31 Gorgeous Celebrities You Might Not Have Known Had Asian Roots
We have collated them into this list for easy viewing... don't worry, we won't tell
In this world, people of all different backgrounds and ethnicities live together. Even in the world of celebrities, it's easy to find many that come from diverse and complex ethnic backgrounds.
We decided to round up some of the hottest celebrities of mixed ethnicity and Asian descent, just for your viewing pleasure! Feel free to behold their beautiful faces, and after that has settled in, read on to see how talented they are too. If you aren’t following these gorgeous and talented beings, it’s time to fix that today.
Rodrigo is a fourth generation Filipina American—part Filipina on her dad’s side of the family and part German and Irish on her mom’s side. 2021 was a breakout year for the Disney actor-turned-singer-songwriter, whose debut single Driver’s License topped Billboard’s Hot 100 for eight consecutive weeks.
The star of Disney’s High School Musical catapulted to global fame at the age of 18 and has since built an extensive career in film, TV and theatre. Her father was of Irish, French, and Native American descent, while her mother hails from the Philippines.
Actress and singer Naomi Scott is of Gujarati Indian and English heritage. She had a standout year in 2019 with her role as Princess Jasmine in Disney’s musical live-action film Aladdin and Elena Houghlin in Charlie’s Angels. Scott is also a UK ambassador to the Christian charity organisation Compassion International, sponsoring children living in poverty.
Charles Melton is a Korean-American actor who first started his career as a model. Having with brands such as Dolce & Gabbana and M.A.C. Cosmetics, Melton rose to prominence as Reggie Mantle on TV series Riverdale and has also starred as Daniel Bae in teen romance film The Sun Is Also a Star.
Filipino-American R&B songstress Gabriella Sarmiento Wilson, a.k.a H.E.R. (which stands for “Having Everything Revealed”) signed her first record deal with Sony when she was just 14. Today, she has four Grammys under her belt, and an Oscar for Best Original Song in the film, Judas and the Black Messiah—she’s well on her way to earning the coveted EGOT status.
Born in Japan to a Japanese mother and Haitian-American father, 23-year-oldNaomi Osaka is a four-time Grand Slam singles champion, and is the reigning champion at the US Open and Australian Open. The tennis star is also the first Japanese player to win a Grand Slam title, the first Asian player to hold the top ranking in singles, and the first woman to win successive Grand Slam singles titles (she defeated her idol, Serena Williams, at the 2018 US Open, and also won the 2019 Australian Open).
The Singapore‑born, Virginia‑raised actor made his first foray into acting when he turned 21, thanks to a friend who bought him an acting class. Growing up not only as a foreigner but also mixed-race in America—his mum is Chinese-Malaysian and his dad, English-Dutch—Ross did not relate to films that played into Asian stereotypes, and made it his mission early in his career to challenge the status quo in Hollywood.
Actress and former television host Olivia Munn—who is a first-generation American of Chinese-Vietnamese descent—spent her formative years in Utah and Tokyo. Olivia has spoken out against anti-Asian racism in wake of rising hate crimes against Asian Americans since the pandemic hit and just welcomed her first child with comedian John Mulaney.
The actress, singer, songwriter, and model earned her first Oscar nomination for her role in 2010’s ‘True Grit,’ and has gone on to star in various films and TV series. Hailee’s maternal grandfather was half Filipino and half African American, which makes her part-Filipina.
Multi-hyphenate Shay Mitchell juggles acting, running a travel accessories brand, Beis, and motherhood. Her father is of Scottish and Irish descent and her mother is Filipina.
Chrissy is loud and proud about her Asian heritage. The 35-year-old model is half Norwegian and half Thai, and was actually discovered by a photographer while working in a surf shop in Hawaii. The rest is history.
Erwan is half Filipino and half French, living in the Philippines. He opened The Fat Kid Inside Studios (TFKI) in 2018, creating digital content on various platforms.
Solenn is Erwan’s sister and she, too, is half Filipino and half French. She is a VJ, host, model, singer, painter, fashion designer… Honestly, what can this lady not do?
Everyone knows the actress and model, Kiko. What is less known is that she is in fact half Korean and half American.
No one could’ve ever guessed that Tyson is 50 years old. His Chinese Jamaican genes must be what he has to thank for his eternal youth.
Though Zayn was born and raised in Bradford, West Yorkshire, he is actually half Pakistani and half English. He needs no introduction after being one fifth of One Direction and now a solo artist.
Japanese model, Rola is a mixed bag when it comes to her ethnicity. She is of Bengali, Japanese and Russian descent, which is why she looks both stunning and unique.
Actor and presenter, George Young, is a unique mix of half Chinese and half Greek Cypriot.
Victoria Secret model Chanel Iman is half Korean and half African American. Her unique look had her booking modeling jobs at the tender age of 12.
Though everyone knows his hits like Uptown Funk, not many people know of Bruno’s melting pot heritage. His father is half Puerto Rican and half Jewish while his mother is Filipino with Spanish ancestry. A truly diverse mix!
A beloved ex-member of the hit reality show ‘Terrace House’, Lauren might be mistaken for a Japanese cast member, but she is in fact half American and half Chinese. Since then, she has been modelling and collaborating non-stop.
The model and actress shot to fame and fronted tabloid covers when she was dating Chris Brown. But many fell in love with her distinctive looks, thanks to her half Vietnamese and half African-American heritage.
The star of the upcoming film adaptation of ‘Crazy Rich Asians’ is naturally of Asian descent. Henry is of English and Iban ancerstry. The term “Iban” is in reference to the Dayak people of Borneo.
The gorgeous Singaporean singer and DJ, Tabitha is half Swiss and half Indian. Her latest single ‘Slow Down’ is definitely in our party playlist.
Fiona is a face that you’ll see everywhere on our sunny shores. She is half Austrian and half Chinese.
This young actress and model is so stunning, it hurts. We can attribute that to her Filipino-American heritage and amazing genes.
You probably have seen Meisa Kuroki’s face if you ever visit Japan, or even here as she is the face of Kate Cosmetics. Little did you know that Meisa is a gorgeous mix of Brazillian-American and Japanese.
The queen herself! Many might not know this but Naomi is of Asian descent. She is actually of Chinese Jamaican ancestry through her paternal grandmother.
Bollywood actress Katrina Kaif is known for her stunning good looks and incredible physique. One of the highest paid actresses in India, she is of English and Kashmiri-Indian descent, born in Hong Kong no less.
Model, host and fashion designer—the multi-faceted Alexa is also of Asian descent. Her father is of Cantonese ancestry and her mother is English.
This 41-year-old hottie is half Korean and half Irish American. The actor and model is known for his role in the K-Drama ‘My Lovely Sam Soon’, American TV series ‘Criminal Minds’ and the recent "Wheel of Time" series on Amazon Prime.
Text by: Harper's Bazaar's staff/Harper's Bazaar Singapore