Meet the Asian-American cast behind Netflix’s The Monkey King: from Crazy Rich Asians and Space Force’s Jimmy O. Yang, and EEAAO and Joy Ride’s Stephanie Hsu, to Mulan and Jurassic Park’s BD Wong

Aug 26 , 2023

Stephanie Hsu, Jimmy O. Yang, Jolie Hoang-Rappaport and Jo Koy all star in Netflix’s The Monkey King. Photos: @stephaniehsuofficial, @jimmyoyang, @joliehr, @jokoy/Instagram

Last week, Netflix unleashed its animated (and anticipated) family-friendly film The Monkey King inspired by the classic novel Journey to the West, which was written in the 1600s during the Ming dynasty.

The Monkey King is already proving to be a hit. Photo: Netflix

The feature production has already climbed the platform’s global charts as viewers follow the story of a stick-wielding monkey who teams up with a young girl to embark on a fantastical quest.

Covering the theme of immortality amid battles with demons, dragons and gods, the action-packed comedy promises every level of excitement you’d expect in a kids’ film – with fan-favourite character Dragon King almost stealing the show.

The Monkey King is inspired by a book from the Ming dynasty. Photo: Netflix

But who’s the cast behind the mythical characters? Let’s take a look ...

1. Jimmy O. Yang – Monkey King

Actor-comedian Jimmy O. Yang, a co-founder of the Crab Club production company, poses for a portrait in Los Angeles, US, in October 2021. Photo: AP

If Jimmy O. Yang looks familiar to you, that’s because he probably is. The Hong Kong-born actor and stand-up comedian, 36, made his claim to fame starring in Crazy Rich Asians (2018) and has since landed an impressive roster of films and TV shows including Silicon Valley (2014-2019), Fantasy Island (2020), Love Hard (2021) and Space Force (2020-2022). No stranger to Netflix productions, Yang voices the main character Monkey in the film.

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2. Jolie Hoang-Rappaport – Lin

Jolie Hoang-Rappaport plays Lin in the film. Photo: @joliehr/Instagram

Jolie Hoang-Rappaport may be still in her teens, but she’s quickly making a name for herself in the entertainment industry. The 17-year-old, who has Vietnamese and Jewish roots, has made appearances in Watchmen (2019), The Big Show Show (2020) and Head of the Class (2021). She plays the character of Lin, a peasant and Monkey’s assistant in The Monkey King.

3. Bowen Yang – Dragon King, Ruler of the Eastern Sea

Bowen Yang arrives at the 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards in September 2021, at LA Live in Los Angeles. Photo: AP

This 32-year-old Aussie-born actor is a multi-Emmy-nominated cast member on Saturday Night Live. He also starred in Comedy Central’s Awkwafina is Nora From Queens (2020-2023), The Lost City (2022) with Channing Tatum and Sandra Bullock, and Fire Island (2022). He was cast as the voice of Dragon King, Ruler of the Eastern Sea, for The Monkey King.

4. Jo Koy – Benbo

Jo Koy performs during his Just Kidding world tour at the Chase Centre in February 2020, in San Francisco, California. Photo: Getty Images

This 52-year-old American comedian plays Benbo, one of the Dragon King’s henchmen, in The Monkey King. According to his IMDB, he went from modest beginnings performing at a Las Vegas coffee house to sold-out shows for his stand-up work. Also known for his stints in acting, Koy has starred in a handful of productions including Wake. (2018), Easter Sunday (2022) and a 2023 episode of Awkwafina is Nora From Queens.

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5. Ron Yuan – Babbo

Ron Yuan plays Babbo on The Monkey King. Photo: @ronyuan/Instagram

While Yuan, 50, is one of the least recognisable names on this list, the actor and director actually has a whopping 174 acting credits to his name to date. He has accrued an impressive resume, getting gigs with films and TV shows like Wu Tang: An American Saga (2019), Disney’s Mulan (2020), Pacific Rim: The Black (2021), and of course, as Babbo in The Monkey King.

6. Stephanie Hsu – Mayor’s Wife

Stephanie Hsu is a talented actress on the rise. Photo: @stephaniehsuofficial/Instagram

This Californian native is one of the biggest stars to watch in Hollywood right now. The 32-year-old “It” girl gained prominence thanks to her role as Joy Wang in the Academy Award-winning A24 hit Everything Everywhere All at Once, but was no stranger to fame as she previously starred in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (2019-2023).

More recently, she was in Disney’s American Born Chinese with EEAAO co-stars Michelle Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan, and Joy Ride alongside Emily in Paris’ Ashley Park. She lends her voice for the role of Mayor’s Wife in The Monkey King.

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7. BD Wong – Buddha

BD Wong, 62, plays Buddha in The Monkey King. Photo: @wongbd/Instagram

Bradley Darryl Wong, aka BD Wong, has also accumulated a long line of acting credits with 84 titles to his name, per his IMDB. He’s best known for his work in Jurassic Park (1993), Jurassic World (2015) and Mr. Robot (2015-2019), and as the voice of Shang in the original Mulan (1998).

Like The Monkey King co-stars Bowen Yang and Jo Koy, Wong also stars in Awkwafina is Nora From Queens (2020-2023). He plays the role of Buddha in the latest Netflix animation.

Fame and celebrity

Netflix just released its animated film The Monkey King, a story inspired by the classic novel Journey to the West from the Ming dynasty – so who are the star-studded cast behind the characters?
Space Force’s Hong Kong-born actor and comedian Jimmy O. Yang takes the lead character of Monkey, Watchmen’s Jolie Hoang-Rappaport plays Lin, and Bowen Yang was cast for the role of Dragon King