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

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

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.

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.