In a cutthroat industry like Tinseltown, where representation and diversity still have a long way to go even to this day, it’s inspiring to see our kababayans not only get noticed but succeed and thrive in their careers.
In celebration of Filipino-American History Month this October, we recognize some of the talented Filipino-American actors who are making their mark in Hollywood:
Jon Jon Briones
Briones recently starred in Ryan Murphy’s hit Netflix series “Ratched” as Dr. Richard Hanover opposite Sarah Paulson as the titular character. He has also appeared in Murphy’s other projects such as “American Horror Story: Apocalypse” and “The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story.”
Dave Bautista
Since his foray into acting, the retired professional wrestler has become a lucrative actor and a bonafide action star, having appeared in films like “Spectre,” “Blade Runner 2049,” to name a few. But his most notable role by far is Drax the Destroyer in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Bautista is set to appear in Denis Villenueve’s upcoming “Dune” remake in 2021.
Vanessa Hudgens
The 31-year old actress has come a long way since she skyrocketed to fame as Gabriella Montez in the “High School Musical” franchise. Her latest films include “The Knight Before Christmas” and “Bad Boys for Life.” Hudgens is set to reprise her role as the lead in “The Princess Switch” sequel “Switched Again,” which is set to release on Netflix sometime this year.
Darren Criss
Another frequent collaborator of Ryan Murphy (“The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story” and “Hollywood”), the Glee alum has shown range and versatility as an artist with an impressive body of work that includes music, film, television and theatre. A musical comedy web series called “Royalties,” which he created, executive-produced and starred in, was released this year on the streaming platform Quibi.
Lou Diamond Phillips
The actor-director, who has been in showbiz for more than three decades now, earned his first Golden Globe nomination early on in his career (“Stand and Deliver,” “1988”) and has since established himself as a household name in Hollywood. His more recent projects include “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” “Fear the Walking Dead” (as director of an episode) and “Prodigal Son.”