Jessie Mei Li, born Jessica Mei Li on August 27, 1995, in Brighton, East Sussex, England, is a British actress of mixed English and Chinese heritage.
Her mother is English, and her father, Art Li, is Chinese, born in mainland China and raised in Hong Kong.
Raised in Redhill, Surrey, Li grew up navigating her biracial identity in a predominantly white area, an experience that shaped her perspective and later informed her acting roles.
Known for her vibrant personality and commitment to authentic storytelling, she has become a prominent figure in the entertainment industry, advocating for diversity and mental health awareness.
Li’s journey into acting began after she dropped out of the University of Sussex, where she studied French and Spanish, and pursued training at the National Youth Theatre and the Identity School of Acting.
Siblings
Jessie has one sibling, an older brother named Tom Li.
However, information about Tom is limited, as Jessie tends to keep her family life private, but sources confirm he works as a doctor with the National Health Service (NHS) in the United Kingdom.
Growing up together in Redhill, Surrey, Jessie and Tom were raised in a multicultural household, blending their English and Chinese heritage.
Jessie has mentioned experiencing racism during her childhood, including mockery of her appearance and accent.
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Career
Li’s acting career began with her professional stage debut in 2019, playing Claudia Casswell in the West End production of All About Eve at the Noël Coward Theatre, alongside Gillian Anderson and Lily James.
Her early screen roles included minor parts in the 2018 short film Together, They Smoke and an episode of the television series Strangers.
In 2019, she appeared in Locked Up Abroad as Christina Jocko and in the short film Travelooper as Kiera.
Her breakthrough came in 2021 when she landed the lead role of Alina Starkov in Netflix’s fantasy series Shadow and Bone (2021–2023), an adaptation of Leigh Bardugo’s Grishaverse novels.
The role, which depicted a biracial character, resonated deeply with Li, allowing her to draw on her own experiences of identity and belonging.
That same year, she played Lara Chung in Edgar Wright’s psychological horror film Last Night in Soho.
In 2025, Li starred as Ellie in the Netflix action thriller Havoc and appeared in Kukeri, a project in post-production.
Other notable works include the BBC’s We Might Regret This, Paramount+’s The Agency, and music videos like Uri Sade’s “A Thousand Ringing Bells” and James Humphrys’ “Three Weeks.”
Before acting, Li worked as a teaching assistant for children with special needs, a role she cherished, and her training in stage combat has brought authenticity to her action-oriented performances.
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