, the creator of "The Adam Project" and "Banshee", the series returns for a third season in June 2023. Based on Bruce Lee's original writings, and set during the Tong Wars in the late 1800s, "Warrior" follows a martial arts prodigy who ends up being a hatchet man for the most powerful gang in Chinatown, San Francisco. Chen plays the "scene-stealing and hilarious" 'Hong'-an eccentric and childlike, but deadly mass-murdering hitman fresh off the boat from China. Inspired by true stories of race relations and crime, the hit series features incredible stunt work paired with a deeply nuanced dramatic ensemble cast.
Chen began his acting journey while attending Emerson College in Boston with local and regional theater. Soon after, he moved to New York to pursue a professional career in regional theater, television, and commercials, before finally landing in Los Angeles diving deep into film and television. He began to build an impressive resume with roles in "Grey's Anatomy," Amazon's "Bosch," and ABC's "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D," among many others. Later, he starred as the supporting lead role of 'Yao,' a crude and tough, machismo-filled young soldier in Walt Disney Studio's live action "Mulan".
Chen was born in Kobe, Japan and spent most of his childhood in Guangxi, China with his grandmother while his parents were in Japan to pursue their doctorates as part of the first government-sponsored international student groups to leave when mainland China re-opened its borders in the 1980s. Chen's family later immigrated to Memphis, Tennessee to work for St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital, where Chen adopted a natural southern accent while learning English, further adding to his unique background. It's his international background that instilled in him a lifelong love and curiosity for different cultures, people, and experiences. Being a Chinese Citizen and US Permanent Resident and fluent in both Mandarin and English, with two minds and two hearts, Chen bridges the gap between two strikingly different cultures.
The opportunity to be truthful, vulnerable, and portray wildly different human experiences is what draws Chen to the art of acting. Drawing on his international background, he also strives to be an actor whose purpose is to portray human stories that connect the East to the West.
In addition to acting, Chen has supported the Cambodian Children's Fund, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, and the World Wildlife Fund for numerous years and also lends his voice to the preservation of nature, wildlife and the world's oceans. - Actor
- Producer
- Writer
Chris Pang was born on 29 December 1984 in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. He is an actor and producer, known for Crazy Rich Asians (2018), Palm Springs (2020) and Charlie's Angels (2019).- Actor
- Producer
- Additional Crew
Sam Lee was born on 27 September 1975 in Hong Kong. He is an actor and producer, known for Made in Hong Kong (1997), Man of Tai Chi (2013) and Dog Bite Dog (2006).- Actor
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Hudson Yang was born on 24 October 2003 in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for Fresh Off the Boat (2015), The Sisterhood of Night (2014) and Honor Student (2023).- Yohan Lee is known for Anime Crimes Division (2017), End Times (2023) and Trippin' with the Folks (2015).
- Actor
- Director
- Writer
Jason Tobin was born in Hong Kong. He is known for Warrior (2019), The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006) and Jasmine (2015). He is married to Michelle Lau. They have three children.