Born: 13-02-1968
Birthplace: Honolulu
Country: Hawaii
Occupation: actress/model/martial artist
She grew up in Honolulu with her brother Glenn, who works as resource manager at the US Army. Her father Herbert Hu is salesman and exotic bird breeder and her mother Juanita works as engineering drafter in Honolulu. Her parents divorce during her childhood.
She studied at the Maʻemaʻe Elementary School and follows later drama lessons at the Kamehameha High School in Honolulu. She's graduated at the Pepperdine University in Malibu (California).
She is co-owner of fast food restuarant Basic Bites and supports the Center of Asian Americans United for Self Empowerment.
Sports
She started with ballet, tap dance and acrobatic lessons when she was five years old. She practices also roller- and figure skating as youngster.
Martial Arts
She gets interest in martial arts from her brother Glenn who takes martial arts lessons. She starts with karate lessons at home under the wings of her brother. She has a black belt in Kanzen Budo Kai (a derivative of shotokan karate) and is also trained in the use of martial arts weapons. She trains karate and kickboxing in order to keep her body in shape. Her brother arranges battles against neighborhood boys for her, when she grew up as underground street fighter. She fights many times against boys and lost only a few times.
As Model
She decides to follow in the footsteps of her niece who successful model is in Japan. Her dream comes out when she was scouted by the same agent who represented her niece in Japan. She decides to participate at beauty contests and starts at the local contest on Hawaii. She wins her debut contest and becomes Miss Hawaii Teen USA. She won the Miss Teen USA contest in 1985 and becomes the first Asian American woman who won this title. She is the third titleholder in history and the competition was broadcasted on television and brings her public fame. Kelly won the Miss Hawaii USA title in 1993 and becomes the first former Miss Teen USA, who won the Miss USA state title. She is also the winner of the Miss Photogenic award at the Miss USA contest in 1993. She ends second in the swimsuit contest and ends third in the evening gown contest at the Miss USA 1993 pageant held in Wichita (Kansas).
She went to Japan and Italy for model work and moved in 1987 to Los Angeles. She plays the young Japanese college student Kaori in a commercial for the brand Philadelphia Cream Cheese. She did commercials for brands as Vidal Sassoon, Mary Kay Cosmetics, Jack in the Box, Clothestime, Bud Light, Ricoh Cameras, Thrifty Rental, Ivory Soap and Dole Pineapple. She was nominated for an MTV Movie Award for ''Best Fight'' at the MTV Movie Awards (2004).
Magazines
There are covershoots and articles about her in magazines as Total Movie, Empire, Stuff, Maxim, Celebrity Sleuth, Maxim, Playboy, Shape, People, TV Guide, Premiere, Femme Fatales, Empire, Oriental Whatever and many more. She becomes the first Asian-American woman ever who posed on the cover of Maxim Magazine in ''the may 2002 edition''. This issue was the biggest-selling issue in history of Maxim magazine.
She decides to test her martial arts abilities on television, after many fights in her childhood against neighbourhood boys. She has a true street fighter background with lots of fight experience which is suitable for action roles. She is one of the most successful Asian American actresses in America.
Action Movie Career
She made her action movie debut as Vietnamese dj in the action TV series ''Tour of Duty'' (1987 - 1990).
She plays Suzie next to Mickey Rourke and Don Johnson in ''Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man'' (1991). Harley Davidson (played by Mickey Rourke) and his cowboy friend Marlboro (played by Don Johnson) robbing an corrupt bank, in order to help a old friend, who almost loses his bar to the bank.
She plays Ro-May in this story about the brothers Johnny (played by Ernie Reyes, Jr.) and Adam (played by Nicolas Cowen) who discover that they are heirs to the crown of Patu San in ''Surf Ninjas'' (1993). The two brothers travel to Patu San in order to regain the throne of the incompetent evil warlord Colonel Chi (played by Leslie Nielsen).
She plays female FBI agent Seiko Kobayashi who kills the skinhead son of a high-ranked crime boss Frank Serlano (played by Michael Lerner) who has a secret agenda in ''No Way Back'' (1995).
She plays Ens. Yukiko Fujisaki next to Jennifer Bransford, Tembi Locke and Jay Underwood in ''Star Command'' (1996). Space navy cadets are on training mission who are forced to fight against an enemy fleet but then for real. The cadets try to defend a helpless colony, when they lose their senior officers in the opening battle which results in fighting without experience.
She plays Sorceress Cassandra alongside Dwayne Johnson and Steven Brand in "The Scorpion King'' (2002). Memnom (played by Steven Brand) is the evil ruler of the notorious city of Gomorrah. He is also the killer of Mathayus (played by Dwayne Johnson) his father who's very powerful. Mathayus and Cassandra make a journey together with trickster Arpid (played by Grant Heslov) in order to find the powerfull axe, which is needed to defeat Memnom. Mathayus takes revenge for his father's dead by the defeating of Memnom in the final battle with the axe.
She plays Sona in this story about Su (played by Jet Li) whose daughter is kidnapped by DMX (played by Anthony Fait) in "Cradle 2 the Grave" (2003). Su hunts on the hijackers in order to rescue his daughter.
She plays mutant Lady Deathstrike who is member of a superheroes team, each with several skills named the X-Men in ''X2'' (2003). Scientist William Stryker (played by Brian Cox) kidnaps Professor X (played by Patrick Stewart) after the assault at the secret school. Mystique (played by Rebecca Romijn) rescues her boss magneto from prison. The X-men form an uneasy alliance with Magneto in Boston in order to rescue Professor X. They try to stop William Stryker, before he hurts the professor.
She plays Lana who is member of the evil Serpent Brotherhood in ''The Librarian: Quest for the Spear'' (2004). The evil Serpent Brotherhood steal one of the Spear of Destiny parts from the library. Librarian Flynn Carsen (played by Noah Wyle) must find the remaining two pieces of the Spear of Destiny, in order to prevent that all three pieces become gathered by the Serpent Brotherhood. Flynn is ambushed by the Serpent Brotherhood when he is rescued by Nicole Noone (played by Sonya Walger). She's an Library employee who has the job to protect him. Later they are captured again by MacLachlan (played by Edward Wilde) and the Serpent Brotherhood. They manage to escape and the librarians find the last pieces of the spear. They travel safely to the Himalayas and the journey stops in Shangri-La.
She plays an short role as Lisa Brooks and Nick Cannon plays the lead role as detective Tracy 'Tre' Stokes, who goes undercover at an elite private school in order to destroy an international stolen car network in ''Underclassman'' (2005).
She plays hostess Sharon Crandall in this story about an passenger jet who's hit by a deflected rocket above the Pacific Ocean in ''Mayday'' (2005). Hostess Sharon and a handful survivors have the job to land the airplane safely, because the flight crew is dead.
She plays the lead role as female-assassin Caitlin next to drug-dealers Quinn (played by Devon Sawa) and Nick (played by Steven Schub) who travel from Mexico to the USA in ''Devil's Den'' (2006). Both men stop at a club called The Devil's Den where they decide to test their drugs on unsuspecting women. The women are not really human and both men get trouble with Caitlin (played by Kelly Hu), a Japanese swordsman and Satan himself.
She plays fighter Lai Lai Zhen who has the job to protect an aloholic priest against the competitors of a tournament in ''The Tournament'' (2009). The fight tournament is every seven years in Middlesbrough (England). 30 of the world's deadliest assassins fight to death in a ''last man standing'' competition. The tournament is entertainment for the world's richest people. The winner wins $10,000,000 cash prize and becomes the World No 1 Fight Champion.
She plays the lead role as Dr. Gordon who member is of an elite military team in this story about mankind who must fight to survive as the earth is invaded by hostile UFO ships who try to destroy the planet in ''Age of Tomorrow'' (2014). Dr. Gordon, the elite team of scientists and combat specialists are sent in order to stop the UFO invasion. They try to sneak into the mothership with the plan to destroy the aliens from inside.
Action Documentary
She's one of the presenters of the Television Network action documentary ''World Stunt Award'' (2002). The winners of 14 movie categories with outstanding performances were announced at the Santa Monica Barker Hangar. The most exciting stunt performers and the best action movie releases from the year 2001 are selected by the World Stunt Academy. Artists as Jennifer Garner, Lucy Liu, Michelle Rodriguez, Halle Berry, Michael Bay, Pierce Brosnan, Bruce Willis, Jackie Chan and many others appear in this show.
She appears alongside legendary actresses/stunt women Ali Larter, Debbie Evans, Jessica Alba and Jeannie Epper in the action documentary ''Taurus World Stunt Awards (2007)''. Dwayne Johnson presents the show who announces the nominations to the public. The best stunt athletes do several stunts as jumping, ducking or climbing over buildings and do movements with supreme elegance and physical efficiency for the spectators.
Poker
She's an avid poker fan and was part of HollywoodPoker.com's "Celebrity Poker Night" on 30-05-2006. She has frequently taken part at The World Series of Poker and the World Poker Tour. She places herself in the top 200 of the World Series of Poker Ladies Tournament in July 2006 and played an WPT Celebrity Charity match on 03-03-2008.
Charirties
She was driver in the Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race in 2007. This race is a national fund-raising program supporting children’s hospitals throughout the United States.
- Age of Tomorrow (2014)
- The Tournament (2009)
- Stiletto (2008)
- Devil's Den (2006)
- Mayday (2005)
- Underclassman (2005)
- The Librarian: Quest for the Spear (2004)
- X2 (2003)
- Cradle 2 the Grave (2003)
- The Scorpion King (2002)
- Star Command (1996)
- No Way Back (1995)
- Surf Ninjas (1993)
- Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man (1991)
Action TV Series
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2012 - 2014)
- Arrow (2012 - 2014)
- Hawaii Five-0 (2010 - 2014)
- Young Justice (2010 - 2014 )
- The Spectacular Spider-Man (2008–2009)
- CSI: NY (2004–2013)
- NCSI: Naval Criminal Investigative (2003)
- Martial Law (1998–2000)
- Nash Bridges (1996–2001)
- Pacific Blue (1996–2000)
- The Sentinel (1996–1999)
- Renegade (1992–1997)'
- Raven (1992–1993)
- Tour of Duty (1987–1990)
Action Documentary
- Taurus World Stunt Awards (2007)
- ABC World Stunt Awards (2002)
