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Kelly Hu - Biography |
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Kelly Ann Hu, born February 13,
1968) is an American actress and former fashion model who held the Miss
Teen USA 1985 and Miss Hawaii USA 1993 titles. Of Chinese, Hawaiian and
English origins, she played a pioneering role in the representation of
Asian Americans in the United States, and actively encourages Asian
Americans to participate in the democratic process.
Hu was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, the daughter of Juanita, an engineering
drafter for Honolulu, and Herbert Hu, a salesman and exotic bird breeder;
the two divorced during Hu's childhood. She is of Hawaiian, Chinese, and
English descent. She attended Maʻemaʻe Elementary School and Kamehameha
Schools in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Hu has held a lifelong interest in singing and dancing and has also been
interested in martial arts since her early childhood, when her older
brother would arrange for her to fight neighborhood boys. Hu's cousin was
a successful model in Japan and Hu decided to follow her example. She won
the Miss Hawaii Teen USA 1985 title and competed in the Miss Teen USA 1985
pageant, becoming the third Miss Teen USA titleholder. Hu has mentioned in
interviews that her mother had told her America was not ready for an Asian
as such a prominent role model. However, Hu became the first Asian
American to win the title. Ironically enough, she discovered after winning
that she was prohibited from appearing in non-contest related activities
for the year of her reign, this rule soon changed later on the coming
years.
Hu worked in Japan and Italy, the latter in which she became well-known as
the star of a series of ads for Philadelphia brand cream cheese, playing a
young Japanese college student named Kaori. Hu moved to Los Angeles and
began her acting career in 1987 with a guest starring role as Mike
Seaver's Hawaiian love interest on the sitcom Growing Pains. Hu followed
this with appearances on TV series such as Night Court, Tour of Duty, 21
Jump Street, and Melrose Place and her first movie role in Friday the 13th
Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan as one of Jason Voorhees' victims. Hu
also won the title of Miss Hawaii USA in 1993, became the first former
Miss Teen USA to win a Miss USA state title, and went on to compete in the
1993 Miss USA pageant held in Wichita, Kansas. She entered the top 10 in
second place, after winning the preliminary interview competition and
placing second and third in swimsuit and evening gown. Then she made the
top 6 ranked second, winning the top 10 evening gown competition and
placing second in swimsuit. She was eliminated in 4th place after the
judges' questions, just two hundredths of a point from the Final 3.
In 1995, Hu played an undercover police officer in the movie No Way Back.
She was then cast as Dr. Rae Chang on Sunset Beach for six months in 1997.
Afterwards, Hu was cast as police officers Michelle Chan in the television
series Nash Bridges (1997 – 1998), as Pei Pei "Grace" Chen on Martial Law
(1998 – 2000), and as Agent Mia Chen on the last three episodes of the
television series Threat Matrix (2004). Her subsequent movie appearances
include The Scorpion King (2002), Cradle 2 the Grave (2003) and X2 (2003).
She provided voice talents for the popular video game Star Wars: Knights
of the Old Republic II The Sith Lords as Visas Marr, the Sith woman who
joins the Jedi Exile's party. Hu has been featured twice in Maxim magazine
(May 2002 and May 2005).
In January 2007, Hu began appearing in a full time role on the TV series
In Case of Emergency. She plays Kelly Lee, a Korean American woman who
accidentally reunites with her high school classmates, yet realizes none
of them grew up according to their high school plans.
During the first quarter of 2007, she completed filming the film
Stilletto, and after that, Farmhouse.
In the fall of 2009, she appeared in The Tournament as 'Lai-Lai Zhen'.
Hu, a member of CAUSE USA, an organization which encourages Asian
Americans to participate in the democratic process, was instrumental in
creating the PSA "The Least Likely". This clip purports to be a promo for
a typical fantasy-adventure movie, only to reveal its message at the end.
It aired on MTV and other networks with appeal to young people and Asian
Americans.
Hu graduated from Pepperdine University in Malibu, and currently resides
in the Brentwood area of Los Angeles. She has never been married.
Her brother, Glenn, is a lieutenant colonel in the United States Army.
She is an avid fan of poker, and has frequently taken part in World Series
of Poker and World Poker Tour competitions (amongst others), most recently
taking part in the WPT Celebrity Charity on March 3, 2008. She has taken
part in HollywoodPoker.com's "Celebrity Poker Night" (May 30, 2006), and
in July 2006 she placed in the top 200 in the World Series of Poker Ladies
Tournament, besting nearly 1,000 other competitors. Her celebrity
teammates included Mimi Rogers, Victoria Pratt, Anne Heche, Mena Suvari,
Jean Smart, and Ricki Lake.
In January 2008, she participated in a video for Barack Obama produced by
will.i.am called "Yes We Can". She campaigned for Obama in their native
Hawaii in the run-up to the February 19 Democratic caucuses. In February
2008, Hu also appeared in another viral video in support of Obama, "Sí Se
Puede Cambiar", written and performed by Andrés Useche, directed by Eric
Byler. |
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Kelly Hu - Personal Quotes |
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"I've managed to keep my
clothes on for everything I've done so far."
"I was doing poorly in a US history class," she explains, "partly, I
think, because Hawaii is so isolated from the rest of the country.
So my mother took me to Philadelphia and Boston to see the Liberty
Bell and other famous sites. I ended up getting an A in the course."
"The hardest point in my life right now is trying to figure out what
I'm gonna wear."
"My brother taught me how to fight. I was the neighborhood bully." |
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Kelly Hu - Filmography |
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Almost Perfect (2010) ....
Vanessa Lee
"The Vampire Diaries" .... Pearl (2 episodes, 2010)
- Fool Me Once (2010) TV episode .... Pearl
- Children of the Damned (2010) TV episode .... Pearl
"Phineas and Ferb" .... Stacy (28 episodes, 2007-2009)
- What Do It Do?/Atlantis (2009) TV episode (voice) .... Stacy
- Picture This/Nerdy Dancin' (2009) TV episode (voice) .... Stacy
- Cheer Up, Candace/Fireside Girl Jamboree (2009) TV episode (voice)
.... Stacy
- Phineas and Ferb's Quantum Boogaloo (2009) TV episode (voice) ....
Stacy
- No More Bunny Business/Spa Day (2009) TV episode (voice) ....
Stacy
(23 more)
"Navy NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service" .... Lee Wuan Kai
(1 episode, 2009)
... aka NCIS (USA: short title)
... aka NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service (USA: new title)
- Endgame (2009) TV episode .... Lee Wuan Kai
"NCIS: Los Angeles" .... Lee Wuan Kai (1 episode, 2009)
- Killshot (2009) TV episode .... Lee Wuan Kai
"In Plain Sight" .... Ahn Li / ... (1 episode, 2009)
- Let's Get It Ahn (2009) TV episode .... Jane Kwan/Ahn Li
"Army Wives" .... Jordana Davis (4 episodes, 2008-2009)
- Best Laid Plans (2009) TV episode .... Jordana Davis
- Last Minute Changes (2008) TV episode .... Jordana Davis
- Departures, Arrivals (2008) TV episode .... Jordana Davis
- All in the Family (2008) TV episode .... Jordana Davis
The Tournament (2009) .... Lai Lai Zhen
Terminator Salvation (2009) (VG) (voice) .... Wells/Resistance
Soldier
Scooby-Doo and the Samurai Sword (2009) (V) (voice) .... Miyumi/Miss
Mirimoto
... aka Scooby-Doo! and the Sword of the Samurai (Australia)
"The Spectacular Spider-Man" .... Sha Shan Nguyen / ... (5 episodes,
2009)
- Opening Night (2009) TV episode (voice) .... Sha Shan Nguyen /
Titania
- Gangland (2009) TV episode (voice) .... Sha Shan Nguyen
- Probable Cause (2009) TV episode (voice) .... Sha Shan Nguyen
- Identity Crisis (2009) TV episode (voice) .... Sha Shan Nguyen
- Growing Pains (2009) TV episode (voice) .... Sha Shan Nguyen
Ninja Blade (2009) (VG) (voice: English version) .... Ryoko Kurokawa
Afro Samurai (2009) (VG) (voice) .... Okiku / Osachi
"Numb3rs" .... Alice Chen (1 episode, 2009)
... aka Num3ers (USA: promotional title)
- Trouble in Chinatown (2009) TV episode .... Alice Chen
"Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" .... Kelly Sun (1 episode, 2008)
... aka Law & Order: SVU (UK: promotional abbreviation) (USA:
promotional abbreviation)
... aka Special Victims Unit (New Zealand: English title) (UK:
informal short title)
- Smut (2008) TV episode .... Kelly Sun
Dim Sum Funeral (2008) .... Cindy
Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 (2008) (VG) .... Suki Toyama
Farmhouse (2008) .... Lilith
Dead Space: Downfall (2008) (V) (voice) .... Shen
Stiletto (2008/II) .... Detective Hanover
"Robot Chicken" .... Daughter / ... (4 episodes, 2005-2007)
- Squaw Bury Shortcake (2007) TV episode .... Girl/Lawyer
- Metal Militia (2006) TV episode (voice) .... Rainbow Brite /
Jessica Alba / Young Marion Ravenwood / Daughter
- That Hurts Me (2005) TV episode (voice) .... Julie Chen/Keira
Knightly
- The Sack (2005) TV episode (voice) .... Olive Oyl
"In Case of Emergency" .... Kelly Lee (13 episodes, 2007)
- The Picture (2007) TV episode .... Kelly Lee
- Disorder in the Court (2007) TV episode .... Kelly Lee
- Happy Endings (2007) TV episode .... Kelly Lee
- The Good, the Bad and the Mob (2007) TV episode .... Kelly Lee
- Your Goose Is Cooked (2007) TV episode .... Kelly Lee
(8 more)
Succubus: Hell Bent (2007) .... Detective Pei
Shanghai Kiss (2007) .... Micki Yang
The Air I Breathe (2007) .... Jiyoung
... aka Fragmentos del destino (Mexico)
"Afro Samurai" .... Okiku (1 episode, 2007)
... aka Afuro zamurai (Japan)
- Okiku (2007) TV episode (voice: English version) .... Okiku
Area 57 (2007) (TV) .... Dr. Annabelle Fermi
"Las Vegas" .... Natalie Ko (1 episode, 2006)
- Died in Plain Sight (2006) TV episode .... Natalie Ko
Devil's Den (2006) .... Caitlin
Undoing (2006) .... Vera
Americanese (2006) .... Brenda Nishitani
"CSI: NY" .... Detective Kaile Maka (4 episodes, 2005-2006)
- Fare Game (2006) TV episode .... Detective Kaile Maka
- City of the Dolls (2005) TV episode .... Detective Kaile Maka
- Til Death Do We Part (2005) TV episode .... Detective Kaile Maka
- Tri-Borough (2005) TV episode .... Detective Kaile Maka
Mayday (2005) (TV) .... Sharon Crandall
Underclassman (2005) .... Lisa Brooks
"Threat Matrix" .... Agent Mia Chen (3 episodes, 2004)
- Cambodia (2004) TV episode .... Agent Mia Chen
- 19 Seconds (2004) TV episode .... Agent Mia Chen
- Extremist Makeover (2004) TV episode .... Agent Mia Chen
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II - The Sith Lords (2004)
(VG) (voice) .... Visas Marr
... aka Star Wars: KOTOR II (USA: short title)
The Librarian: Quest for the Spear (2004) (TV) .... Lana
Dark Shadows (2004) (TV) .... Dr. Julia Hoffman
"Boomtown" .... Rachel Durrel (2 episodes, 2003)
- Inadmissible (2003) TV episode .... Rachel Durrel
- The Love of Money (2003) TV episode .... Rachel Durrel
X2 (2003) .... Yuriko Oyama / Lady Deathstrike
... aka X-Men 2 (Singapore: English title) (USA: working title)
... aka X-2 (USA: poster title)
... aka X-Men 2: X-Men United (USA: promotional title)
... aka X2: X-Men United (USA: promotional title)
... aka X2: X-Men unis (Canada: French title)
Cradle 2 the Grave (2003) .... Sona
The Scorpion King (2002) .... The Sorceress
... aka The Scorpion King (Germany)
"Martial Law" .... Chen Pei Pei (44 episodes, 1998-2000)
- Final Conflict: Part 2 (2000) TV episode .... Chen Pei Pei
- Final Conflict: Part 1 (2000) TV episode .... Chen Pei Pei
- In the Dark (2000) TV episode .... Chen Pei Pei
- Heartless (2000) TV episode .... Chen Pei Pei
- The Thrill Is Gone (2000) TV episode .... Chen Pei Pei
(39 more)
"Nash Bridges" .... Insp. Michelle Chan (9 episodes, 1997-1998)
... aka Bridges
- Hot Prowler (1998) TV episode .... Insp. Michelle Chan
- Impostors (1998) TV episode .... Insp. Michelle Chan
- High Fall (1998) TV episode .... Insp. Michelle Chan
- Sacraments (1998) TV episode .... Insp. Michelle Chan
- Crossfire (1998) TV episode .... Insp. Michelle Chan
(4 more)
"Malcolm & Eddie" .... Wendy (1 episode, 1998)
- Car Trouble (1998) TV episode .... Wendy
"Sunset Beach" .... Rae Chang (60 episodes, 1997)
- Episode #1.108 (1997) TV episode .... Rae Chang
- Episode #1.106 (1997) TV episode .... Rae Chang
- Episode #1.102 (1997) TV episode .... Rae Chang
- Episode #1.101 (1997) TV episode .... Rae Chang
- Episode #1.98 (1997) TV episode .... Rae Chang
(55 more)
Fakin' Da Funk (1997) .... Kwee-Me
"Mr. & Mrs. Smith" .... Ms. Jones (1 episode, 1996)
- The Second Episode (1996) TV episode .... Ms. Jones
"Pacific Blue" .... Wendy Trang (1 episode, 1996)
- The Enemy Within (1996) TV episode .... Wendy Trang
"One West Waikiki" .... Dr. Midori (1 episode, 1996)
- Battle of the Titans (1996) TV episode .... Dr. Midori
"The Sentinel" .... Christine (1 episode, 1996)
- Cypher (1996) TV episode .... Christine
"Murder One" .... Natalie Cheng - Richard's Secretary (2 episodes,
1996)
- Chapter Twenty (1996) TV episode .... Natalie Cheng - Richard's
Secretary
- Chapter Nineteen (1996) TV episode .... Natalie Cheng - Richard's
Secretary
Star Command (1996) (TV) .... Ens. Yukiko Fujisaki
... aka In the Fold (USA)
... aka Star Command - Gefecht im Weltall (Germany)
Strange Days (1995) .... Anchor Woman
"Maybe This Time" .... Jennifer (1 episode, 1995)
- Please Re-Lease Me (1995) TV episode .... Jennifer
No Way Back (1995) .... Seiko Kobayashi
"Renegade" .... Kathy Maruyama (1 episode, 1994)
- Black Wind (1994) TV episode .... Kathy Maruyama
"Melrose Place" .... Andrea (1 episode, 1994)
- Parting Glances (1994) TV episode .... Andrea
"Burke's Law" .... Dawn (1 episode, 1994)
- Who Killed the Beauty Queen? (1994) TV episode .... Dawn
L.A.X. 2194 (1994) (TV)
Surf Ninjas (1993) .... Ro-May
... aka Surf Ninjas of the South China Sea (Australia)
... aka Surf Warriors
"Raven" .... Pele (1 episode, 1993)
- Heat (1993) TV episode .... Pele
Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man (1991) .... Suzie
The Doors (1991) (as Kelly Ann Hu) .... Dorothy
"CBS Schoolbreak Special" .... Emily (1 episode, 1990)
- American Eyes (1990) TV episode .... Emily
Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan (1989) .... Eva
Watanabe
... aka Friday the 13th: Jason Takes Manhattan - Part 8 (UK: DVD box
title)
"21 Jump Street" .... Kim Van Luy (1 episode, 1989)
- The Dragon and the Angel (1989) TV episode .... Kim Van Luy
"Tour of Duty" .... Vietnamese DJ (2 episodes, 1989)
- Saigon: Part 2 (1989) TV episode .... Vietnamese DJ
- Saigon: Part 1 (1989) TV episode (voice) (uncredited) ....
Vietnamese DJ
"Night Court" .... Kista (2 episodes, 1988)
- Danny Got His Gun: Part 2 (1988) TV episode .... Kista
- Danny Got His Gun: Part 3 (1988) TV episode .... Kista
"Growing Pains" .... Melia (3 episodes, 1987-1988)
- Great Expectations (1988) TV episode (as Kelly Ann Hu) .... Melia
- Aloha: Part 1 (1987) TV episode (as Kelly Ann Hu) .... Melia
- Aloha: Part 2 (1987) TV episode (as Kelly Ann Hu) .... Melia
"Max Headroom" .... Angela - Chopper Reporter (1 episode, 1987)
... aka Max Headroom: 20 Minutes Into the Future (USA: alternative
title)
- Grossberg's Return (1987) TV episode .... Angela - Chopper
Reporter |
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Kelly Hu - Related Links |
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Wikipedia: Kelly Hu
YouTube: Kelly Hu
Kelly Hu
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