Kelly Ann Hu, born on February 13, 1968, in Honolulu, Hawaii, is an American actress, voice artist, and former fashion model of Chinese, English, and Hawaiian descent.
She rose to prominence as the first Asian-American Miss Teen USA in 1985 and later won Miss Hawaii USA in 1993.
Her multifaceted career spans acting in film and television, voice work in animation and video games, and modeling in Japan and Italy.
Known for her roles in action and drama, Hu has become a trailblazer for Asian-American representation in Hollywood.
Siblings
Kelly has one sibling, an older brother named Glenn Hu.
Glenn serves as a lieutenant colonel and human resources officer in the United States Army, showcasing a commitment to public service.
Growing up in Honolulu, Kelly and Glenn were raised by their parents, Juanita and Herbert Hu, who divorced when Kelly was young.
During their parents’ separation, the siblings spent two years living with their grandmother in Kahului.
Career
Hu’s career began with modeling after her cousin, a successful model in Japan, inspired her to pursue beauty pageants.
After winning Miss Hawaii Teen USA and Miss Teen USA in 1985, she modeled in Japan and Italy.
She gained recognition in Italy through Philadelphia cream cheese advertisements as a character named Kaori.
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In 1987, she moved to Los Angeles to pursue acting.
She landed her first role as Mike Seaver’s Hawaiian love interest on the sitcom Growing Pains.
Her film debut came in 1989 with a small role in Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan.
Hu’s breakthrough roles included Dr. Rae Chang on the soap opera Sunset Beach (1997) and Michelle Chan on the police drama Nash Bridges.
She gained wider recognition in films like The Scorpion King (2002) as Cassandra, Cradle 2 the Grave (2003) as Sona, and X2 (2003) as Yuriko Oyama/Lady Deathstrike.
Her television credits include recurring roles as China White on Arrow and Pearl on The Vampire Diaries.
She has also done voice work as Stacy Hirano in Phineas and Ferb and Karai in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Hu’s voice acting extends to video games like Saints Row 2 and Batman: Arkham Origins.
Her martial arts background, including a black belt in Kanzen Budo Kai karate, has made her a natural fit for action-oriented roles.
Beyond acting, Hu is an avid poker player, competing in events like the World Series of Poker.
She also supports causes such as Hawaiian ecology and children’s hospitals.
Accolades
In 2012, Hu received the Action Icon Award for her work in action films.
Her voice acting garnered a Behind the Voice Actors (BTVA) Television Voice Acting Award in 2014 for her role as Karai in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
In 2018, she won an award at the Asians on Film Festival for her performance in Go Back to China.
Additionally, Hu has been nominated for 11 awards, reflecting her versatility across genres.
Her historic appearance as the first Asian-American on the cover of Maxim magazine, which became its best-selling issue, underscores her cultural impact.
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