Michelle Mao
Michelle Mao | |
|---|---|
| Born | Xinyi Fang 19 March[1] Nashville, Tenessee, U.S. |
| Other name | Michelle Fang |
| Alma mater | |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 2017–present |
Xinyi Fang (born 19 March), known professionally as Michelle Mao, is an actress. Her films include The Keepers of the 5 Kingdoms (2024) and Zi (2026). On television, she appeared in the Apple TV+ series Surfside Girls (2022) and the fourth season of the Netflix series Bridgerton (2026).
Early life and education
Xinyi "Michelle" Fang[2] was born on 19 March[1] in Nashville. She grew up in Hong Kong and Beijing[3] and went to boarding school in England, where she discovered a love of theatre. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Media Studies from the University of California, Berkeley in 2019.[2] During her time at Berkeley, she was involved in the initiatives the Malala Fund and the AAPI Bone Marrow Donor Program, and helped launch Future Forum Beijing in 2017.[2] Fang then pursued a 2021–2022 Master of Arts (MA) in Global Affairs at Tsinghua University back in Beijing as a Schwarzman Scholar.[2][4]
Career
Initially credited as Michelle Fang, she began her career during her time at Berkeley, appearing in shorts and music videos and doing the English dubs for Korean series and films. She starred as the titular character of the Hooked TV series Morgan's Secret Admirer.[5] In 2022, Fang had her first named film role as Lisa Randall in the Netflix teen band film Metal Lords[6][7] and a recurring role as Amy in the Apple TV+ series Surfside Girls.[8] She portrayed a young version of Françoise Yip's character Victoria in the 2023 reboot of the series Goosebumps on Hulu and Disney+.[9]
In 2024, Fang starred as Patsy Lee in the fantasy film The Keepers of the 5 Kingdoms, having been cast back in 2018.[10][11] Credited as Michelle Mao, she had supporting roles in the 2025 films Preparation for the Next Life and A Big Bold Beautiful Journey.[12][13] Mao starred in Kogonada's film Zi, which premiered at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival.[14] That same year, she played Rosamund Li in the fourth season of the Netflix period drama Bridgerton.[15][16][17]
She has upcoming roles in the independent film Caity[18] and as Yara in the third season of the HBO series The Last of Us.[19]
Filmography
| † | Denotes films that have not yet been released |
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Bumblebee | Mean Girl / Partygoer | |
| 2019 | The Forest of Love | Mitsuko | English dub |
| 2020 | #Alive | Additional voices | English dub |
| 2022 | Metal Lords | Lisa Randall | |
| 2024 | The Keepers of the 5 Kingdoms | Patsy Lee | |
| 2025 | Preparation for the Next Life | Angela | |
| A Big Bold Beautiful Journey | Smitty | ||
| 2026 | Zi | Zi | |
| Caity | Petey |
Shorts
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Irrevocable | Maggie | |
| Blowing Smoke | Megan | ||
| Notes for December | Violinist | ||
| 2018 | Hunter's First Homicide | Maggie | UCB student film |
| About Tonight | Sammy | ||
| A Woman at War | Mallory Peters | ||
| 88 Cents | Waitress | ||
| Exuding Love | Cheyenne | ||
| I Love You So | |||
| 2019 | "Dating with Footnotes: Why Concert Dates are the Worst" | June | College Humor |
| @theinternet | Kim | ||
| 2020 | To All the Kevins | Lara Jean | |
| 2021 | Tho | Cerise | |
| 2022 | All I Want is Everything | Alice | |
| The Basics of Love | Waitress | ||
| 2023 | My Nights Glow Yellow | K | |
| 2024 | Cosmetic Criminals | Charlotte | e.l.f. parody |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | A Couple of Spies | Influencer | Miniseries |
| My First First Love | Oh Ga-rin | English dub, 16 episodes | |
| 13 Reasons Why | Protestor | 1 episode | |
| 2020 | 9-1-1 | Lauren | Episode: "Pinned" |
| Sweet Home | English dub, 10 episodes | ||
| 2020–2021 | Morgan's Secret Admirer | Morgan Gaines | Lead role |
| 2021 | So Not Worth It | Jun-yeong's tutor | English dub, 1 episode |
| 2022 | Surfside Girls | Amy | 6 episodes |
| Kung Fu | Tracy Fong | Episode: "Harmony" | |
| 2023 | Goosebumps | Young Victoria | 2 episodes |
| 2024 | FBI: Most Wanted | Evelyn May | Episode: "Desperate" |
| 2026 | Bridgerton | Rosamund Li | 8 episodes |
| 2027 | The Last of Us † | Yara | Season 3 |
Music video
| Song | Year | Artist | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| "ABG" | 2018 | Chow Mane | |
| "Pressure" | 2018 | Muse | |
| "Lay With Me" | 2018 | Phantoms & Vanessa Hudgens |
References
- ^ a b Mao, Michelle [@michelleforbreakfast]; (19 March 2025). "I leave Sisyphus at the foot of the mountain!!!!!". Archived from the original on 27 April 2026. Retrieved 28 April 2026 – via Instagram.
- ^ a b c d "Xinyi (Michelle) Fang : Schwarzman Scholars Program". UC Berkeley. Archived from the original on 7 July 2022. Retrieved 10 March 2026.
- ^ Nordstrom, Leigh (27 February 2026). "Michelle Mao Embraces the 'Bridgerton' Villain". WWD. Retrieved 11 March 2026.
- ^ Valentini, Valentina (16 September 2024). "Everything We Know About 'Bridgerton' Season 4". Shondaland. Retrieved 17 September 2024.
- ^ "Morgan's Secret Admirer". Noah Fearnley. Retrieved 10 March 2026.
- ^ Vargas, Chanel (10 March 2022). "Jaeden Martell Goes From Band Kid to Rock Star in "Metal Lords"". Pop Sugar. Retrieved 10 March 2026.
- ^ "Rising Young Chinese Actress Michelle Mao Talks Netflix's Metal Lords and What Comes Next". Newswire. 12 April 2022. Retrieved 17 September 2024.
- ^ Keller, Joel (19 August 2022). "Stream It Or Skip It: 'Surfside Girls' On Apple TV+, Where Two Girls Discover Supernatural Goings On In Their Tiny Beach Town". Decider. Retrieved 10 March 2026.
- ^ "This is why you might recognise new Bridgerton cast member". Evoke. 19 September 2024. Retrieved 20 May 2025.
- ^ "Actress Michelle Fang Books A Lead Role In "Patsy Lee & The Keepers Of The Five Kingdoms" From Her Self Tape!". The Creation Studios. 5 November 2018. Retrieved 10 March 2026.
- ^ Morazzini, Jim (20 June 2024). "'The Keepers Of The 5 Kingdoms' VOD Review". Nerdly. Retrieved 10 March 2026.
- ^ Biswas, Archie (23 January 2026). "Who is Miss Rosamund Li in Bridgerton Season 4? Character details explored as Netflix drops a teaser". Soap Central. Retrieved 10 March 2026.
- ^ Puckett-Pope, Lauren (14 May 2025). "Bridgerton Season 4: What We Know So Far". Elle. Retrieved 20 May 2025.
- ^ Hutchinson, Chase (25 January 2026). "'Zi' Review: Michelle Mao Is Magnificent in Kogonada's Transcendent Meditation on Time". The Wrap. Retrieved 10 March 2026.
- ^ Moreau, Jordan (Sep 16, 2024). "'Bridgerton' Season 4 Begins Production and Adds 3 Cast Members". Variety. Retrieved 16 September 2024.
- ^ Moore, Julia (28 February 2026). "Bridgerton's Michelle Mao Reveals How She Manifested Her Role and Handled Fan Reaction to Her 'Antagonist' Character (Exclusive)". People. Retrieved 28 April 2026.
- ^ Letonja, Jana (24 December 2025). "In conversation with Michelle Mao". Numéro Netherlands. Retrieved 10 March 2026.
- ^ Grobar, Matt (11 November 2025). "Zach Cherry & Six Others Join Indie Drama 'Caity'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 11 November 2025.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (20 March 2026). "'The Last Of Us' Adds Michelle Mao As Yara & Kyriana Kratter As Lev For Season 3 Of HBO Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 21 March 2026.
External links
- Michelle Mao at IMDb