Status Report: Asian Actors in Hollywood

Too often Asian actors fall way under the radar and are often typecast in Hollywood. Battling stereotypes and other challenges, many talented actors are criminally underrated. Like other thespians, they go the indie film route or can't break out of the small screen cul de sac.

In honor of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, here's a status report of some of just a few of the most promising Asian actors:

Ken Watanabe

Claim to fame: The Last Samurai
Underrated performance(s): Batman Begins, Inception, Memoirs of a Geisha
Last seen: Hayabusa: The Long Voyage Home (Japan, 2012)
Next up: ???

Michelle Yeoh

Claim to fame: Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

Underrated performance(s): The Lady, Memoirs of a Geisha

Last seen: The Lady (2012)

Next up: Cooktales (2012)

Ming-Na

Claim to fame: TV's ER

Underrated performance(s): The Joy Luck Club

Last seen: TV's Eureka

Next up: ???

Jet Li

Claim to fame: Hero

Underrated performance(s): Hero (bears repeating)

Last seen: The Flying Swords of Dragon Gate (2011, China)

Next up: The Expendables 2 (2012)

Jackie Chan

Claim to fame: the Rush Hour movies
Underrated performance(s): Rumble in the Bronx
Last seen: 1911 (2011, China)
Next up: Chinese Zodiac (2012, China)

Lucy Liu

Claim to fame: Kill Bill, Charlie's Angels

Underrated performance(s): TV's Southland, Detachment, Lucky Number Slevin

Last seen: 1911 (2011, China)

Next up: TV's Elementary (2012)

Ziyi Zhang

Claim to fame: Memoirs of a Geisha

Underrated performance(s): Memoirs of a Geisha, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, House of Flying Daggers

Last seen: Til Death Do Us Part (2011, China)

Next up: The Grandmasters (2012, China)

Sandra Oh

Claim to fame: TV's Grey's Anatomy

Underrated performance(s): Rabbit Hole

Last seen: TV's Grey's Anatomy

Next up: 33 Liberty Lane (2013)

Freida Pinto

Claim to fame: Slumdog Millionaire

Underrated performance(s): Trishna

Last seen: Trishna (2012)

Next up: ???

Parminda Nagra

Claim to fame: TV's ER

Underrated performance(s): Bend it Like Beckham

Last seen: TV's Alcatraz (2012)

Next up: Twenty8k (2012, UK)

Ben Kingsley

Claim to fame: Gandhi
Underrated performance(s): Sneakers

Last seen: Hugo (2011)

Next up: The Dictator (2012)

Irrfan

Claim to fame: Slumdog Millionaire

Underrated performance(s): The Namesake

Last seen: Thank You (2011)

Next up: The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)

Kal Penn

Claim to fame: the Harold & Kumar movies

Underrated performance(s): The Namesake

Last seen: TV's House
Next up: TV's Prairie Dogs (2012)

Lou Diamond Phillips

Claim to fame: La Bamba
Underrated performance(s): Stand and Deliver

Last seen: TV's Southland (2012)
Next up: TV's Arachnaconda, A Place Where the Sea Remembers (2013)