Kelvin Yu

Last updated
Kelvin Yu
Born1979 (age 4546)
Education University of California, Los Angeles (BA)
Occupation(s)Actor, writer
Years active1992–present
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese 遊朝敏
Simplified Chinese 游朝敏
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyin Yóu Cháomǐn

Kelvin Yu (born 1979 [1] ) is an American actor and writer.

Contents

Early life and education

Yu was born to Yu Ming-chuan and Lin Ling-juan. [2] He grew up in Los Angeles, where he currently resides. He is a graduate of the University of California, Los Angeles, where he majored in film, theatre, and television. [3] His brother, Charles Yu, is a writer. [3]

Career

Acting

Yu started acting in theater at the age of thirteen. [1] His television credits have included guest spots on Frasier , ER , Las Vegas, Without a Trace , Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip , CSI: NY , and Bones .

Yu's first film was the 2003 comedy The Utopian Society . He later made an uncredited appearance in the 2005 film Elizabethtown . The following year, Yu had a supporting role in the comedy Grandma's Boy . Yu played a role in the Ghost Whisperer episode "Double Exposure" (3x6) as Joseph. Yu had a supporting role in the 2008 Academy Award-winning biographical political drama Milk . [4]

Yu has starred in several short films, including 2006's My Prince, My Angel. Yu later appeared with Linda Park on the ABC series Women's Murder Club , and a lead role in the 2007 short film Fortune Hunters. In 2020, he played a role in Wonder Woman 1984 .

Yu had a recurring role in the Netflix original series Master of None as the character of Brian Chang, the on-screen analogue of the show's creator Alan Yang, described as a "hottie" by Vulture magazine. [5] [6]

He provides the voice of a minor character on The Great North . In 2022 Yu appeared in the Apple TV+ series The Afterparty .

Writing

Yu is currently a writer and executive producer for the Fox animated series Bob's Burgers , has been nominated six times for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program, winning in 2017. In 2016, he won an Annie Award for Outstanding Achievement in Writing in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production (along with co-writer Steven Davis) for the episode "The Hauntening." [7] Yu also is a consulting producer on Central Park and has written a few songs for that show.

In October 2021, it was announced that Disney+ had given a series order to a television adaptation of the graphic novel American Born Chinese . It will be produced by 20th Century Television with Yu and his brother Charles Yu as writers and executive producers, Marvin Mar and Jake Kasdan as executive producers, and Destin Daniel Cretton as director and executive producer. [8]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
2003 The Utopian Society Ken
2005 Duck Chinese Delivery Man
Big TimeCool Henchman
Elizabethtown David TanUncredited
2006 Grandma's Boy Kane
2007 If I Had Known I Was a Genius Cost Surplus Customer
2008 Cloverfield Clark
Milk Michael Wong
2009 Timer Nelson
Star Trek Medical Technician
2017TiltAndy
2020 Wonder Woman 1984 Jake
2023 Somebody I Used to Know Christian

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1999–2000 Popular Freddy Gong6 episodes
2000 Felicity Keith Fannin1 episode
2001 Frasier Copy Guy1 episode
Emeril The Camera Man1 episode
Danny Lachardi1 episode
ER Rondo1 episode
Any Day Now Waiter1 episode
Men, Women & Dogs Earl1 episode
The Tick Tom1 episode
2002 Gilmore Girls Cousin David1 episode
The Shield Sam1 episode
Life with Bonnie Man1 episode
2003 Judging Amy Dr. Butler1 episode
Las Vegas Larry1 episode
2004 The Division 1 episode
CombustionKitTV movie
2005 Without a Trace Jin Kim1 episode
2006 Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip Kevin Yu2 episodes
2007 The Closer Randy Chen1 episode
Burn Notice Nick Lam1 episode
Dirty Sexy Money Sam1 episode
Women's Murder Club Fong1 episode
Ghost Whisperer Joseph1 episode
2008 CSI: NY David Oka1 episode
Bad Mother's Handbook PhilTV movie
2009 Bones Franklin Tung1 episode
The Forgotten Quon Wen1 episode
NCIS: Los Angeles Jimmy Su1 episode
2011 Traffic Light Brian1 episode
Hawaii Five-O Gabriel Delgado1 episode
Torchwood Nicolas Frumkin1 episode
2012 Dallas Ken1 episode
Common Law David Paek1 episode
2013 NCIS Sebastian Kim1 episode
2014 Satisfaction Darryl2 episodes
2015–2017 Master of None Brian Chang6 episodes
2016 American Dad! Various (voice)1 episode
2020-present Bob's Burgers Executive producer
2020–2022 Central Park Sheng4 episodes; Also executive producer
2021Cinema ToastVoice1 episode
2021–2022 The Great North Steven Huang6 episodes
2022 The Afterparty Ned8 episodes
2023 American Born Chinese Creator, Executive Producer
2023 Clone High Confucius (voice)
TBA Dying for Sex NoahUpcoming miniseries

References

  1. 1 2 "Milk's man: Kelvin Yu - Gay News Asia". fridae.asia.
  2. Tsao, Edward; Liu, Kuan-lin (18 September 2017). "Taiwanese American wins Emmy Award". Central News Agency. Retrieved 18 September 2017.
  3. 1 2 "A Chat with Actor Kelvin Yu". TaiwaneseAmerican.org. 19 November 2008.
  4. "Milk's man: Kelvin Yu plays Milk's campaign staffer Michael Wong in new biopic". Asian Week. 28 November 2008. Archived from the original on 2013-10-21. Retrieved 2021-05-23.
  5. Jung, E. Alex (16 November 2015). "Master of None's Kelvin Yu on immigrant parents and finally playing the hottie". Vulture.com . New York.
  6. Freeman, Molly (11 November 2015). "Who is 'Brian' on Master of None? Kelvin Yu is more than Aziz Ansari's sidekick". Bustle .
  7. "46th Annual Annie Awards". annieawards.org. Retrieved 2019-03-15.
  8. Andreeva, Nellie (October 4, 2021). "Disney+ Greenlights 'American Born Chinese' Series From Melvin Mar, Kelvin Yu & Jake Kasdan; 'Shang-Chi's Destin Daniel Cretton To Direct". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved October 4, 2021.