about the cast
Vanessa Kai
Vanessa Kai stars as Pei-Ling, Nicky’s (Olivia Liang) spiritual guide and Shaolin mentor, on The CW’s new series “Kung Fu.” Kai is an actor, collaborator and a native New Yorker.
She was nominated for a Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical for her performance as “Ruby” in the sold-out, extended world premiere of “KPOP,” an Off-Broadway, immersive musical event produced by Ars Nova.
Off-Broadway productions include the world premieres of “The Pain of My Belligerence,” at Playwrights Horizons “Somebody’s Daughter,” at Second Stage and “The Architecture of Becoming” at New York’s City Center.
Other Off-Broadway credits include “Henry VI: Shakespeare’s Trilogy in Two Parts” produced by the National Asian American Theater Company which was nominated two 2019 Drama Desk awards. Regional theater productions include the world premiere of Noah Diaz’s “Richard, Jane, Dick & Sally” and “Top Girls.” Directed by Liesl Tommy.
Other regional credits include Seattle Repertory Theater and Stamford TheaterWorks, where she received a Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Debut by the Connecticut Critics Circle.
Kai has also helped develop new works at such prominent institutions as New York Stage and Film, Roundabout Theater Company, The New Group, The Lark Play Development Center, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, New Dramatists and others.
Kai has also appeared in a recurring role on the hit show “New Amsterdam.” Other television credits include “Orange Is the New Black,” “Gotham,” and “The Mysteries of Laura”.
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