Li Jun Li
{{short description|American actress (active since 2008)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2023}}
{{Family name hatnote|Li (李)|lang=Chinese}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Li Jun Li
| image = Li Jun Li at Broadway Night Interviews.jpg
| caption = Li in 2018
| birth_place = Shanghai, China
| birth_date =
| nationality = American
| occupation = Actress
| years_active = 2008–present
}}
Li Jun Li ({{Lang-zh|c=李麗君}}) is an American actress, known for her roles as Iris Chang in the ABC series Quantico, Rose Cooper in the Fox series The Exorcist, Jenny Wah in the Netflix series Wu Assassins and Lady Fay Zhu in the period drama Babylon (2022).
Early life
Li was born in Shanghai, China. Her father was a painter, and he moved the family to Bogotá, Colombia,{{cite web |title=Who is Li Jun-li, the Chinese-American actress in Babylon? |url=https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/celebrity/article/3204344/who-li-jun-li-chinese-american-actress-babylon-starring-opposite-brad-pitt-and-margot-robbie-she |first=Umesh |last=Bhagchandani |date=December 24, 2022 |access-date=January 25, 2023 |website=SCMP}} for work when Li was six years old. Three years later, they immigrated to New York City in the United States.
She graduated from Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School's dance program.{{Cite web|url=https://charactermedia.com/why-did-wu-assassins-actress-li-jun-li-swear-off-acting-as-a-kid/|title=Why Did 'Wu Assassins' Actress Li Jun Li Swear Off Acting As A Kid?|last=Yu|first=Kaitlin|date=August 8, 2019|website=Character Media|access-date=February 4, 2020}}{{Cite web|url=https://citylimits.org/2016/10/28/cityviews-citys-arts-high-schools-must-let-kids-demonstrate-talent-rather-than-rely-on-tests/|title=CityViews: City's Arts High Schools Must Focus on Talent Rather Than Tests|last=Scaccia|first=Annamarya|date=October 28, 2016|website=City Limits|access-date=February 4, 2020}}
Career
Li had her first break in the acting world starring opposite Matthew Morrison in the Tony Award winning Rodgers and Hammerstein's South Pacific (2008) at New York's Lincoln Center.{{cite web |title=How Li Jun Li channeled Anna May Wong, Hollywood's first Asian American actress, in Damien Chazelle's Babylon |url=https://www.insider.com/li-jun-li-babylon-lady-fay-zhu-aapi-diversity-hollywood-2022-12 |work=Insider |access-date=December 23, 2022 |date=December 23, 2022 |first=Yoonji |last=Han}} Following on from this early success, she won roles on a variety of TV shows and films including Blue Bloods (2010), Damages (2011), The Following (2013), Cédric Klapisch's Chinese Puzzle (2013) and Mistress (2014). Li expanded her visibility and presence on a global level by landing major television roles in Neil LaBute's Billy and Billie (2015) and Minority Report (2015) on Fox.
In 2016, Li was cast in the recurring role of FBI recruit Iris Chang on the ABC thriller series Quantico.{{cite magazine|url=https://ew.com/article/2015/11/24/quantico-casts-jay-armstrong-johnson-lenny-platt-li-jun-li/|title=Quantico: Jay Armstrong Johnson, Lenny Platt, Li Jun Li, joining as new recruits in mid-season|last = Li|first = Shirley|date = November 24, 2015|magazine = Entertainment Weekly|access-date = October 28, 2017}} In the same year, she joined the NBC procedural Chicago P.D. in the fourth season.{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/chicago-pd-li-jun-li-912666|title='Chicago P.D.' Enlists 'Quantico' Grad for Season 4 (Exclusive)|last = Stanhope|first = Kate|date = July 20, 2016|work = Deadline|access-date = October 28, 2017}}
On July 26, 2017, it was announced by Deadline that Li would join as a series regular in the second season of the Fox television series The Exorcist as Rose Cooper.{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2017/07/the-exorcist-li-jun-li-cast-season-2-1202136407/|title='The Exorcist' Adds Li Jun Li For Season 2|last = Petski|first = Denise|date = July 26, 2017|work = Deadline|access-date = October 28, 2017}}
On January 15, 2019, it was announced that Li had been cast in the series regular role of Jenny Wah on the Netflix supernatural crime drama series Wu Assassins.{{Cite news|url=https://deadline.com/2019/01/wu-assassins-li-jun-li-cast-netflix-martial-arts-series-1202535542/ |title=Wu Assassins: Li Jun Li Cast In Netflix Martial Arts Series |last=Petski |first=Denise |date=January 15, 2019 |work=Deadline |access-date=January 15, 2019}} In December 2020, she was cast in Damien Chazelle's film Babylon, playing a role inspired by silent film actress Anna May Wong.{{Cite magazine |date=September 7, 2022 |title=First Look: Brad Pitt and Margot Robbie Promise to Light Up 'Babylon' |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2022/09/awards-insider-brad-pitt-and-margot-robbie-images-babylon |access-date=September 7, 2022 |magazine=Vanity Fair |language=en-US}} The film received polarizing reviews, though her performance attracted some praise.{{Cite magazine |last=Ford |first=Rebecca |title=Babylon's Li Jun Li on Capturing Anna May Wong Onscreen |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2022/12/babylon-li-jun-li-interview-playing-anna-may-wong-onscreen-awards-insider |access-date=January 12, 2023 |magazine=Vanity Fair |date=December 16, 2022 |language=en-US}}
Filmography
=Film=
{{Pending films key}}
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Year
! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |
|---|
| 2013
| Nancy | |
| rowspan="2" | 2014
| Song One | James Forester's journalist | |
| data-sort-value="Humbling, The" | The Humbling
| Tracy | |
| rowspan="2"| 2015
| Front Cover | Miao | |
| Ricki and the Flash
| Nail clerk | |
| 2021
| Construction | Theresa | |
| 2022
| Babylon | Lady Fay Zhu | Nominated – Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture |
| rowspan="2" | 2025
| | |
| Sinners
| Grace Chow | |
=Television=
{{Pending series key}}
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Year
! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |
|---|
| 2010
| Liat | Episode: "South Pacific" |
| 2010
| Nicka | Episode: "After Hours" |
| 2011
| Mira Ling | Episode: "Talking Heads" |
| 2011
| Gothic Vegas chapel assistant | 1 episode |
| 2011
| Yasmin | Episode: "Rispetto" |
| 2011–2012
| Maggie Huang | Recurring role (seasons 4, 5) |
| 2012
| Americana | Eloise Russell | TV film |
| 2012
| Danielle | TV film |
| 2012
| Store clerk | Episode: "Enter Mr. DiMaggio" |
| 2013
| data-sort-value="Following, The" | The Following | Meghan Leeds | Recurring role (season 1) |
| 2013
| Hatfields & McCoys | Cara Quo | TV film |
| 2013
| Hostages | Attractive woman | Episode: "Truth and Consequences" |
| 2014
| Natalie | Episode: "New Hundred" |
| 2015
| One Bad Choice | Lisette Lee | Episode: "Meili Cady" |
| 2015
| Akeela | Main role |
| 2015–2016
| Billy and Billie | Denise | |
| 2015
| Anna Tse | Episode: "The Three Gs" |
| 2016
|Chicago P.D. | Julie Tay | 4 episodes |
| 2016
| Julie Tay | Episode: "The Hose or the Animal" |
| 2016–2017
| Quantico | Iris Chang | Recurring role |
| 2017
| Karen Sun | Recurring role (season 2) |
| 2017–2018
| data-sort-value="Exorcist, The" | The Exorcist | Rose Cooper | Main role (season 2) |
| 2018
| Gone | Dana Parker | Episode: "Don't Go" |
| 2019
| Jenny Wah | Main role |
| 2019
| Amy Grove | 3 episodes |
| 2019–2024
| Evil | Grace Ling | Recurring role |
| 2021–2023
| Sex/Life | Francesca | Recurring role |
| 2023
| Michelle | Recurring role (season 1) |
| {{TableTBA}}
| {{Pending series|Spider-Noir}} | {{TableTBA}} | Main role{{Cite magazine |last=Canfield |first=David |date=August 12, 2024 |title=Lamorne Morris Levels Up: 'I Want to Be Morgan Freeman' |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/story/lamorne-morris-fargo-saturday-night-emmys-awards-insider |url-access=limited |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240812153931/https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/story/lamorne-morris-fargo-saturday-night-emmys-awards-insider |archive-date=August 12, 2024 |access-date=August 13, 2024 |magazine=Vanity Fair}} |
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb name}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Li, Li Jun}}
Category:Actresses from New York City
Category:Actresses from Shanghai
Category:American actresses of Chinese descent
Category:American film actresses
Category:21st-century American actresses
Category:American television actresses
Category:Chinese emigrants to the United States