Kelvin Yu

In this Taiwanese name, the surname is Yu.
Kelvin Yu
Born1979 (age 44–45)
Santa Ana, California, U.S.
EducationUniversity 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 PinyinYóu Cháomǐn

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

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

Year Title Role Notes
2003 The Utopian Society Ken
2005 Duck Chinese Delivery Man
Big Time Cool Henchman
Elizabethtown David Tan Uncredited
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
2017 Tilt Andy
2020 Wonder Woman 1984 Jake
2023 Somebody I Used to Know Christian

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1999–2000 Popular Freddy Gong 6 episodes
2000 Felicity Keith Fannin 1 episode
2001 Frasier Copy Guy 1 episode
Emeril The Camera Man 1 episode
Danny Lachardi 1 episode
ER Rondo 1 episode
Any Day Now Waiter 1 episode
Men, Women & Dogs Earl 1 episode
The Tick Tom 1 episode
2002 Gilmore Girls Cousin David 1 episode
The Shield Sam 1 episode
Life with Bonnie Man 1 episode
2003 Judging Amy Dr. Butler 1 episode
Las Vegas Larry 1 episode
2004 The Division 1 episode
Combustion Kit TV movie
2005 Without a Trace Jin Kim 1 episode
2006 Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip Kevin Yu 2 episodes
2007 The Closer Randy Chen 1 episode
Burn Notice Nick Lam 1 episode
Dirty Sexy Money Sam 1 episode
Women's Murder Club Fong 1 episode
Ghost Whisperer Joseph 1 episode
2008 CSI: NY David Oka 1 episode
Bad Mother's Handbook Phil TV movie
2009 Bones Franklin Tung 1 episode
The Forgotten Quon Wen 1 episode
NCIS: Los Angeles Jimmy Su 1 episode
2011 Traffic Light Brian 1 episode
Hawaii Five-O Gabriel Delgado 1 episode
Torchwood Nicolas Frumkin 1 episode
2012 Dallas Ken 1 episode
Common Law David Paek 1 episode
2013 NCIS Sebastian Kim 1 episode
2014 Satisfaction Darryl 2 episodes
2015–2017 Master of None Brian Chang 6 episodes
2016 American Dad! Various (voice) 1 episode
2020-present Bob's Burgers — Executive producer
2020–2022 Central Park Sheng 4 episodes; Also executive producer
2021 Cinema Toast Voice 1 episode
2021–2022 The Great North Steven Huang 6 episodes
2022 The Afterparty Ned 8 episodes
2023 American Born Chinese Creator, Executive Producer
2023 Clone High Confucius (voice)
TBA Dying for Sex Noah Upcoming miniseries

References

  1. ^ a b "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. ^ a b "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.