Profile
Ethnicity
Chinese
Location
Auckland, New Zealand
Height
163 cm
Age Range
26–34
Also Represented in
United States of America
Career Highlights
Jess is a New Zealand actress of Chinese descent who trained at Toi Whakaari: New Zealand Drama School. She played the lead role Jin Cheng in Netflix's "3 Body Problem" TV series, released in 2024, produced by the legendary showrunners of "Game of Thrones" and inspired by Liu Cixin’s epic science fiction trilogy. Her recent credits include a lead role in the horror film "Grafted", set to be distributed by Mr. Smith International Entertainment, and a key role in the Lucy Lawless-led TV series "My Life is Murder." Jess's other television credits include "The Brokenwood Mysteries" and the sci-fi series "Creamerie." Her short film work features lead roles in "Got Milk" (which she also directed as part of Toi Whakaari’s Festival Work in Development), "Red Envelopes", and "Baggage." On stage, Jess has showcased her talents as both an actor and a dancer. Her theatre credits include lead roles in "Romeo and Juliet" (performed at Auckland’s Pop-Up Globe), "An Organ of Soft Tissue", and "48 Nights on Hope Street."
Awards.
| 2024 | Nominee - National Film Awards 2024 Best Supporting Actress in a TV Series - Jin Cheng - 3 Body Problem | ||
Feature Film.
| 2023 | Grafted | Angela (Lead) | Dir. Sasha Rainbow |
Television.
| 2025 | Homebound 3.0 | Angelina (Guest) | Kevin and Co Dir. Johnny Barker |
| 2024 | 3 Body Problem | Jin Cheng (Lead) | Netflix Dir. Derek Tsang, Andrew Stanton, Minkie Spiro, Jeremy Podeswa |
| 2023 | My Life Is Murder - Season 4 | Sage (Guest) | Dir. Kiel McNaughton |
| 2021 | Creamerie | Wellness Worker (Recurring Guest) | Dir. Roseanne Liang |
| 2021 | Inked | Aifei (Supporting Lead) | Prime TV Dir. Mingjian Cui & Jimmy Yang |
| 2021 | The Brokenwood Mysteries - Season 7 | Maddy (Guest) | South Pacific Pictures Dir. Aidee Walker & Mike Smith |
Theatre.
| 2022 | The First Prime-Time Asian Sitcom | Angela Xu | Silo Theatre Dir. Ahi Karunaharan |
| 2021 | Duffy in Bubble Trouble | Scruffy | Dir. Jeff Suzterman |
| 2020 | 48 Nights on Hope Street | Nathan/Narrator (Lead) | Dir. Jane Yonge |
| 2020 | Front Yard Festivals | Wahine (Lead) | Te Pou Theater Dir. Jarod Rawiri & Tainui Tukiwaho |
| 2019 | An Organ of Soft Tissue | Prefrontal Cortex (Lead) | Dir. Rachael Longshaw-Park |
| 2019 | Much Ado About Nothing | Hero/Ensemble | Pop Up Globe Dir. David Lawrence |
| 2019 | Romeo and Juliet | Juliet (Lead) | Pop Up Globe Dir. Dr Miles Gregory |
| 2018 | Grand Opening | Party Girl | The Civic Theatre, Auckland Dir. Jo Randerson, Nisha Madhan |
| 2018 | Rushes | Dancer | Circa Theatre, Wellington Dir. Malia Johnston |
| 2017 | Once On This Island | Ensemble | Toi Whakaari: NZ Drama School Dir. Jon Hunter |
| 2015 | Frankenstein | Agatha | Centrepoint Theatre, Palmerston North Dir. Jeff Kingsford-Brown |
| 2015 | King Lear | Cordelia | Summer Shakespeare, Palmerston North Dir. Jaime Dorner |
| 2014 | As You Like It | Rosalind | Summer Shakespeare, Palmerston North Dir. Grant Mouldey |
| 2014 | Dr. Horrible's Sing-along Blog | Penny | Globe Theatre, Palmerston North Dir. Jess Hong |
| 2014 | Festival of New Arts: Hindsight | Dancer | Globe Theatre, Palmerston North |
| 2014 | Festival of New Arts: That Moment | Girlfriend | Globe Theatre, Palmerston North Dir. Peri Chappelle |
| 2013 | The Crucible | Abigail | – UCOL Diploma in Performing Arts Dir. Jaime Dorner |
| 2013 | The Tempest | Juno, Nymph | Summer Shakespeare, Palmerston North Dir. Vanessa Stacey |
Short Film.
| 2021 | Edamame | Oni Yan (Supporting) | Dir. Pepe de Hoyos Ramos |
| 2019 | Krystal | Lydia | Toi Whakaari: NZ Drama School Dir. Briar Grace-Smith |
| 2018 | Baggage | Jasmine (Lead) | Toi Whakaari Festival of Work in Development Dir. Chantelle Watts |
| 2018 | Red Envelopes | Xiaoling (Lead) | The Film School, Whitireia Dir. Vikram Singh |
| 2017 | Bar Tricks | Sarah (Lead) | The Film School, Toi Whakaari, Victoria University collab Dir. Jonathon King |
| 2017 | Got Milk | Henrietta (Lead) | Festival of Work in Development Toi Whakaari Dir. Jess Hong |
| 2017 | Lisa and the Moon | Chang'e | Victoria University of Wellington Dir. Elyse Phee |
| 2017 | Mise en Scene | Rosalyn | Toi Whakaari: NZ Drama School Dir. Vaughan Slinn |
| 2015 | Organic Matter – Rialto 48 Hour Film Festival | Girlfriend | Embassy Theatre, Wellington Dir. Peri Chapelle |
Training.
| Emotional Core Screen workshop with Jon Hunter - 2024 | |||
| Fight for Camera - Beginner Stunt Workshop with Dayna Grant (NZSS) - NZ Stunt School - 2023 | |||
| Miranda Harcourt Screen workshop - 2020 | |||
| New Zealand Stage and Screen Combat School - 2019 | |||
| Audition Technique with Les Chantery - 2018 | |||
| Auditioning with Andrea Kelland - 2018 | |||
| Auditioning with Rachel Bullock and Liz Mullane (Rachel Bullock Casting) - 2018 | |||
| Auditioning with Stu Turner (Catch Casting) - 2018 | |||
| Auditioning, Self Tape Practice - Emma Draper, Vaughan Slinn - 2018 | |||
| Chekhov Technique with Elena Stejko - 2018 | |||
| Fast Turn Around TV with Kathy McRae - 2018 | |||
| Intro to Motion Capture with Carrie Theil - 2018 | |||
| One-on-one Screen Practice – Elena Stejko - 2018 | |||
| Voice Workshop with Bert van Dijk - 2018 | |||
| Auditioning for Screen – Cohen Hollaway - 2017 | |||
| Chekhov Technique – Elena Stejko - 2017 | |||
| Perdekamp Emotional Method – Stephan Perderkamp, Sarah Victoria, Rik Stowman, Kristina Heuer - 2017 | |||
| Physical Theatre – Malia Johnston - 2017 | |||
| Singing for Musical Theatre – Mark Dorrell - 2017 | |||
| Stage Combat – Alex Holloway - 2017 | |||
| Bouffon Workshop – Eric Davis/Red Bastard - 2016 | |||
| Intro to Screen – Brita McVeigh - 2016 | |||
| Intro to Screen – Miranda Harcourt - 2016 | |||
| Script to Screen: Writing and Pitching – Nikki Si’ulepa, Brita McVeigh, Robert Sarkies - 2016 | |||
| Toi Whakaari: NZ Drama School, Bachelor of Performing Arts - 2015 | |||
| Diploma in Performing Arts – Graduated 2014 - 2014 | |||
| Performing Arts Diploma - 2013 |