Lilan Bowden

Last updated
Lilan Bowden
Lilan Bowden In The Kitchen.jpg
Bowden in 2018
Born
Alice Lilan Bowden [1]

(1985-09-01) September 1, 1985 (age 39) [2]
Education Castro Valley High School
Alma mater University of California, Irvine
OccupationActress
Years active2007–present
Partner(s)Nick Mandernach (2019–present; engaged)
Children1 [3]

Alice Lilan Bowden (born September 1, 1985) is an American actress. She is best known for her roles as Rebecca "Bex" Mack in Andi Mack and Amber Kang in the Netflix series Murderville .

Contents

Biography

She attended Castro Valley High School where she had joined an improv club and graduated in 2002. [4] [5] Bowden attended University of California, Irvine where she continued to perform in comedy. [6] After graduating, she moved to Los Angeles and joined the Upright Citizens Brigade. [7] She also began writing videos with her writing partner Wilder Smith, featured on Funny or Die during this time. [8]

Bowden began auditioning for roles which was made difficult due to her mixed race heritage. "The roles you get as a minority usually cluster in certain category...I felt like every year I was going out and testing for at least one pilot where I was the sassy, ethnic best friend...I still think that we have a lot of work to do as far as entertaining someone who’s not white for the lead role of TV shows." [9] She suddenly auditioned for the show Andi Mack and got the role of Bex, the single young mother of the title character. "I feel like I hit the jackpot!...It’s so exciting to be a part of a female dominant cast that is an Asian American family and doesn’t fit the model minority." She added that she finds the positive message of the show enticing and feels that she earned the role through perseverance. [8]

Bowden directed the 2020 short film, Becoming Eddie. [10]

Personal life

In 2022, Bowden joined current and past Disney employees who criticized Bob Chapek for refusing to criticize anti-LGBT legislation that was passed in Florida. [11] Bowden came out bisexual on Twitter in March 2022. [12]

She endorsed Eunisses Hernandez, Hugo Soto-Martinez, and Kenneth Mejia during the 2022 Los Angeles elections. [13] [14]

In 2019, Bowden started dating actor, writer, and producer, Nick Mandernach. They became engaged in August 2022 after 3 years of dating. [15]

On May 16, 2023, Bowden announced she was pregnant with their first child. [16] [17]

On July 30, 2023, Bowden revealed she had given birth to their son. [18]

Filmography

Filmmaking credits

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
2008Sex and the USARisa Reagan
2010Life After LOST: Ethan AdoptsBettyShort film; also writer
Interactive Lower Back TattoosShort film
The Year That I Was BornAnnaShort film
Running SouthDream Girl #3Short film
2011Princess and the PonyChinese News ReporterDirect-to-Video
Kate Plus 8: College YearsLeah GosselinShort film
Toddlers and Tiaras: Where Are They Now?Pageant MotherShort film
Zombie Apocalypse MyrahDirect-to-Video
2012 Nazis at the Center of the Earth May YunDirect-to-Video
I Survived: Celebrity MassagesShort film
Robby's BirthdayDarleneShort film
Rise of the Zombies Jun NagaseDirect-to-Video
Happy PlaceShort film
2013Sexy Single SolutionsSexy Hotline SingleShort film
The Gravity GunAlyx VanceShort film
A Leading Man Andrea
Lilan and Wilder Get Up EarlyLilanShort film; also writer
2014The LiaristShort film
Malaysia Airlines Is Super SorryShort film
Normal Best Friends Say ByeLilanShort film; also writer
OkCupid's Human ExperimentsShort film
Super Heroes vs. Game HeroesAlyxShort film
2015The Worst Year of My LifeBakery Worker
Til It Happens to YouLilanShort film
2016Wake Up America!Sandrea
Rumble in the ValleyBoneShort film
Dicky Sledgehammer: The Case of Sunday StoneDetective Yew
2017 Mr. Roosevelt Sunni
CavemansplainingAvaShort film
The Mad Ones'Slacksters' Monika
The Vomit Solution to Thirsty MenGal on Street / Dance Club GirlShort film; also writer and director
LindsLindseyShort film
2018Seven Stages to Achieve Eternal BlissAnthea
The Odd EssayAthena
Good DeedSusan
2019The RoommateShreyaShort film
2020Come Find MeAllisonShort film

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
2007Gullible GilJane4 episodes
2009-2015 UCB Comedy Originals Various5 episodes
2011 Zombie Apocalypse MyraTV movie
2012The Silicon Assassin ProjectKarinaEpisode: "The Wall"
Let It GoTrishaTV Pilot
2013 NTSF:SD:SUV:: PennyEpisode: "The Great Train Stoppery"
Days of Our Lives Hotel Clerk2 episodes
Hart of Dixie ColletteEpisode: "How Do You Like Me Now?"
Youth LargeKarle BusseTV Pilot
2014 Conan Lesbian ZombieEpisode: "The Cast of The Walking Dead/White Denim"
The Pete Holmes Show Chun-Li Episode: "Paul Scheer: Interview #2"
Jilted Women Retell Classic Love StoriesScarlett's BestieEpisode: "Scarlett and Rhett"
Suburgatory MoniqueEpisode: "Catch and Release"
Parks and Recreation Sam Nut2 episodes
FuturestatesEmployerEpisode: "As You Were"
Geek CredSuper FanEpisode: "Nerdrage Against the Machine"
Newsreaders Question WomanEpisode: "Go Nadz; Talkin' News"
2015 Childrens Hospital Sauna StafferEpisode: "Codename: Jennifer"
Highly Evolved HumanBreezy1 episode
Falling FlatKarenTV movie
Life in Pieces WaitressEpisode: "Hospital Boudoir Time-Out Namaste"
Adam Ruins Everything Network LawyerEpisode: "Adam Ruins Security
Cool Media GalEpisode: "Adam Ruins Nutrition"
Filthy Preppy Teens Darcy BishopMain cast
2016 The UCB Show Episode: "Ghost Trusters"
Dice HostessEpisode: "Sal Maldonado"
I Am Watching YouKarenTV movie
This Isn't WorkingSusieEpisode: "A Very Special Episode"
Comedy Bang! Bang! CamperEpisode: "Gillian Jacobs Wears a Gray Checkered Suit and a Red Bow Tie"
2017Channel ZeroSurvivorTV movie
Love DoorpersonEpisode: "The Work Party"
Lifeline Jasmine2 episodes
2017–2019 Andi Mack Rebecca "Bex" MackMain cast [21]
2018 The Joel McHale Show with Joel McHale Aashleigh R.Episode: "Coffee Is Delicious"
The 5th Quarter Wanda GotskiEpisode: "Field of Screams"
2019 Future Man FoxEpisode: "Countdown to a Prologue"
Drunk History Elisa BoyerEpisode: "Legacies"
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia SaraEpisode: "A Woman's Right to Chop"
2020 Indebted HannahEpisode: "Everybody's Talking About Hot Goss"
TBATruck'd UpLilyTV movie
2022 Murderville Amber Kang6 episodes, 1 special
2022, 2025 NCIS Robin Knight3 episodes: S20 E8 "Turkey Trot", S22 E11 "For Better or Worse", S22 E16 "Ladies' Night"
2022Who Killed Santa? A Murderville Murder Mystery [a] Amber KangTV movie [22]
2023 Shrinking Tia5 episodes

Web

YearTitleRoleNotes
2014Gay of ThronesHerselfEpisode: "The Laws of Gay Men"
2015 CollegeHumor's Comedy Music Hall of Fame Subway RepresentativeTV special
2015-2016 CollegeHumor Originals Various4 episodes
2019The FilthChloe2 episodes

References

  1. Janet Varney (April 4, 2019). "Episode #317: Lilan Bowden". The JV Club Podcast (Podcast). Event occurs at 17:30. Retrieved April 6, 2019.
  2. Levin, Joe (September 1, 2017). "Happy Birthday, Lilan Bowden She Turns 32 Today". TOTPI. Retrieved April 29, 2018.
  3. "Meet Lilan Bowden: The 'Murderville' Star Who Is Dating Writer Nick Mandernach". news.amomama.com. 4 February 2022.
  4. Bracy, Brittany (May 31, 2017). "Screen star Lilan Bowden returns to her roots". CVHS Olympian. Retrieved April 28, 2018.
  5. "Screen star Lilan Bowden returns to her roots". 2017-05-31. Retrieved 2024-01-17.
  6. Khatchatryan, Astgik (2017-08-25). "UC Irvine Drama Alum Lilan Bowden on Playing Bex on Disney Channel's "Andi Mack"". Orange Coast Mag. Retrieved 2024-01-17.
  7. "Lilan Bowden". Upright Citizens Brigade. Retrieved 2024-01-17.
  8. 1 2 Rachel Ann Cauilan (January 23, 2018). "Bowden Breaks Through with Disney's 'Andi Mack'". Kore Asian Media. Archived from the original on April 8, 2019. Retrieved April 28, 2018.
  9. Nguyen, Hanh (October 11, 2017). "Asian American TV Actors Expose the Difficulty of Landing Parts – With or Without an Accent". Indie Wire. Retrieved April 28, 2018.
  10. Ramos, Dino-Ray (June 12, 2019). "'Andi Mack's Lilan Bowden To Direct Comedy 'Becoming Eddie' From Ed Lee". Deadline. Retrieved June 13, 2019.
  11. Hailu, Selome (March 7, 2022). "Disney Employees Slam Bob Chapek's Memo on 'Don't Say Gay' Bill: 'Silence Is Unacceptable'". Variety . Archived from the original on March 8, 2022. Retrieved March 8, 2022.
  12. "I did say "our rights." I am bisexual! I didn't come out until last year. This really isn't how I was planning on coming out publicly, but I think it's important to know that hateful bills like this one in Florida affect more people than we realize". Twitter.com. Retrieved July 29, 2022.
  13. Bowden, Lilan [@yourfriendLilan] (May 27, 2022). "LA City Council Elections: If you live in CD-1, you GOTTA go Eunisses Hernandez!! @EunissesH" (Tweet) via Twitter.
  14. Bowden, Lilan [@yourfriendLilan] (May 27, 2022). "LA City Council Elections: If you live in CD-13, vote Hugo Soto-Martinez @HugoForCD13 who has a huge labor organizing background and is for WORKERS RIGHTS!!" (Tweet) via Twitter.
  15. "Engaged!!". instagram.com.
  16. "Official Baby Bump Debut 🐣 At @vcmediaorg 's Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Fest premiering @ohcha_shortfilm !! Thanks to all who came to celebrate! I'm gonna be a mommy!! Portrait by @sthanlee Vid by @jane1kim Baby Bowden-Mandernach premiering this Summer!! @nickmandernach". instagram.com.
  17. "Big belly vibing w @peytonelizabethlee Taken by @displaysample at @thewildersmith and @bradley_simmons_ 's magical wedding #foreverwildley". instagram.com.
  18. "We have a baby now 🥰". instagram.com.
  19. "Short Film Review: Becoming Eddie (2020) by Lilan Bowden". asianmoviepulse.com. 17 October 2020.
  20. "BIG NEWS! @yourfriendlilan has been selected to the Disney Directing Program! We're so proud of our fearless director!!!". facebook.com.
  21. "Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with Andi Mack's Lilan Bowden". pop-culturalist.com. 18 January 2019.
  22. "Who Killed Santa? A Murderville Murder Mystery cast: Who's in the new comedy?". netflixlife.com. 16 December 2022.

Notes

  1. This is a Murderville Christmas special