The Cast of 'Joy Ride': Your Guide to Who's Who
Joy Ride is the latest comedy movie to join the ranks of beloved, raunchy, jaw-dropping chick flicks like Bridesmaids and Girls Trip. Directed by Crazy Rich Asians writer Adele Lim and executive-produced by Seth Rogan, the film follows a group of four Asian American friends as a business trip gone off the rails leads them all to face some big revelations regarding their friendships, relationships, and cultural identity. Don't worry, the surprisingly-heartfelt flick is also full of wild antics, as the girls travel through China in the road trip comedy.
In addition to the film's main foursome, played by Sherry Cola, Ashley Park, Stephanie Hsu, and Sabrina Wu, Lim has also gathered a packed cast full of many familiar faces. Read on to get re-acquainted with the hilarious cast of Joy Ride.
Sherry Cola as Lolo Chen
Lolo grew up in a traditional Chinese household, and met Audrey after a fateful playground meeting where she defended her new friend against a racist bully. Now as an adult, the bold artist challenges her bestie and makes sure to push her out of her comfort zone.
Cola is a comedian, actress, and writer who's best known for playing Alice Kwan on the long-running Freeform series Good Trouble. She has also appeared in the shows I Love Dick, Transparent, and Claws, and she was part of the voice cast for Pixar's Turning Red. Next up, she'll co-star alongside Justin H. Min in the Randall Park's directorial debut Shortcomings.
Instagram: @shrrycola
Ashley Park as Audrey Sullivan
Raised in Seattle, Washington, after being adopted by loving white parents, lawyer Audrey signs on to the business trip to China partly because of her desire to reconnect with her birth mother and explore her cultural heritage. With Lolo tagging along as an interpreter, the trip becomes a wild, transformative experience.
Park started her career in musical theater, performing in productions including The King and I, Sunday in the Park With George, KPOP, and Mean Girls. The Tony nominee is best known for starring as ex-pat Mindy in the Netflix hit Emily in Paris, and has also appeared in the series Beef and Girls5Eva. Next month, she joins the cast for the third season of Hulu's Only Murders in the Building.
Instagram: @ashleyparklady
Stephanie Hsu as Kat
Kat, Audrey's close friend and former college roommate, is now a successful television star in China. She seemingly has the perfect life with her fame, prestige, and loving boyfriend, but she's keeping some secrets about her past.
Hsu is an Academy Award-nominated actress who's best known for starring in last year's multiverse film Everything Everywhere All At Once. She has also appeared in series including The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Awkwafina is Nora from Queens, The Path, and American Born Chinese, in which she reunited with several of her EEAAO co-stars. She also started her career on Broadway, originating the roles of Christine Canigula in Be More Chill and Karen the Computer in SpongeBob SquarePants: The Broadway Musical.
Instagram: @stephaniehsuofficial
Sabrina Wu as Deadeye
Also joining the trip is Deadeye, Lolo's eccentric and shy cousin. The admittedly socially-awkward relative is a passionate k-pop fan with tons of online friends, but keeps her talents mostly hidden in the real world.
Wu (who identifies as nonbinary and uses they/them pronouns) is a writer, actor, and stand-up comedian. Deadeye is their first on-screen role, and they are a staff writer for the Disney+ series Doogie Kameāloha, M.D. They were also previously honored as a 2022 Just for Laughs New Face of Comedy.
Instagram: @asabrinawu
Desmond Chiam as Clarence
Kat's religious boyfriend Desmond is played by Chiam, an Australian actor who is best known for his portrayal of Dovich in the Disney+ Marvel series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. He has also appeared in series including Netflix's Partner Track, Prime Video's With Love, and MTV's The Shannara Chronicles, as well as the films Empty by Design and Magic Camp.
Instagram: @deschaim
Ronny Chieng as Chao
Chao is the Chinese businessman making a deal with Audrey's law firm, who believes that knowing a person's family background is necessary to do business. When he second-guesses the deal after learning Audrey's adopted, he inadvertently sets off the journey to find her birth mother.
Chieng is a Malaysian actor and comedian who's best known for being a longtime correspondent on Comedy Central's The Daily Show. He's since appeared in several blockbuster films, including M3GAN, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Godzilla vs. Kong, and Crazy Rich Asians, as well as the shows American Born Chinese, Doogie Kamealoha, M.D., Young Rock, and Ronny Chieng: International Student.
Instagram: @ronnychieng
Timothy Simons as Frank
Audrey's boss Frank is played by Simons, who's best known for playing perpetual punching bag Jonah Ryan on the hit HBO comedy Veep. Among the actor and comedian's extensive credits include the shows Candy, Fairfax, and Station Eleven, as well as the movies Don't Worry Darling, Happiest Season, The Hustle, Yes God Yes, The Interview, and Inherent Vice.
Instagram: @timothycsimons
Meredith Hagner as Jess
Hagner makes a scene-stealing appearance in the trailer as Jess, a woman the four travelers run into on a train who turns out to be a drug smuggler. The actress made her onscreen debut with her four-year-long, Daytime Emmy-nominated run on As The World Turns, and she's best known for playing Portia Davenport on the Max comedy Search Party. Other films among her many credits include Ingrid Goes West, Set It Up, Palm Springs, and Vacation Friends.
Instagram: @merediththeweasel
Baron Davis as Himself
Hodge, an old friend of Kat's, is portrayed by Hodge, an Australian actor who played Andrew Tan on the HBO dramedy Insecure. He has also appeared in the Netflix series Wellmania, the CW's Black Lightning, HBO's High Maintenance, and the Netflix film Resort to Love.
Instagram: @xrhodge
Chris Pang as Kenny
Ashley's love interest Kenny is played by Australian actor Pang, who's best known for playing groom Colin Khoo in the blockbuster Crazy Rich Asians. He also appeared in the Netflix series Marco Polo and Prime Video's As We See It, as well as the films I, Frankenstein; Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny; Empty by Design; Palm Springs; and Blade of the 47 Ronin.
Instagram: @pangeerz
Former NBA star Baron Davis appears in a memorable cameo, playing a fictionalized version of himself. During his U.S. career from 1999 to 2012, Davis played for teams including the Charlotte/New Orleans Hornets, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Clippers, Cleveland Cavaliers, and New York Knicks. He now works as a regular NBA studio analyst for TNT.
Instagram: @iambarondavis
Lori Tan Chinn as Nai Nai Chen
Lolo and Deadeye's grandmother Nai Nai is played by Chinn, a prolific film and television actor who's best known for playing Litchfield inmate Mei Chang on Orange Is The New Black, as well as Awkwafina's grandma on Awkwafina is Nora From Queens. She also voiced Auntie Chen in the Pixar film Turning Red.
David Denman as Joe Sullivan
Audrey's adoptive father Joe is played by film, TV, and theater actor Denman, who's best known to The Office fans for playing warehouse worker and Pam's boyfriend Roy. He has also appeared on numerous shows including Parenthood, Outcast, The Recruit, and Mare of Easttown.
Instagram: @david_denman
Annie Mumolo as Mary Sullivan
Playing Audrey's adoptive mother Mary is Mumolo, an actress and Academy Award-nominated screenwriter who co-wrote the comedy films Bridesmaids and Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar with Kristen Wiig. In addition to starring in Barb and Star with Wiig, Mumolo has also appeared in the films This Is 40; Afternoon Delight; Bad Moms; Confess, Fletch; and Murder Mystery 2.
Daniel Dae Kim as Dae
Kim, who makes a cameo role in the film, is best known for starring as Jin-soo Kwon in the sci-fi series Lost, and as Chin Ho Kelly in the revival of Hawaii Five-O. The prolific actor has also appeared on the series The Good Doctor and New Amsterdam, as well as films including Crash, The Divergent Series: Insurgent, Spider-Man 2, and Always Be My Maybe.
Instagram: @danieldaekim
