6 days ago
Gen Z AAPI Actors And Their Iconic Roles
Once again, I hope we're all having a wonderful AAPI Heritage Month. As you can probably tell, I'm having a grand ol' time celebrating all things Asian and Pacific Islander, and you should be, too.
And what better way to celebrate Heritage Month than to take a look at some of the incredible young talent in Hollywood that our communities should be proud of. We have a long way to go when it comes to representation on screen, but these Gen Z actors are totally paving the way. Here's a look at some of the most iconic up-and-coming young AAPI actors in the industry right now, and where you might know them from. Be sure to keep an eye on them in the future.
1. Gordon Comier — Aang, Avatar: The Last Airbender
Gordon's mother is of Filipino descent.
2. Maitreyi Ramakrishnan — Devi, Never Have I Ever
Maitreyi is Sri Lankan Tamil.
3. KJ Apa — Archie Andrews, Riverdale
KJ, which stands for Keneti James, is of Samoan descent on his father's side. His dad is also a matai or chief of his village in Samoa.
4. Auli'i Cravalho — Moana, Moana
Auli'i is of Native Hawaiian, Chinese, Puerto Rican, Portuguese, and Irish descent.
5. Anna Cathcart — Kitty Song Covey, XO, Kitty
Anna identifies as half Chinese and half Irish.
6. Aryan Simhadri — Grover Underwood, Percy Jackson and the Olympians
Aryan is Indian American.
7. Iman Vellani — Kamala Khan, Ms. Marvel
Iman is Sindhi Pakistani.
8. Dallas Liu — Zuko, ATLA
Dallas is of Chinese descent.
9. Megan Suri — Aneesa, Never Have I Ever
Megan is Punjabi Indian.
10. Ben Wang — Li Fong, Karate Kid: Legends
Ben is of Chinese descent.
11. Ashley Liao — Clemensia Dovecote, The Hunger Games: Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes
Ashley is Taiwanese.
Check out more AAPI-centered content by exploring how BuzzFeed celebrates Asian Pacific American Heritage Month! Of course, the content doesn't end after May. Follow BuzzFeed's A*Pop on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube to keep up with our latest AAPI content year-round.
