Ashley Park (actress)

American actress (born 1991)Template:SHORTDESC:American actress (born 1991)

* Actor
* singer
* dancer

**Ashley Jini Park** (born June 6, 1991) is an American actress, singer, and dancer who is best known for her portrayal of Mindy Chen on the Netflix comedy series *Emily in Paris*. She has received several awards including nominations for a Tony Award and a Grammy Award.

Her theatre roles also include Tuptim in the 2015 Broadway revival of *The King and I* and MwE in Ars Nova's off-Broadway musical *KPOP*. She also stars in *Crazy Rich Asians* writer Adele Lim's 2023 directorial debut, *Joy Ride*.

## Early life

Park was born in Glendale, California, and grew up in Ann Arbor, Michigan. She is of Korean descent, and is a second cousin of actor Justin H. Min.

Park was placed in dance classes at the Oceanside Dance Academy at age three and began piano lessons at age five. Park's love of performing led her to participate in Ann Arbor's community kids’ theatre throughout middle school and high school. She also attended Interlochen Summer Arts Camp in 2003. Park attended Pioneer High School where she participated in both theatre and choir. She also co-founded a women's a cappella group at Pioneer High School, Soulfege, which placed second at a national competition in 2009.

During her sophomore year in high school, at age 15, Park was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia and was hospitalized for eight months. Park was a recipient of a "wish" from the Make-A-Wish Foundation for which she and her family went to New York City and saw the Broadway productions of *A Chorus Line*, *The Lion King*, *Spring Awakening*, and *Wicked*. In interviews she has stated, "My cancer experience is, I think, the reason I do theater...As soon as I was out of the hospital, all I wanted to do is be around people." After chemotherapy, Park returned to high school, and three months later, she was cast as the lead role of Millie Dillmount in her high school's production of *Thoroughly Modern Millie*. Park has disclosed that during this time, “putting on a wig and putting on shoes and costume and being a different person was the best escape from being just the girl who had cancer”.

She graduated from Pioneer High School in 2009 and then attended the University of Michigan, earning a BFA in musical theatre from the School of Music, Theater, and Dance in 2013. During her undergraduate years, she co-founded the Michigan Performance Outreach Workshop (MPOW).

## Career

In 2009, Park made her professional theatre debut as Yvonne in Music Theatre Wichita's production of *Miss Saigon*. She spent the following two summers performing in Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera's Benedum Center production of *Miss Saigon*, with which she earned her Equity card.

Park made her Broadway debut as a member of the ensemble in *Mamma Mia!* at the Broadhurst Theatre on February 17, 2014. She left the production on September 21, 2014. From October 2014 to January 2015, Park portrayed Gabrielle in the original U.S. national touring company of *Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella*.

Park then returned to Broadway on April 16, 2015, in her first leading role as Tuptim in the 2015 revival of *The King and I* at the Vivian Beaumont Theater and remained with the production until its closing on June 26, 2016. Park was featured as a principal soloist on the cast recording for which she was nominated for a Grammy Award.

In February 2017, she appeared in the Broadway revival of *Sunday in the Park with George* as Celeste #1 and Theresa alongside Jake Gyllenhaal, Annaleigh Ashford, and Ruthie Ann Miles.

In the fall of 2017, Park portrayed MwE in the off-Broadway musical *KPOP* at the Ars Nova. She was nominated for a Drama Desk Award and a Drama League Award and also won a Lucille Lortel Award for this role. Park left the production in October 2017 due to her beginning rehearsals for the *Mean Girls* out-of-town tryout and was replaced by Marina Kondo.

Park starred as Gretchen Wieners in the Tony Award-nominated Broadway musical *Mean Girls*, written by Tina Fey with music and lyrics by Jeff Richmond and Nell Benjamin, respectively. The show had its world premiere as an out-of-town tryout at the National Theatre in Washington, D.C., from October 31, 2017, to December 3, 2017, in which Park originated the role of Gretchen Wieners. The musical, which is based on the film of the same name, began previews on March 12, 2018, and officially opened on Broadway on April 8, 2018, at the August Wilson Theatre in New York City. Park received nominations for numerous awards for her role as Gretchen Wieners, including nominations for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical, a Drama League Award, and the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical. In May 2018 Park was awarded the Clarence Derwent Award, an honor "given to the most promising female and male performers" in New York City, by the Actors’ Equity Foundation, along with Sean Carvajal. On March 10, 2019, Park left the production and was replaced by Krystina Alabado.

In June 2019, it was announced that Park would headline a "revamped" production of *Thoroughly Modern Millie* from May 6–10, 2020, for New York City Center Encores!. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the production was cancelled, and ticket refunds were offered to the public.

Park was cast in August 2019 in the role of Mindy Chen in Netflix's *Emily in Paris*, opposite Lily Collins. The series premiered on October 2, 2020, and was renewed for a second season on November 11, 2020. Park's character covered "La Vie en Rose" in the first season of *Emily in Paris*. It was the most downloaded TV song for that week.

In October 2020 it was announced that Park would be heard as Kaye Fields in *As the Curtain Rises*, an original podcast soap opera from the Broadway Podcast Network.

On December 28, 2020, it was announced that Park would star as Colette in a benefit concert presentation of *Ratatouille the Musical*, an internet meme that originated on TikTok, inspired by the 2007 Disney/Pixar film. The concert streamed exclusively on TodayTix on January 1, 2021.

In August 2021, it was announced Park would star as Cinderella in the 2022 Encores! version of *Into the Woods*. She was ultimately replaced by Denée Benton.

Park stars in *Crazy Rich Asians* writer Adele Lim's 2023 directorial debut, *Joy Ride*. The R-rated comedy "follows four Asian American women as they travel through Asia in search of one of their birth mothers."

Park plays Naomi in Netflix's 2023 dark comedy,  Beef and Kimber  in Hulu's 2023 Only Murders in the Building' Season 3.

## Philanthropy and activism

As a student at the University of Michigan, Park was the co-founder of the Michigan Performance Outreach Workshop (MPOW), a student-run organization with the purpose of bringing performing arts educational opportunities to students in southeastern Michigan to, "foster creative expression, build self-esteem, and strengthen the community." MPOW hosts an on-campus workshop each semester for 130-200 public-school students that includes performances by University of Michigan students as well as immersive and collaborative workshops in arts-based disciplines. In 2013 Park was awarded with the Willis Patterson Diversity Award for using her "talents and scholarly abilities to enhance the development of, and appreciation for, a more culturally and ethnically diverse community in the School of Music, Theatre & Dance" at the University of Michigan.

During her undergraduate years, Park was also involved with the Prison Creative Arts Project, an organization that engages "those impacted by the justice system into artistic collaboration" with University of Michigan students for "mutual learning and growth through theatre, dance, visual art, creative writing, slam poetry, and music" in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Since moving to NYC, Park has participated in events supporting Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS (BCEFA). In June 2018, she participated in the 28th annual Broadway Bares, an annual burlesque/striptease show fundraiser for BCEFA, and personally raised nearly $3,000 for the organization. In August 2018 Park participated in Covenant House's Stage & Screen Sleep Out along with *Mean Girls* co-stars Kyle Selig and Curtis Holland, and together they raised over $14,000 for the organization which provides shelter, food, and crisis care for the homeless and runaway youth.

She also has served as a mentor and held masterclasses for various programs and organizations, such as The Broadway Collective and Broadway Workshop.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Park set up a second Instagram account from which she began offering ten-minute one-on-one lessons and daily question-and-answer sessions via Zoom in exchange for donations to the Actors Fund.

## Discography

### Cast recordings

* *The King and I* - The 2015 Broadway Cast Recording (2015)
* *Sunday in the Park with George* - 2017 Broadway Cast Recording (2017)
* *The Greatest Showman* - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (2017)
* *Mean Girls* - Original Broadway Cast Recording (2018)

### Collaborative projects

* *Broadway's Carols for a Cure, Volume 17* (2015)
* *Broadway's Carols for a Cure, Volume 20* (2018)

### As featured artist

* "Rockin' Around the Pole" by The Hot Elves (for *Mean Girls*) (2018)

### Soundtrack

* *Soundtrack from Emily in Paris* (2021) - 5 songs

### Podcasts

* *As the Curtain Rises* – Kaye Fields (voice acting role)

## Awards and nominations

### Special honors and awards

* 2013 – Willis Patterson Diversity Award
* 2018 – Clarence Derwent Award
* 2019 – Cancer Support Community's Marin Mazzie Award for Empowerment

## References

1. ↑ Famous birthdays for June 6: Ashley Park, Sandra Bernhard (June 6, 2022).
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Template:Cite magazine
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Ruthie Ann Miles, Conrad Ricamora, Ashley Park & More Join Cast of THE KING AND I Broadway Revival; Full Company Announced! (November 17, 2014).
4. ↑ Millward, Tom (June 20, 2018). Interview with Mean Girls star Ashley Park. "...an ever-growing success story for the Glendale, California native..."
5. ↑ Franklin, Marc J. (August 7, 2018). Visit the Farmers Market With Mean Girls Ashley Park.
6. ↑ Fleshman, Cu (December 10, 2020). Character Conversations: Netflix Stars Ashley Park and Justin H. Min Connect Over Asian American Narratives and Family Ties.
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Sullivan, Lindsey (May 26, 2018). You Can Sit with Her! Tony Nominee Ashley Park Opens Up About Connections, Going Back to High School in *Mean Girls* & Her Amazing Year.
8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 8.6 Jourdan, Jane (January 30, 2016). #FFB: Ashley Park.
9. ↑ Mullen, Matt (May 1, 2018). The scene stealer: Ashley Park. *Interview Magazine*.
10. ↑ Interlochen alumni among 2018 Tony Awards nominees.
11. ↑ Show Photos: Pioneer High School Theatre Guild.
12. ↑ Soulfege.
13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 Gioia, Michael (April 13, 2016). Stars of *The King and I* Reflect on Surviving Their Toughest Battle: Cancer.
14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 Blank, Matthew (April 21, 2015). Cue & A: *King and I* Star Ashley Park on Bartlett Sher, Onstage Tumbles and the Time She Played Stevie Wonder. "Park made her Broadway debut in Mamma Mia!..."
15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 Mathis, Jo C. (November 3, 2007). Pioneer High actress refuses to let cancer slow her down.
16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 Musical Theatre Students Launch Outreach Organization. *Michigan Muse* (Spring 2012).
17. ↑ ASHLEY PARK: ACTRESS, DANCER, SINGER (en-US).
18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 Ashley Park.
19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 Ashley Park.
20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 Additional casting has been announced for the national tour of CINDERELLA (July 28, 2014).
21. ↑ Template:Cite magazine
22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 *Hamilton* Wins Grammy for Best Musical Theater Album. *Playbill* (February 15, 2016).
23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 Gioia, Michael (January 23, 2017). Complete Cast Announced for Broadway Revival of *Sunday in the Park With George*.
24. ↑ Levitt, Hayley (February 19, 2017). A New *Sunday in the Park* With George Redraws Lines and Reunites Old Costars.
25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 Clement, Olivia (July 12, 2017). Ars Nova's *KPOP* to Include Ashley Park, Jason Tam, and Beyoncé Back-Up Dancer Ebony Williams.
26. ↑ 26.0 26.1 26.2 26.3 *SpongeBob SquarePants* Leads 2018 Drama Desk Awards. *Playbill* (June 3, 2018).
27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 Lefkowitz, Andy (May 6, 2018). Ashley Park, Billy Crudup, Carrie Coon & More Win 2018 Lucille Lortel Awards. *Broadway.com*.
28. ↑ 28.0 28.1 28.2 McPhee, Ryan (April 18, 2018). Denzel Washington, Andrew Garfield, Laurie Metcalf Among 2018 Drama League Award Nominees. *Playbill*.
29. ↑ Clement, Olivia (October 9, 2017). Marina Kondo Steps Into *KPOP* Lead as Ashley Park Leaves for *Mean Girls*.
30. ↑ Tony Awards 2018: See the Full List of Nominees Here. *Vogue* (June 7, 2018).
31. ↑ 31.0 31.1 Vine, Hannah (February 2, 2018). See Who's Bringing *Mean Girls* to Broadway. *Playbill*.
32. ↑ 32.0 32.1 32.2 McPhee, Ryan (July 27, 2017). *Mean Girls* Musical Finds Its Plastics in Taylor Louderman and Ashley Park; Additional Casting Announced.
33. ↑ 33.0 33.1 Erika Henningsen, Taylor Louderman, Ashley Park and Kate Rockwell to Play 'The Plastics' in Broadway-Bound MEAN GIRLS Musical; Cast Announced!. *Broadway World* (July 27, 2017).
34. ↑ Vine, Hannah (April 8, 2018). Inside the Mean Girls Opening Night on Broadway.
35. ↑ 35.0 35.1 Lefkowitz, Andy (May 8, 2018). Ashley Park & Sean Carvajal Win 2018 Clarence Derwent Awards; Margaret Colin & Michael Potts Honored with Richard Seff Awards. *Broadway.com*.
36. ↑ Lefkowitz, Andy (February 12, 2019). Krystina Alabado to Join *Mean Girls* on Broadway; Ashley Park Sets Exit Date.
37. ↑ Levitt, Hayley (June 3, 2019). Ashley Park to Star in Revamped *Thoroughly Modern Millie*. *TheaterMania*.
38. ↑ Lefkowitz, Andy (March 28, 2020). Ashley Park-Led *Thoroughly Modern Millie* Canceled at City Center Encores!. *Broadway.com*.
39. ↑ Petski, Denise (August 13, 2019). Ashley Park To Co-Star In Darren Star's Paramount Network Series 'Emily In Paris'.
40. ↑ Swift, Andy (September 1, 2020). Emily in Paris Gets October Premiere Date on Netflix — Watch First Trailer.
41. ↑ White, Peter (November 11, 2020). 'Emily In Paris' Renewed At Netflix For Season 2.
42. ↑ Ashley Park on Finding Her Voice in Emily in Paris. *townandcountrymag.com/leisure/arts-and-culture*.
43. ↑ Does Ashley Park really sing in Emily in Paris?. *netflixlife.com*.
44. ↑ Ashley Park's Emily In Paris Season 2 Storyline Led To Her Covering A BTS Hit. *bustle.com/entertainment/*.
45. ↑ Emily in Paris' Soundtrack: All the Songs that Feature in Season 2. *newsweek.com/news*.
46. ↑ Emily in Paris star Ashley Park releases cover of La Vie en Rose. *myimperfectlife.com/news*.
47. ↑ 47.0 47.1 As the Curtain Rises - Broadway's First Digital Soap Opera.
48. ↑ 48.0 48.1 Evans, Greg (December 28, 2020). 'Ratatouille: The TikTok Musical' All-Star Cast To Include Wayne Brady, Tituss Burgess & Adam Lambert (en-US).
49. ↑ Heather Headley, Sara Bareilles, Christian Borle, Ashley Park to Star in Encores! Into the Woods! (en).
50. ↑ Culwell-Block, Long (March 24, 2022). Denée Benton, Gavin Creel, Ann Harada, More Join Encores! *Into the Woods*. *Playbill*. Retrieved on December 16, 2022.
51. ↑ 51.0 51.1 Adele Lim Directing Ashley Park in Untitled R-Rated Comedy for Lionsgate, Point Grey (EXCLUSIVE) (July 9, 2021).
52. ↑ The Team. "Founders: Ashley Park and Laura Reed"
53. ↑ eMPOWer.
54. ↑ Michigan Performance Outreach Workshop.
55. ↑ 55.0 55.1 2013 SMTD Commencement Award Winners Announced (March 20, 2013). "The Williis Patterson Diversity Award – Ashley Park (Musical Theatre)"
56. ↑ Mission & Core Values.
57. ↑ Prison Creative Arts Project.
58. ↑ STAGE TUBE: Ashley Park and Taylor Louderman Duet on Lady Gaga's 'Poker Face' at BROADWAY SESSIONS (July 11, 2013).
59. ↑ Stars from THE BOYS IN THE BAND, Ashley Park, and More to Appear at BROADWAY BARES: GAME NIGHT (June 14, 2018).
60. ↑ Ashley Park's fundraising page.Template:Dead link
61. ↑ Covenant House Sleep Out: Mean Girls Team Page.
62. ↑ Gathered NYC.
63. ↑ Photo Flash: Broadway Workshop Celebrates MEAN GIRLS Day With Ashley Park, Erika Henningsen, and More! (January 30, 2019).
64. ↑ VIDEO: Ashley Park Shares Rehearsal Audio of THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE at City Center (May 6, 2020).
65. ↑ McKee, Jenn (February 10, 2015). Pioneer High and U-M grad Ashley Park will have a key role in Broadway revival of 'The King and I'.
66. ↑ Schwartz, Jonas (September 22, 2016). Reviews: The Fantasticks.
67. ↑ Ashley Park, Paolo Montalban and More Set for 'PRINCE JEN' Reading in NYC (November 1, 2016).
68. ↑ Kaplan, Betsy (July 25, 2017). Read Reviews for the Broadway-Aimed *Hood: The Robin Hood Musical Adventure*.
69. ↑ Gans, Andrew (April 25, 2019). Tony Winner Victoria Clark Is a *Lady in the Dark* April 25–27 at New York City Center. *Playbill*.
70. ↑ McPhee, Ryan (August 5, 2019). Michael Urie, Thomas Sadoski, Ashley Park, More to Star in Broadway's Grand Horizons. *Playbill*.
71. ↑ 71.0 71.1 71.2 71.3 Ashley Park - IMDb. *IMDb*.
72. ↑ Zawe Ashton, Theo James & Ashley Park Join ‘Mr Malcolm’s List’, Universal Takes International Rights.
73. ↑ 'Mean Girls': Ashley Park Added to the Cast of Movie Musical (Exclusive). *Entertainment Tonight* (March 3, 2023). Retrieved on March 23, 2023.
74. ↑ Slagter, Martin (June 5, 2017). Ann Arbor actress Ashley Park to make TV debut in 'Nightcap'. *MLive*.
75. ↑ Mean Girls - SNL (May 19, 2018).
76. ↑ Petski, Denise (October 16, 2018). *Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City*: Paul Gross To Reprise Role In Netflix Revival; Full Cast Set.
77. ↑ Gans, Andrew (March 12, 2019). *Mean Girls* Tony Nominee Ashley Park Lands Role in ABC Comedy Pilot. *Playbill*.
78. ↑ Untitled Jessica Gao/ABC Project (TV Movie) - IMDb. *IMDb*.
79. ↑ Petski, Denise (August 13, 2019). Ashley Park to Co-Star in Darren Star's Paramount Network Series 'Emily in Paris'.
80. ↑ White, Peter (October 11, 2020). Ashley Park Back In The Band In Peacock's 'Girls5eva'. Retrieved on October 9, 2020.
81. ↑ *Beef*: Netflix Dramedy Rounds Out Cast Including David Choe With Maria Bello Among Guest Stars (March 10, 2022).
82. ↑ The Third Season of Only Murders In the Building Is Almost Here (en-US) (2023-07-21).
83. ↑ Hetrick, Adam (June 1, 2015). See Kelli O'Hara and *King and I* Cast Record Lavish New Broadway Cast Album With 29-Piece Orchestra!. *Playbill*.
84. ↑ Template:Cite magazine
85. ↑ Template:Cite magazine
86. ↑ Rickwald, Bethany (November 3, 2015). Broadway's *Carols for a Cure* Volume 17 Is Now Available. *TheaterMania*.
87. ↑ Hetrick, Adam (November 19, 2018). Casts of *Mean Girls*, *Frozen*, *Dear Evan Hansen*, and *Pretty Woman* Featured on 2018 *Carols For a Cure*. *Playbill*.
88. ↑ Nelson, Jeff (December 7, 2018). The *Mean Girls* Musical Releases Music Video for Holiday Song 'Rockin' Around the Pole'. *PEOPLE*.
89. ↑ 'Emily in Paris' Soundtrack Album Details. *filmmusicreporter.com* (December 30, 2021).
90. ↑ McPhee, Ryan (May 7, 2018). *Harry Potter and the Cursed Child*, *My Fair Lady* Win Big at 2018 Outer Critics Circle Awards. *Playbill*.
91. ↑ McPhee, Ryan (April 27, 2018). Carousel, Once On This Island Among 2018 Chita Rivera Award Nominations. *Playbill*.
92. ↑ Schneider, Michael (January 18, 2021). 'Ozark,' 'The Crown' and Netflix Lead 26th Annual Critics' Choice Awards TV Nominations. *Variety*. Retrieved on January 18, 2021.
93. ↑ Del Rosario, Alexandra (April 19, 2021). MTV Movie & TV Awards Nominations: 'Emily In Paris', 'WandaVision' & 'RuPaul's Drag Race'.
94. ↑ Lefkowitz, Andy (March 13, 2019). Ashley Park to Receive Inaugural Marin Mazzie Award for Empowerment. *Broadway.com*.

## Further reading

* *Current Biography* (Vol. 79, No. 10 ed.). October 2018. pp. 68–71.

## External links

* Template:IBDB name
* Ashley Park at IMDb

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