10 Stars Who Appeared on TV Before ‘Crazy Rich Asians’ (PHOTOS)
Constance Wu
Fresh Off the Boat (ABC)
Known best for her role as Jessica Huang in ABC’s Fresh Off the Boat, Wu knows how to deliver laughs with her portrayal of a mother who believes in tough love. But she’ll likely deliver more as lead of the film.
Michelle Yeoh
Star Trek: Discovery (CBS All Access)
As Emperor Georgiou, Yeoh has left her mark in the Star Trek franchise with her role in the show that premiered in 2017.
Harry Shum Jr.
Shadowhunters (Freeform)
Undoubtedly one of the bigger TV stars to grace the film, Harry Shum Jr. is a fan favorite from his time spent playing Magnus in the Freeform series.
Nico Santos
Superstore (NBC)
Santos is best known for his role as the ever hilarious Mateo in the NBC comedy, which returns this fall.
Awkwafina
Future Man (Hulu)
She may have starred in the latest Ocean’s installment, but Awkwafina has also done her fair share of TV. She guest-starred in Hulu’s comedy Future Man, as well as the series Tawk from 2015-2017.
Jimmy O. Yang
Silicon Valley (HBO)
Before taking on the role of Bernard Tai in the film, Yang played Jian Yang in the HBO comedy.
Ronny Chieng
The Daily Show (Comedy Central)
Chieng has served in a number of roles during his time at The Daily Show. He even has his own show, Ronny Chieng: International Student, on Comedy Central.
Emma Chan
Humans (AMC)
Chan starred in the AMC series for three seasons, playing the role of Anita/Mia.
Sonoya Mizuno
Maniac (Netflix)
It may be a bit of a stretch to say Mizuno was on TV before Crazy Rich Asians. But the actress, who appeared in La La Land, will have a role in the Netflix series Maniac alongside Emma Stone, Justin Theroux, Jonah Hill, and Sally Field.
Ken Jeong
Dr. Ken (ABC)
Jeong is known for his work in films like The Hangover, but the comedic actor and real-life doctor appeared in the ABC comedy Dr. Ken from 2015-2017.
One of the summer’s most anticipated films is Crazy Rich Asians, which hits theaters August 15. And now that the cast is everywhere promoting the movie, you might be wondering why some of them look so familiar.
Many of the flick’s stars have appeared on TV in the past on shows like Fresh Off the Boat and Shadowhunters. Now they’re just taking things to the next level, making history as one of the first Hollywood studio films with an Asian-American leading cast since 1993’s The Joy Luck Club.
Click through the gallery above to see which small-screen actors and actresses are moving to the big screen when Crazy Rich Asians debuts in theaters.
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