Kelly Hu

By Sara Templeton

Kelly Ann Hu was born on February 13th, 1968 in Honolulu, Hawaii. Her acenstry comprises English, Chinese and Hawaiian, and the popular actress got her first small screen debut in the series Growing Pains.

Of course, Kelly Hu is also famous for her modeling work.

When she was just five, Kelly's mother realised that her daughter wanted to be a performer, and so enrolled her in a ballet school so that she could channel her energies into something positive.

At the age of 13, when Kelly enrolled at the Kamehameha High School, she immediately signed up for the drama classes, continuing this trend throughout her school years.

Still at Kamehameha High School, Kelly heard stories from friends who had been to places like Japan for modeling jobs.

Her cousin in particular had been to Japan for modeling work. Interest in American beauty pageants was big in Japan at the time, for obvious reasons.

Excited by the jetsetting nature of modeling, Kelly was told by a modeling agent - her cousin's agent, in fact - that a good way to promote herself would be via a Beauty Pageant.

As such, Kelly entered the Miss Hawaii Teen USA pageant at the age of seventeen, not expecting too much.

Her mother had told her: "Now don't get too hurt when you don't win because America's not ready for an Asian Miss Teen USA."

Who was it that said mother knows best? Sometimes they do know best, but othertimes they're evil...

Kelly won the local pageant, which was a huge surprise, but also went on to win the Miss Teen USA in 1985, shocking herself, as much as her mother.

After finishing school, she moved from Hawaii to Los Angeles, where she starred in ad campaigns for Vidal Sassoon and Mary Kay Cosmetics.

Kelly then moved to Japan, where she worked as a model and also got work in many Television commercials for four months.

In 1987, however, Kelly scored a guest role in the TV series Growing Pains, which aired from '85 to '92.

Essentially her big break, and giving her much experience behind the video camera lens, this led to roles in more than 20 TV series, including Tour of Duty, Melrose Place and Murder One.

Also having starred in a number of movies, such as The Doors, Strange Days and No Way Back alongside Russell Crowe, Kelly Hu was now a popular name in TV and movie production circles.

She has starred alongside Don Johnson in Nash Bridges and her latest TV offering is the highly rated US cop/karate drama, Martial Law. She also played the love interest of 'The Rock' in The Scorpion King (pictured right, bottom).

So, where to now for the Hawaiin beauty? Who knows...

But expect to Kelly Hu to appear much more on the big screen in future as she lands bigger and better roles. Maybe even a 007 appearance is on the cards?