Goldscene series
Stories in the People series from Goldscene.
For diaspora readers following Asian entertainment in North America. Browse 19 stories in this series, or read how we work in our editorial standards.
Anna Sawai, born in Wellington and raised in Yokohama, left the J-pop group Faky for acting, then won Emmy, Golden Globe, and SAG awards for Toda Mariko in Shōgun as the first Japanese actress to take a Primetime Emmy.
Image: Harper's Bazaar
Ahn Hyo-seop left Toronto for a JYP trainee dorm, traded the idol track for acting, and became a global K-drama lead. Jinu’s English voice and a Khalid single brought music back on terms he could control.
Image: SWinxy (CC BY 4.0)
Ngô Ngọc Hưng, known as Hanbin, left Hanoi dance crew C.A.C. for I-LAND, debuted with TEMPEST in 2022 as the first Vietnamese male K-pop idol, and opens a solo lane with No Fear in 2026.
Image: 권현진 / News1
Michelle Yeoh Choo Kheng, born in Ipoh, built Hong Kong action fame, crossed into Bond and Crouching Tiger, then won Best Actress for Everything Everywhere All at Once as the first Asian woman to take the Oscar.
Image: Elena Ternovaja (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Daniel Wu built a leading-man career in Hong Kong after leaving Berkeley and Oregon architecture school, then crossed into Badlands, American Born Chinese, and a 2026 return via Cold War 1994 and NYAFF's Best from the East.
Image: Post 78 (CC BY 3.0)
Destin Daniel Cretton built Short Term 12 and Just Mercy from Maui and group-home experience, then directed Shang-Chi and Wonder Man before opening Spider-Man: Brand New Day on July 31, 2026.
Image: Gage Skidmore (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Maggie Kang spent two decades in Hollywood story rooms before selling KPop Demon Hunters to Sony in a week. The Korean Canadian director then became the first filmmaker of South Korean descent to win the Oscar for Best Animated Feature.
Image: Omar David Sandoval Sida (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Yash rose from Kannada television and Sandalwood romances to pan-India stardom as Rocky in the KGF films, then used Monster Mind Creations to co-produce Toxic and Ramayana, where he plays Ravana opposite Ranbir Kapoor.
Image: Anish1121 (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Na Hong-jin built a four-feature Cannes ladder from The Chaser through The Wailing, then returned after a decade with Hope, his first Competition title and one of Korea's most expensive films. The profile maps the thriller-horror lane diaspora viewers actually mean when they say his name.
Image: Gabriel Hutchinson (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Chef Aarthi Sampath worked from Taj hotel kitchens to Junoon, Food Network, and CookUnity before self-funding Drāvida, her East Village restaurant built around South Asian food traditions carried across countries and generations.
Image: Drāvida
Olivia Rodrigo has been open about her Filipino family for years, from Disney Channel heritage videos to lumpia, calamansi, and a sold-out Philippine Arena stop. The scale of her career is why that honesty now lands differently.
Image: Live Shows (CC BY 3.0)
So Ji-sub spent three decades as Korea's brooding romantic lead, then entered his late forties with back-to-back Netflix action titles. Agent Kim Reactivated is the domestic ratings jolt that finally put him at No. 1 in drama actor buzz for the first time.
Image: 4season_santa (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Cha Eun-woo built ASTRO fandom and K-drama romantic-lead stardom, then entered South Korean military service in July 2025 while Netflix launched The Wonderfools, his pre-service superhero comedy-drama.
Image: Ten Asia / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0)
Jennie Kim built BLACKPINK's rap and fashion lane, then proved solo stardom could ride Chanel campaigns, Ruby-era releases, and a Tame Impala remix that re-entered the Hot 100 top 10 in June 2026.
Image: D4cgrapher / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Nam Joo-hyuk rose through model work and romance hits like Twenty-Five Twenty-One, served mandatory military duty, and returns in July 2026 with Netflix's The East Palace, a Joseon horror-fantasy pivot.
Image: Marie Claire Korea / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0)
Simu Liu rose from Canadian sitcom cult favorite to Marvel's first Asian superhero lead, then used that platform to argue Hollywood is pulling back on Asian-led projects even as diaspora audiences keep showing up.
Image: Gage Skidmore / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Dev Patel rose from British teen drama Skins to Oscar-winning Slumdog Millionaire, then rebuilt his career as a director and producer betting on South Asian stories with A24-scale ambition, including the 2026 India-set feature Peasant.
Image: Ariela Ortiz Barrantes / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Lisa Manoban, born in Thailand and raised as Blackpink's main dancer and rapper, built a solo lane through luxury fashion, global chart hits, and a 2026 Las Vegas residency that treats K-pop like a permanent Vegas headliner category.
Image: LG전자 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Priyanka Chopra Jonas moved from Miss World and Bollywood blockbusters to Quantico, Hollywood film roles, and a luxury watch portfolio that includes Rolex, treating her South Asian origin as global brand infrastructure rather than a single-market constraint.
Image: Margaret Gardiner / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0)
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Mina Park
Anika Rao