12 Actors and Celebrities Who Are Pacific Islander

Born and raised in Sydney, Australia–which is part of the geographical region of Oceania–Alexander Hodge is biracial with parents of Chinese and Irish descent. After playing characters in Issa Rae’s Insecure and Modern Family, Hodge most recently plays a supporting role in Adele Lim’s 2023 comedy Joy Ride, which is a comedic road trip film about Asian American friends who travel across Asia.

The grandson of late actor Marlon Brando and his third wife Tarita Teripaia, Tuki Brando is an international model based in France, who has worked with brands such as Versace. Of Tahitian and Chinese descent, Brando was raised by his maternal grandmother in Tahiti, which is the largest island in French Polynesia. Brando keeps a relatively low profile amidst the tragedy and financial drama connected to his late parents and grandfather, but that doesn’t stop him from striking a fierce pose.

Anyone who has watched the classic film Legally Blonde (2001) knows the absolute Lucky Girl Syndrome vibe that the song “Perfect Day” by Hoku brings. Born in Honolulu, Hawaii and the daughter of Hawaiian musician Don Ho, Hoku has chosen to mostly keep a low profile after her wildly popular anthem, but continues to write, produce and release music independently. Her song still continues to inspire and bop, though — you can find it in the official Spotify Playlist for the Netflix show Wednesday.

Playing villain Bori Khan in Disney’s 2020 live-action remake of Mulan and Mowgli in the 1994 live-action adaptation of the Jungle Book, Hawaiian actor Jason Scott Lee has played a variety of roles in television and film since his acting debut in 1987. Raised in Hawaii and of Hawaiian and Chinese descent, Lee currently plays the lead title role in the Disney+ series, Doogie Kameāloha, M.D., a medical comedy series based on the nineties TV series Doogie Howser, M.D.

Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, Nicole Scherzinger is Native Hawaiian. The former lead singer of The Pussycat Dolls was born to a Filipino father and a mother of Ukrainian, Polish and Native Hawaiian ancestry. Currently one of four panel judges on FOX's The Masked Singer, along with Ken Jeong, Robin Thicke, and Jenny McCarthy, she has also served as a judge on The X Factor United States and United Kingdom. Scherzinger is also a judge on the latest season of Australia’s Got Talent.

Best known as Aquaman, along with his role as Khal Drogo in HBO’s Game of Thrones, Jason Momoa, whose full name is Joseph Jason Namakaeha Momoa, identifies as Native Hawaiian and Polynesian. His father was Native Hawaiian and Samoan, but he was raised by his mother, who is of German, Irish and Native American ancestry. The Hollywood actor was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, moved to Iowa for most of his childhood, and returned to Hawaii for college at the University of Hawaii. He often visits Hawaii and publicly advocates for the preservation of the dormant volcano, Mauna Kea, on the Big Island. His latest project is playing the lead role of Baba Voss on the Apple TV+ series See.

Auli'i Cravalho was born and raised in Kohala, Hawaii, so she's Native Hawaiian — but she's also of Chinese, Irish, Portuguese and Puerto Rican descent. The singer and actress was discovered by an Oahu casting agent at a charity competition before landing her debut role for Disney's hit movie, Moana. Since the animated film, Auli'i has shown her talents on big screen in titles like Ralph Breaks the Internet and All Together Now. Recent projects include roles in the drama Rise on NBC and the Hulu romantic comedy Crush.

Also known as "The Rock," actor Dwayne Johnson was a college football player and a professional WWE wrestler before landing his first acting role in The Mummy Returns in 2001. He was born in California to professional wrestler Rocky Johnson, who is Black and Nova Scotian, and actress Ata Johnson, who is of Samoan descent. Dwayne continues to act, whether he's playing a lead role in a movie like Doc Savage, lending his voice in DC Super Pets or portraying his dad in the TV series, Young Rock. He is currently working on producing and starring in The King, a film about Kamehameha Kūnuiākea, the founder and first ruler of the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi.

One of the original members of Fifth Harmony before the girl group broke up in March 2018, Dinah Jane Hansen is of Tongan Samoan, Fijian and Danish descent. She released her debut solo single "Bottled Up," in September 2018 and released her debut EP Dinah Jane 1, lauded for its R&B and hip-hop style, in April 2019. In 2020, Dinah Jane announced on Instagram that she was going on tour, but it was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic and is yet to be rescheduled.

Prolific actor Keanu Reeves — whose first name means "cool breeze" in Hawaiian — has over 100 credits to his name. He was born in Lebanon, but his dad was of Native Hawaiian, British, Portuguese and Chinese heritage. Recent projects include playing Ted in Bill & Ted Face the Music, voicing Sage in The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run and playing himself in Netflix and Good Universe's Always Be My Maybe. His latest project is a comic book series that he co-wrote titled BRZRKR, which is being adapted into a Netflix live-action film that he will headline

While he’s had several notable acting credits such as in Suicide Squad, Taika Waititi’s career has primarily focused on writing and directing for the screen Identifying as a “Polynesian Jew,” he was born and raised in New Zealand to a Maori and French Canadian father and a mother of Ashkenazi Jewish, Irish, Scottish and English descent. In recent years, he's written popular titles like What We Do In The Shadows and Wellington Paranormal and directed Thor, Ragnarok, which will be released in the fall. He is currently set to direct a live-action film adaptation of the Japanese cyberpunk action movie, Akira.

This reggae singer of Samoan heritage is the genius behind the TikTok viral dance and song "Let's Do It Again," which was actually released back in 2011. Born and raised in California, J Boog is a top reggae artist in Hawaii and throughout the world. He is set to tour this summer in venues along the California coast, the Pacific Northwest, Alaska, Arizona and Virginia.