Let’s get real—Hollywood hasn’t exactly been rolling out the red carpet for Asian talent. For much of its history, Asian actors were ignored, stereotyped, or erased altogether, while white actors wore yellowface in parts that ought never to have been theirs. But despite the industry’s blind spots, multiple generations of Asian actors have persisted, redefining representation and demonstrating that their stories are meant to be front and center. From silent-era pioneers to current international stars, these 10 actors did more than just make films; they made history.
10. Rain (Jung Ji-hoon): K-pop Star Turned Silver Screen Sensation
Before BTS was breaking out stadiums, Rain was already making inroads into East and West. Already a household name in South Korea as a singer, performer, and actor, he leaped into Hollywood with Speed Racer and Ninja Assassin. His charm won him an MTV Movie Award and a place on Time’s list of the world’s most influential individuals. Not only an actor, Rain has leveraged his popularity to popularize Korean pop culture abroad, making him one of the first officials of the Hallyu wave.
9. Song Hye-kyo: The Drama Queen Who Ruled the World
Song Hye-kyo is a testament that a K-drama can transform everything. Rising to stardom with hits such as Autumn in My Heart and Full House, she became a worldwide sensation after Descendants of the Sun. Her success was not merely a matter of luck—she defied childhood illness and personal adversity to emerge as one of Korea’s favorite stars. Through her ability to consistently deliver authentic performances, Song has brought Korean storytelling into the global limelight and demonstrated how far and wide Asian drama can reach.
8. Ken Watanabe: Hollywood’s Japanese Leading Man
Ken Watanabe has a facility for conveying subtle authority on screen. As samurai warriors in The Last Samurai (for which he was Oscar-nominated) or as a depth charge in blockbusters such as Inception and Godzilla, Watanabe radiates a form of dignity that Hollywood largely withheld from Asian actors. Bilingual in Japanese and English, he’s demonstrated that rich, multidimensional characters don’t have to be bound by cultural clichés, and that audiences across the globe are starving for that realism.
7. Bruce Lee: The Legend Who Rattled It All
Bruce Lee was more than an actor—he was a cultural seismic shift. Born in San Francisco but raised in Hong Kong, Lee revolutionized martial arts on film and emerged as one of the most famous faces in the world. Movies such as Enter the Dragon did not merely feature stunning battle sequences; they redefined the West’s perception of Asian masculinity. Lee’s philosophy, discipline, and refusal to be stereotyped made him a movie star as well as a symbol of empowerment for future generations.
6. Anna May Wong: Hollywood’s First Asian American Star
Anna May Wong forged a career during a time when opportunities for Asian actors were almost non-existent. She burst through with The Toll of the Sea in 1922 and went on to become a global star. But even while dazzling on screen, she fought typecasting, pay disparities, and outright racism. Wong would not play along with caricatures and repeatedly demanded roles that had dignity, even going so far as to wear her natural hair in an industry where Hollywood insisted on wigs and stereotypes. She wasn’t alone among the pioneers of her time, but she was one of the most fearless—and her legacy resonates today.
5. Sessue Hayakawa and Tsuru Aoki: Silent Film Royalty
Several decades before diversity was even a term in Hollywood, Sessue Hayakawa was among its top-paid stars. He captivated audiences with starring turns in The Cheat and later received an Oscar nomination for The Bridge on the River Kwai. His wife, Tsuru Aoki, also enjoyed a successful career, playing the leading lady in The Wrath of the Gods and other silent films. Together, they broke down barriers and paved the way for future generations of Asian actors, demonstrating quite early that people would pay to see Asian performers on the big screen.
4. Michelle Yeoh: From Action Heroine to Oscar Winner
Michelle Yeoh has been denying typecasting for decades. She co-starred with Jackie Chan in Supercop, jumped to international fame with Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, and proved she could be funny with Crazy Rich Asians. And in 2023, she became the first Asian woman to ever receive an Oscar for Best Actress for Everything Everywhere All at Once. Yeoh has never been one to play it safe, but that Oscar win solidified her place as one of Hollywood’s most lasting and impactful stars.
3. Steven Yeun: A New Type of Leading Man
When Steven Yeun’s Glenn on The Walking Dead was a fan favorite, it was already historic. But Yeun didn’t rest on his laurels—won Oscar history with Minari, which made him the first Asian American to ever be nominated for Best Actor. His performance defies a generation of weary stereotypes, portraying Asian men as romantic heroes, richly detailed heroes, and fully human in ways Hollywood once refused. Yeun is a new era for Asian American actors, where complexity and depth are on the menu at last.
2. Jackie Chan: The Stunt King Who Made the World Laugh
Jackie Chan is not only an action hero—he’s an institution. Combining death-defying stunts with slapstick humor, Chan defined his own genre. From Hong Kong box office titans such as Drunken Master to international blockbusters such as Rush Hour, he’s produced more than 150 movies and gained followers through generations. Apart from being an actor, he’s also a director, producer, and philanthropist, and his impact on action filmmaking is too great to exaggerate. Without Jackie Chan, contemporary action cinema simply wouldn’t be the same.
1. The New Wave: Breaking Boundaries Together
Now, a new generation is redefining Hollywood’s playbook. Simu Liu became Marvel’s first Asian superhero in Shang-Chi. Awkwafina lent her offbeat humor and dramatic chops to The Farewell and took home a Golden Globe. Henry Golding emerged as the rom-com hunk of Crazy Rich Asians. Joining many others, these thespians are not merely following in the trailblazers’ footsteps—they’re moving the goalposts further, establishing richer, more multifaceted ground for Asian voices in Hollywood.
Asian performers have been an integral part of Hollywood since its dawn, but for far too long, their work was silenced or forgotten. From silent-film icons such as Sessue Hayakawa and Anna May Wong to international superstars such as Michelle Yeoh and Jackie Chan, these talents altered the landscape and paved the way for the future. And today, with today’s current stars at the helm of blockbuster franchises and boasting Oscars, the tale continues to be written—louder, prouder, and more out in the open than ever before.