Jess Hong

{{Infobox person

| name = Jess Hong

| image = Jess Hong (cropped).jpg

| caption = Jess Hong at Auckland Writers Festival (2024)

| birth_place =

| birth_date = {{birth based on age as of date |29|2024|11|28}}

| occupation = Actress

| years_active = 2018–present

| known_for = 3 Body Problem

}}

Jess Hong (born {{birth based on age as of date |29|2024|11|28|noage=y}}) is a New Zealand actress of Chinese descent, known for her role as Jin Cheng in the Netflix series 3 Body Problem (2024).

Early life and education

Jess Hong was born in {{birth based on age as of date |29|2024|11|28|noage=y}}{{Cite news|first=Jean |last=Tang |authorlink= |title= The 2 selves of 3 Body Problem’s Jess Hong |newspaper=Metro Magazine|date=November 28, 2024 |url=https://www.metromag.co.nz/arts/arts-film-tv/the-2-selves-of-3-body-problems-jess-hong |via=|archive-url=| archive-date=|quote=Google says I’m 27, so everyone writes that I’m 27. I’m not 27. I’m 29}} and raised in Palmerston North in New Zealand, by her mother, an immigrant from Guangzhou, China. Her father is from Shanghai. She is the youngest of three sisters.{{cite magazine |title=Jess Hong Can't Solve the 3 Body Problem. She'll Try to Save the World Anyway. |first=Lauren |last=Puckett-Pope |magazine=Elle |date=2024-03-22 |url=https://www.elle.com/culture/movies-tv/a60267493/jess-hong-3-body-problem-jin-cheng-interview/ |access-date=2024-07-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240322175246/https://www.elle.com/culture/movies-tv/a60267493/jess-hong-3-body-problem-jin-cheng-interview/ |archive-date=2024-03-22 |url-status=live}}{{cite news |title=Jess Hong from 3 Body Problem on her rapid rise and being painfully shy |url=https://thespinoff.co.nz/partner/02-09-2024/jess-hong-from-3-body-problem-on-her-rapid-rise-and-being-painfully-shy |access-date=7 September 2024 |work=The Spinoff |date=2 September 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240907164340/https://thespinoff.co.nz/partner/02-09-2024/jess-hong-from-3-body-problem-on-her-rapid-rise-and-being-painfully-shy|archive-date=7 September 2024|url-status=live}}

She started taking drama classes at the age of 13, mainly to combat her shyness and social anxiety. Hong initially quit drama classes during her first year of high school but subsequently resumed them at the age of 17 during her final. After completing her secondary education, she moved to Wellington to study for three years at the national drama school, Toi Whakaari, graduating in 2019.{{Cite web |title=Jess Hong profile & bio |url=https://www.johnsonlaird.com/our-actors/Jess-Hong |access-date=2024-03-23 |website=Johnson & Laird}}

Career

Hong moved to Auckland after graduation, undertaking casual work while auditioning for acting jobs. She has appeared in a variety of stage productions throughout New Zealand, including several Shakespeare performances. On television she has appeared in the New Zealand shows The Brokenwood Mysteries, Inked, Creamerie, and My Life Is Murder.

Hong gained international recognition with a leading role in the Netflix series 3 Body Problem, released in 2024. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Hong's character Jin Cheng, who is originally of Chinese descent, was rewritten to reflect her New Zealand background and accent.{{cite magazine |title=Jess Hong Is in Netflix's Biggest Show of the Year So Far — But Don't Call Her a Star |first=Seija |last=Rankin |date=2024-03-19 |magazine=The Hollywood Reporter |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-features/3-body-problem-jess-hong-interview-1235851622/ |access-date=2024-07-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240518131742/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-features/3-body-problem-jess-hong-interview-1235851622/ |archive-date= 2024-05-18 |url-status=live |quote=}} To prepare for the role, Hong downloaded Cixin Liu's Remembrance of Earth's Past trilogy on Kindle.