Kelly Hu Biography

Kelly Ann Hu (born February 13, 1968 in Honolulu, Hawaii, USA) is an American actress and former fashion model from Hawaii.

Early life

Hu was born in Honolulu, Hawaii to Juanita, a draftswoman, and Herbert Hu, a salesman and exotic bird feeder; the two divorced during Hu's childhood. Kelly Hu is of Chinese, English and Hawaiian descent. Kelly graduated from The Kamehameha Schools in Honolulu, Hawaii. She has held a lifelong interest in singing and dancing, has also been interested in martial arts since her early childhood, has a black belt in karate and loves to swim. Hu's cousin was a successful model in Japan and Hu decided to follow her example. To gain publicity, Kelly entered the Miss Teen USA contest in 1985. 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, Kelly Hu became the first Asian American to win the title Miss Teen USA 1985. Ironically enough, she discovered after winning that she was prohibited from appearing in non-contest related activities for the year of her reign.

Career

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. Kelly Hu moved to Los Angeles and began her acting career in 1987 with a guest starring role 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". Hu also won the title of Miss Hawaii USA in 1993 and finished in the top 6 at Miss USA 1993 pageant held in Wichita, Kansas, winning the Miss Photogenic award.

In 1995, Kelly Hu played an undercover police officer in the movie No Way Back. While the movie was not a major success, it opened a new career direction for Hu in action adventure roles. She was then cast as Dr. Rae Chang on Sunset Beach for six months in 1997. Afterwards, Hu was cast as police officer Michelle Chan in the television series "Nash Bridges" (1997-1998), Pei Pei "Grace" y Chen on "Martial Law" (1998-2000). Her subsequent movie appearances include "The Scorpion King" (2002), "Cradle 2 the Grave" (2003) and "X2" (2003) where she had only one line of dialog. 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 Exile's party.

Kelly hu was the first Asian American to be featured on the cover of Maxim Magazine. At the time of publication, Kelly Hu's cover was the biggest selling issue of Maxim in their history. Hu has been featured twice in Maxim magazine (May 2002 and May 2005).

Kelly Hu, is member of CAUSE USA, an organization which encourages Asian Americans to participate in the democratic process. Hu currently resides in Brentwood, Los Angeles, California where she is co-owner of a restaurant, Basic Bites.

In January 2007, Hu began appearing in a full time role on the TV series "In Case of Emergency" where she plays Kelly Lee, a Korean-American woman. Also in 2007, she appears in the independent film, Americanese, from director Eric Byler.

Kelly Hu Filmography - Movies - TV

• "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
• Succubus: Hell Bent (2007) .... Detective Pei
• The Air I Breathe (2007) .... Jiyoung
• Shanghai Kiss (2007) .... Micki Yang
• "Afro Samurai" (2007) (mini) TV Series (voice: English Version) .... Okiku
  ... aka Afuro zamurai (Japan)
• The Devil's Den (2006) .... Caitlin
• "Robot Chicken" .... Julie Chen / ... (3 episodes, 2005-2006)
  - Metal Militia (2006) TV Episode (voice)
  - That Hurts Me (2005) TV Episode (voice) .... Julie Chen/Keira Knightly
  - The Sack (2005) TV Episode (voice) .... Little Girl
• "Las Vegas" .... Natalie Ko (1 episode, 2006)
  - Died in Plain Sight (2006) TV Episode .... Natalie Ko
• 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
• 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
• "Threat Matrix" .... Agent Mia Chen (3 episodes, 2004)
  - Extremist Makeover (2004) TV Episode .... Agent Mia Chen
  - 19 Seconds (2004) TV Episode .... Agent Mia Chen
  - Cambodia (2004) TV Episode .... Agent Mia Chen
• Dark Shadows (2004) (TV) .... Dr. Julia Hoffman
• "Boomtown" .... Rachel Durrell (2 episodes, 2003)
  - Inadmissible (2003) TV Episode .... Rachel Durrell
  - The Love of Money (2003) TV Episode .... Rachel Durrell
• X2 (2003) .... Yuriko Oyama/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)
• Cradle 2 the Grave (2003) .... Sona
• The Scorpion King (2002) .... Cassandra
• "Martial Law" .... Chen Pei Pei (13 episodes, 1998-2000)
  - Final Conflict: Part 2 (2000) TV Episode .... Chen Pei Pei
  - Final Conflict: Part 1 (2000) TV Episode .... Chen Pei Pei
  - No Quarter (2000) TV Episode .... Chen Pei Pei
  - Blue Flu (1999) TV Episode .... Chen Pei Pei
  - Call of the Wild (1999) TV Episode .... Chen Pei Pei
• "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 .... Michelle Chan
  - Sacraments (1998) TV Episode .... Insp. Michelle Chan
  - Crossfire (1998) TV Episode .... Insp. Michelle Chan
• "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 .... Dr. Rae Chang
  - Episode #1.98 (1997) TV Episode .... Rae Chang
• 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)
• 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, 1991)
  - American Eyes (1991) TV Episode .... Emily
• Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan (1989) .... Eva Watanabe
• "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) .... 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

  Self Filmography - Appearances - TV

• "The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" (1 episode, 2007)
  - Episode #3.77 (2007) TV Episode
• "Last Call with Carson Daly" (2 episodes, 2004-2007)
  - Episode dated 10 January 2007 (2007) TV Episode
  - Episode dated 24 May 2004 (2004) TV Episode
• 2006 Asian Excellence Awards (2006) (TV)
• Last Laugh '05 (2005) (TV)
  ... aka Comedy Central's Last Laugh '05 (USA: complete title)
• "Love Lounge" (1 episode, 2005)
  - Love for Sale (2005) TV Episode
• Forever in Our Hearts: The Making of Documentary (2005) (TV)
• "The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn" (4 episodes, 2001-2004)
  ... aka The Late Late Show (USA: short title)
  - Episode dated 1 December 2004 (2004) TV Episode
  - Episode dated 22 February 2003 (2003) TV Episode
  - Episode dated 21 February 2003 (2003) TV Episode
  - Episode dated 1 August 2001 (2001) TV Episode
• 2004 MTV Movie Awards (2004) (TV)
• The Second Uncanny Issue of X-Men! Making 'X2' (2003) (V) (also archive footage)
  ... aka The Second Uncanny Issue of X-Men (USA)
• G-Phoria (2003) (TV)
• "The Best Damn Sports Show Period" (1 episode, 2003)
  - Episode dated 1 May 2003 (2003) TV Episode
• "Mad TV" (1 episode, 2003)
  - Episode #8.15 (2003) TV Episode
• "Player$" (1 episode, 2003)
  - Football Player$ (2003) TV Episode
• 2002 ABC World Stunt Awards (2002) (TV) (uncredited) (Presenter)
• "Howard Stern" (1 episode, 2002)
  - Episode dated 7 May 2002 (2002) TV Episode
• Iron Chef USA: Showdown in Las Vegas (2001) (TV) .... Judge
• "Hollywood Squares" (1 episode, 2000)
  ... aka H² (USA: promotional abbreviation)
  ... aka H2: Hollywood Squares (USA: fifth season title)
  - Episode dated 22 May 2000 (2000) TV Episode
• "Pajama Party" (1 episode, 2000)
  - Episode #1.12 (2000) TV Episode