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5 young Asian actresses bringing diversity to Netflix: from Bridgerton’s new cast member Simone Ashley to Shadow and Bone’s breakout star Jessie Mei Li

Jessie Mei Li, Lana Condor and Kitty Chicha Amatayakul are three rising stars on Netflix and other streaming platforms with Asian roots. Photo: @jessie_mei_li, @kittychicha/Instagram, Netflix

With the recent rise in anti-Asian hate crimes in the US and other parts of the world, it is more crucial than ever for media to showcase empowering portrayals of Asians. Netflix has been doing its part and pushing for diversity in its content, and increasing the racial and ethnic representation in its films and shows.

Here we take a look at some of the most promising actresses of Asian descent who are currently stealing the spotlight on the streaming giant.

Jessie Mei Li

In Shadow and Bone, Jessie Mei Li plays Alina Starkov. Photo: Netflix

There is a new heroine in town and she is played by Jessie Mei Li. The half-Chinese, half-English actress bagged the lead role of Alina Starkov in Netflix’s latest fantasy series, Shadow and Bone. Li, who goes by the pronouns she and they, found similarities with their character, including the challenge they face as a biracial woman. Having been diagnosed with ADHD, the 25-year-old rising star is using their new-found fame to be a role model for neurodivergent as well as mixed-race people.

Lana Condor

Lana Condor in To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before. Photo: Netflix
When Vietnamese-born American actress Lana Condor took on the lead role in the To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before film series, she paved the way for more Asian representation on screen. She also felt grateful for the opportunity to “make people feel seen and less alone”, she told Harper’s Bazaar. The hit movie trilogy may be over, but Condor’s relationship with Netflix goes on. The 23-year-old will star in and executive produce a new show called Boo, Bitch. Not only that, but she will also work alongside Riverdale star Cole Sprouse for the HBO Max sci-fi romcom Moonshot.

Simone Ashley

 
Millions of Bridgerton fans buzzed with excitement after Netflix announced that the hit period drama by Shonda Rhimes will return for another season. Even more so when they revealed that Britain’s Simone Ashley will come on board as the new lead actress, opposite Jonathan Bailey. Born to Tamil Indian parents, this 26-year-old is no stranger to the content platform. She plays a popular high school student on another Netflix show, Sex Education. Simone has been vocal in interviews with the likes of Veylex about her passion to represent dark-skinned Asian characters that are not stereotypes.

Kitty Chicha Amatayakul

Kitty Chicha Amattayakul in a still from Net I Die. Photo: Netflix

Thai actress and singer Kitty Chicha Amatayakul keeps stealing hearts as a mysterious high school transferee in the Thai fantasy thriller, Girl From Nowhere. Netflix viewers may also recognise this 27-year-old multihyphenate from appearances on the BBC/Netflix series, The Serpent. When Amatayakul is not making jaws drop with her spine-chilling performances, she can be spotted on Instagram sporting luxury fashion brands like Saint Laurent and Prada, where she is followed by celebs including Harry Styles.

Maitreyi Ramakrishnan

Maitreyi Ramakrishnan in Never Have I Ever. Photo: Netflix
Beating out 15,000 hopefuls, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan landed the lead role of an Indian-American teenager in Mindy Kaling’s Netflix comedy series Never Have I Ever. The 19-year-old star was born and raised in Canada but is proud of her Tamil heritage and has spoken to Variety about the importance of encouraging people to pronounce South Asian names correctly. Since the success of the coming-of-age show (coming back for season two), Ramakrishnan has received plenty of recognition, including being named as a “Breakout Actor” on the Time 100 Next list

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Netflix
  • From Indian-American teen Maitreyi Ramakrishnan to Vietnamese-born American Lana Condor, these actresses are bringing much-needed diversity to your screens
  • Thai pop star Kitty Chicha Amatayakul stars in The Serpent and models Saint Laurent and Prada on Instagram – where she’s followed by Harry Styles