Fans of the television soap opera Sunset Beach will admit that Kelly Hu is unarguably one of the most seductive people you could ever set your eyes on. The Asian-American actress boasts of an exquisite face, an amazing body structure, as well as a complimentary sonorous voice that has enabled her to have careers both on the runway and as a voice artist in addition to her appearing in front of the camera. Hu’s physical beauty and elegance can not be under-reported as it has earned her the crown at several beauty competitions. This served as the launchpad for her going on to enjoy a successful career in show business that has so far lasted for more than three decades.
Her Humble Beginnings as a Beauty Queen
Kelly Ann Hu was born to an exotic bird breeder father named Herbert and a mother named Juanita who worked as a drafts-person on the 13th of February 1968 in Honolulu, Hawaii. Growing up on the island, Hu manifested an aptitude for performing from the tender age of two. She spent much of her childhood composing and performing songs at any given opportunity. She also took part in several school productions, including a Christmas play where she portrayed an angel.
Given these antecedents, it was only natural that Hu would go into showbiz and she did not disappoint. She started off by participating in the Miss Hawaii Teen USA and the 1985 Miss Teen USA pageants which she both won, making history as the first Asian-American winner of the Miss Teen USA pageant.
Following the completion of her high school diploma, the young lady traveled to Japan and worked as a model. She thereafter returned to the United States and competed in the 1993 Miss Hawaii USA pageant which she again won to make history as the first former Miss Teen USA to win a Miss USA state title. Hu subsequently managed a fourth-place finish at the 1993 Miss USA pageant
How Kelly Hu Managed to Launch a Career in Hollywood
With the money she had saved up from her work as a model, Kelly Hu relocated to Los Angeles in 1987 to pursue her dream of becoming an actress. In tinsel town, she started out by doing commercials before being able to land her first role on the TV series, Growing Pains, appearing in a total of three episodes.
Following this humble debut, the Hawaiian native garnered roles in several other TV series and movies although she was mostly restricted to one-off appearances and minor characters. Regardless, Hu refused to be discouraged and so she persevered and eventually scored a starring role in the 2002 blockbuster, The Scorpion King where she portrayed a powerful sorceress named Cassandra. The film was an overwhelming commercial success and helped to launch her to the limelight.
Herr Struggles with Typecasting
Since her breakthrough on The Scorpion King, Kelly Hu has featured in several big-budget movies and TV series like X2, Americanese, Underclassmen, Cradle to the Grave, F.R.E.D.I, Arrow, Hawaii Five-O, and The Vampire Diaries. The Hawaii native has appeared in a variety of projects but a careful perusal of her filmography would reveal that she mostly gets action roles such as a police officer, an assassin, a bodyguard or a supervillain. This can be attributed to the fact that Hollywood often stereotypes Asian actors and restricts them to kickass roles.
Hu has expressed her frustration with this unpleasant reality. According to her, she would prefer to play all kinds of roles and not just that of action figures. She further adds that such typecasting limits her creativity as an actress.
Kelly Hu has gone on to face this issue head-on instead of playing the victim card. She has done so by continuing to raise awareness to fight for the better representation of Asian people in Hollywood.
What We Know About Kelly Hu’s Love Life
Kelly Hu first dated investment banker Ahmad Ali Moussaul in 1996. The relationship lasted for two years before the pair broke up in 1998. Following the split, the actress commenced a relationship with talent manager Gordon Gilberstan in 1999. She later appointed him as her personal manager but their romance only lasted for one year.
Not much was subsequently heard about her dating life until 2010 when the Scorpion King actress started dating musician, writer, and producer, Mitch Allan. The two were spotted at many public events together and Hu openly gushed about her man in several interviews, revealing that she loved listening to his songs. This romance lasted for nearly six years before the couple broke up in 2016. Since then, she has not been romantically linked with any other person. She also does not have any kids and doesn’t plan to have any in the future. According to her, even though she loves kids, she has never fancied having any of her own and is content that way.
