Jess Hong is 3 Body Problem's breakout star after her memorable performance in the three-part series.
Hong brings Jin Cheng to life in Netflix's 3 Body Problems, a tenacious and intelligent scientist who is a member of the Oxford Five.
In the sci-fi series, Cheng serves as the team's anchor in trying to unpack the mystery behind humanity's so-called greatest threat.
4 Things to Know about Jess Hong
Jess Has a Theater Background
Jess Hong, 27, has an extensive theater background, with lead roles as Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, Prefrontal Cortex in An Organ of Soft Tissue, and Wahine in Front Yard Festivals.
In 2022, Hong starred in a black comedy called The First Prime-Time Asian Sitcom as Angela Xu. The play chronicled the conversations happening inside a writers' room and tackled topics such as division and stereotypes.
Hong (via her Instagram in November 2022) said that she was "beyond proud" to be part of The First Prime-Time Asian Sitcom, noting that it "created space for [her] to excavate [her] personal and artistic history:"
"Beyond proud to be a part of this evolution in theatre-making in Aotearoa. This mahi has required all of me. It has grown my critical thinking and created space for me to excavate my personal and artistic history. Strong bonds have been forged in our rehearsal room, through laughter, ceaseless trolling, stupid banter, intense discourse, sweat, occasional tears, bruises, paper cuts, cream donuts, lollie cakes, oat milk vs. soy milk, lunchtime cafe excursions, hard work, hard play, and above all so much AROHA."
Jess Is a New Zealand Native
Jess Hong is born in Auckland, New Zealand.
Hong spoke with The Hollywood Reporter to talk about how 3 Body Problem's creators rewrote the script to reflect her Kiwi background and accent:
"I’ve learned the creators prefer to have the essence of the actors in the show and that they have total creative reign to do so. I also say 'buddy' a lot, and they worked that into the script too."
Growing up in New Zealand, Hong admitted that entering the world of acting was not initially a plan due to her social anxiety issues.
Still, the five-foot-four actress took drama classes and eventually attended drama school to cement her passion for acting:
"It was only then that I realized, 'Wait, people actually work and make money — usually not a lot of money — acting.'"
Jesse's 3 Body Problem Role Is Not Her First TV Part
Before her breakout performance as Jin Cheng in 3 Body Problems, Jesse Hong previously starred as Aifei He in Inked, New Zealand's first Chinese-English TV series.
Inked tells the story of Jiayue, a young tattoo artist who navigates the ups and downs of her life while chasing her dreams.
In a post on her Instagram in September 2021, Hong shared her worthwhile experiences while being involved in the show, such as having a dragon tattoo:
"The tats we showed off were designed & curated by Clarette (with help from our friends at Dream Hands Tattoo Studio), printed, then painstakingly applied over several hours to each actor. Aifei's dragon tattoo was the trickiest to work with. We needed to apply a large 2D print to my juicy 3D shoulder & bicep, and it needed to fit perfectly in the same place every time."
Hong's other notable credits include appearances in The Brokenwood Mysteries, Creamerie, and two short films titled Edamame and Krystal.
The Auckland native also attended stunt training sessions with renowned stunt double Dayna Grant in 2023 at the New Zealand Stunt School and the New Zealand Stage and Screen Combat School from 2019 to 2020.
Jesse Hong Loves Fried Chicken
In an interview with New Zealand Weekly (via Magzter) in November 2022, Jesse Hong openly admitted her love for fried chicken, pointing out that she cannot walk past any shop that sells her favorite comfort food.
Aside from fried chicken, Hong also enumerated other kinds of food she loves to munch during her downtime, such as ice cream, ramen, and spicy Shin Ramyun.
How To Follow Jesse Hong Online
For more updates about Jess Hong, fans can follow her on Instagram (@jessthehong).
3 Body Problem is now streaming on Netflix.
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