Arden Cho

Early life

Cho was born on August 16, 1985, in Amarillo, Texas, to Korean immigrant parents, and she was raised in San Antonio and Plano, Texas. In a 2014 interview, she stated that growing up in areas with few ethnic minorities, she often felt like an outsider. As a child, she was bullied and was hospitalized twice for injuries after being physically attacked. She attended high school in Apple Valley, Minnesota.

Cho attended the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign with the intention of becoming a lawyer. She took her first drama classes there and developed an interest in the acting profession. There, she also became more exposed to Asian American culture at large.

Career

Acting

Cho spent the summer following her graduation on a medical missionary trip in Kenya. She then moved to Los Angeles, where she worked odd jobs while trying to pursue a career in acting. Although she did not have any screen credits at the time, her first agent took her on due to her resume of musical and physical talents, which included ballet, cello, and piano. Cho has appeared in films, television series, and commercials in the United States and Asia. In 2008, Cho played the grown-up lead of Hyori (the younger version being played by Megan Lee) in the short film My First Crush, directed by Rocky Jo.

In 2011, she appeared in the role of Pru, a friend of Paige McCullers in the season 1 episode "Someone to Watch Over Me" of the ABC Family show Pretty Little Liars. She also appeared in the role of Gia in the monster film Mega Python vs. Gatoroid, directed by Mary Lambert. In 2014, Cho joined the TV series Teen Wolf as Kira, starting as a recurring character in the series's third season. She was promoted to a main cast role in the fourth season. In April 2016, ahead of her talk at University of Illinois at Chicago for Asian American Awareness Month, Cho posted a YouTube video on her personal channel revealing that she would not return for the sixth season of Teen Wolf. In 2017, Cho was cast as a recurring character on season 3 of Chicago Med as Dr. Ethan Choi's sister.

Beginning in 2022, Cho starred in several projects for Netflix. In 2022, Cho starred as the lead character Ingrid Yun in the television series Partner Track, which lasted for one season. She later said that its cancellation left her dispirited, as she "thought that was going to be my moment, then it wasn't. I pretty much quit the business and retired." She appeared as June in the 2024 live-action adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender, after which she took a hiatus lasting a year and a half, much of which she spent traveling. Cho auditioned the role of Rumi in the Netflix animated musical film KPop Demon Hunters, attracted by the film's Korean subject. She had intended it to be her final project but found the making of it motivated her to continue acting. Upon its release in 2025, KPop Demon Hunters was a major hit, becoming Netflix's most watched animated film of all time by July 2025 and eventually Netflix's most-watched film ever at 236million views by August, surpassing Red Notice (2021).

YouTube

Cho was previously a part of the "Artichoke and Peachies" joint YouTube blogging channel with Grace Su. The account has since been shut down. She has also appeared in the web series KTown Cowboys. She has her own YouTube channel, ardenBcho, with over 300 videos, predominantly featuring vlogging, song covers, and original music videos. She had over 531,000 subscribers as of May 2025. In July 2025, Cho collaborated with actor and singer Cha Eun-woo on an acoustic cover of "Free", a song from the animated film KPop Demon Hunters.

Modeling

Cho won the 2004 Miss Korea Chicago competition, giving her the opportunity to take part in the Miss Korea Pageant in Seoul. At one point, she was in talks for a television show in Korea but walked away from the opportunity due to weight loss and plastic surgery requirements. In 2010, the cosmetic brand Clinique announced Cho as the model for their newest advertisement campaign in Asia. The campaign was launched in mid-November 2010. Cho modeled for Reebok Korea in 2010 and for Nike Japan in 2008. She has also modeled for Apple and Alexander McQueen and appeared in Vogue, Purple Fashion and Nylon Magazine.

Music

In 2010, Cho and Ktown Cowboys actor Shane Yoon were the MCs for the Korean music group JYJ's tour in the United States. In 2011, Cho released her first single, "I'm Just a Girl". Cho was the co-writer, composer and singer; Ed Huang was co-writer and music producer. On February 25, 2011, Cho released a self-produced music video for the single on YouTube featuring Tim Lacatena. Cho had plans to tour her debut EP My True Happy in 2013 before landing a recurring role on Teen Wolf. Cho premiered her single "Simply" in September 2019.

Other ventures

Cho is an avid, highly-ranked poker player and has been playing since 2002. She competed in the 2018 World Series of Poker Main Event, placing 662nd for $21,750. Her biggest live cash was in January 2024 at the PGT Championship $1,000,000 freeroll: she came in second, winning $200,000.

On February 6, 2019, it was announced that Cho had become CEO of Leonard & Church, a New York City-based watch company. The company closed in 2020.

Personal life

Cho is a Christian. She has a black belt in taekwondo and grew up training with her father, who is a grandmaster. In April 2021, in the midst of an uptick in anti-Asian racism regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, Cho said she was walking her dog when a man called her slurs and threatened her life. She picked up her dog and ran when he approached her. She said the increase in hate crimes "has triggered a lot of these [childhood] memories". Cho announced her wedding plans to her fiancée to People magazine in April 2025.

Filmography

Film

Television

Video games

Web series

Music video appearances

Theatre

Awards and nominations

References

References

1. "Arden Cho".
2. Low, Elaine. (March 21, 2014). "Actress Arden Cho on ''Teen Wolf'', Being Bullied, and the Friend Zone".
3. BJ Panda Bear. (September 27, 2019). "Flaunt Premiere {{!}} Arden Cho "SIMPLY"".
4. Cho, Arden. (August 16, 2017). "Thanks for all the birthday wishes!!! Feeling like I'm 12 today, thank you babiespic.twitter.com/1Kwvj9SPW4".
5. CAAM. (October 15, 2014). "Arden Cho Grows up, and Kicks Butt, on "Teen Wolf"".
6. Yu, Phil. (April 11, 2014). "Angry Reader of the Week: Arden Cho". [[Angry Asian Man]].
7. Tseng, Ada. (February 23, 2014). "Arden Cho has fans howling". KoreAm Magazine.
8. Zhan, Julie. (July 21, 2011). "Arden Cho Interview: "Don't be afraid to fail. Unless you fail, you will never really succeed."". The Other Asians.
9. Ng, Natalie. (July 27, 2016). "Interview: Actress Arden Cho talks Teen Wolf, being Asian in Hollywood and proper representation on screen".
10. (April 6, 2015). "Fashion Influence—Arden Cho".
11. "News".
12. Kamel, Marina. (March 27, 2011). "Adren Cho and Megan Lee Cover "Forget You" by Cee Lo Green (Glee Version)". Audrey Magazine.
13. Surname Undisclosed, Melody. (March 9, 2011). "Arden Cho: A Pretty Little Liar". Audrey Magazine.
14. Anatole, Emily. (January 2010). "New Character to Guest Star on PLL". Wetpaint.
15. ardenBcho. (April 11, 2016). "Goodbye Teenwolf". YouTube.
16. Petski, Denise. (April 11, 2016). "Arden Cho Says Goodbye To ''Teen Wolf''". [[Deadline Hollywood]].
17. Gelman, Vlada. (November 22, 2017). "Chicago Med Casts Teen Wolf Vet as Ethan's Troublemaker Sister".
18. Iannucci, Rebecca. (July 29, 2022). "Partner Track Trailer: Teen Wolf Alum Arden Cho Lawyers Up in Netflix Series — Plus, Find Out When It Will Premiere". TVLine.
19. Andreeva, Nellie. (November 8, 2022). "''Partner Track'' & ''The Imperfects'' Canceled By Netflix After One Season". Deadline Hollywood.
20. Sirikul, Laura. (August 28, 2025). "''KPop Demon Hunters'' Reignited Arden Cho's Love For Acting Again". [[Forbes]].
21. Williams, Caleb. (April 9, 2022). "Exclusive: Arden Cho Has Joined Netflix's ''Avatar: The Last Airbender'' TV Series".
22. Strout, Paige. (August 28, 2025). "Arden Cho Reveals She Quit Acting After Netflix Canceled ''Partner Track''". TV Insider.
23. Stephan, Kacey. (August 13, 2025). "''KPop Demon Hunters'' Stars on Making Goofy Girls 'Feel Seen' and Sequel Hopes: 'Rescue Jinu!'".
24. Valdez, Nick. (July 29, 2025). "Netflix Crowns Its New Most Watched Original Animated Movie of All Time".
25. Campione, Kate. (August 26, 2025). "''KPop Demon Hunters'' Officially Becomes Netflix's Most Popular Film Ever After Another Week Of Near 0% Audience Decline".
26. Eun, Elizabeth. (November 3, 2010). "In Blog We Trust: Part I of III {{!}} iamkoream".
27. "The Cast". KTown Cowboys.
28. "ArdenBcho – YouTube".
29. (July 28, 2025). "Island actor Cha Eun-woo becomes real-life Jinu with Arden Cho in Free tribute".
30. Surname Undisclosed, Michelle. (October 6, 2010). "The New Face of Clinique".
31. Kim, Samuel. (July 20, 2009). "Arden Cho". Korean American Christian Media.
32. Nguyen, Mai. (November 30, 2010). "Asia Pacific Arts: Behind the Scenes of JYJ's The Beginning tour: an interview with Shane Yoon". USC.
33. (February 26, 2011). "I'm Just a Girl by Arden Cho".
34. Chaffin, Sean. (March 1, 2020). "The Big Stage: Actress Arden Cho Moonlights as a Poker Player at LAPC {{!}} World Poker Tour".
35. Sofen, Jon. (January 10, 2024). "Daniel Smiljkovic Rallies to Defeat Arden Cho Heads-Up for PGT Championship Title ($500,000)".
36. Leonard & Church. (February 6, 2019). "Have you heard? @leonardandchurch has a new CEO — our very own @girlboss : @arden_cho".
37. Brisco, Elise. (April 2, 2021). "'I'm still shaking': ''Teen Wolf'' star Arden Cho details how racist attack sparked childhood trauma". USA Today.
38. People magazine. "Teen Wolf and Partner Track Star Arden Cho Is Engaged: 'We Found Our Way to Forever'". By Ingrid Vasquez Published on April 9, 2025. [https://people.com/teen-wolf-and-partner-track-star-arden-cho-engaged-11711730 ]
39. Jubilee. (June 6, 2012). "Picture Perfect – Jubilee Project Short Film".
40. Wiseman, Andreas. (September 11, 2025). "Katherine McNamara, Alberto Rosende, Josh Plasse & Toan Le Join Arden Cho & Margaret Cho In Rom-Com ''Cheap AF'', Filming Underway".
41. Iannucci, Rebecca. (September 14, 2021). "''Partner Track'' Adaptation, Starring Teen Wolf's Arden Cho, Ordered at Netflix". [[TVLine]].
42. Williams, Caleb. (April 9, 2022). "Arden Cho Has Joined Netflix's ''Avatar: The Last Airbender'' TV Series (Exclusive)". [[Knight Edge Media]].
43. "Arden Cho (visual voices guide)".
44. "Some of the girls of KTOWN COWBOYS w/ "Cyber Hyung"... Mina Yoo, Jess Kim, Arden Cho, me, and Danny Park!".
45. "Music Video: "Write It in the Sky" by Kina Grannis (Ken Loi Remix)".
46. Culwell-Block, Logan. (November 12, 2024). "''Maybe Happy Ending'' Opens on Broadway November 12".
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49. (December 11, 2025). "The Associated Press names its Breakthrough Entertainers of 2025".
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51. (December 10, 2025). "2025 Austin Film Critics Association Award Nominations".
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53. Anderson, Erik. (December 7, 2025). "Washington DC Area Film Critics Association (WAFCA): 'Sinners' Dominates with 10 Wins".
54. Lewis, Hilary. (January 5, 2026). "2026 Annie Awards Nominations: 'Elio,' 'Kpop Demon Hunters' Lead Film Nods". [[The Hollywood Reporter]].
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56. (January 21, 2026). "The 8th Annual Cinemania World Awards!".
57. (January 14, 2026). "The Denver Film Critics Society Nominations".
58. "The 2025 North Carolina Film Critics Association (NCFCA) Nominations".
59. (January 7, 2026). "Pittsburgh Film Critics Association Announces Winners for 2nd Annual Awards".