Constance Wu

Constance Wu is an American actress known for her performances in television, film, and theater. She gained wide recognition for her leading role in the television comedy series Fresh Off the Boat and her starring role in the romantic comedy-drama film Crazy Rich Asians. Throughout her career, she has appeared in studio features, independent films, action thrillers, animated shows, and stage productions.

Wu was born in Richmond, Virginia, to Taiwanese immigrant parents. Her mother worked as a computer programmer, and her father was a biology and genetics professor at Virginia Commonwealth University. Raised as the third of four daughters, she began acting in local theater while attending Douglas S. Freeman High School, where she also completed a six-month program at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute. She earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in acting from the Conservatory of Theatre Arts at the State University of New York at Purchase in 2005. After graduation, she pursued post-bachelor studies in psycholinguistics and was accepted into a graduate program at Columbia University before choosing to move to Los Angeles to focus on acting.

After making her screen debut in the independent film Stephanie Daley, Wu appeared in stage productions and held various guest roles on television. From 2012 to 2017, she starred in the web series EastSiders. Her major breakthrough occurred when she was cast as Jessica Huang in the ABC sitcom Fresh Off the Boat, which ran from 2015 to 2020. Her performance earned widespread critical acclaim, securing four nominations for the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Actress in a Comedy Series and two TCA Award nominations.

In 2018, Wu achieved film stardom playing Rachel Chu in Crazy Rich Asians. The movie became a major commercial success, and Wu received a nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, becoming the fourth Asian woman nominated in that category. She also received nominations for a Screen Actors Guild Award, a Satellite Award, and Critics' Choice Movie Awards. The following year, she starred opposite Jennifer Lopez in the successful crime comedy film Hustlers.

Wu's subsequent screen projects include the independent drama I Was a Simple Man, the musical feature Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile, the drama film The Friend, and the action thriller series The Terminal List. She also voiced Daphne Blake in the animated series Velma. On stage, Wu participated in a Los Angeles production of 2:22 A Ghost Story, an off-Broadway revival of the musical Little Shop of Horrors, and the off-Broadway play Shit. Meet. Fan.

Beyond her performance career, Wu advocates for Asian representation in media and has supported organizations aiding immigrant families. She was named to Time magazine's list of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2017. In 2022, she released her memoir, Making a Scene, detailing her personal encounters with sexual harassment, cyberbullying, and therapy. Wu resides in Brooklyn, New York, and has two children with her partner, musician Ryan Kattner.