Ming-Na Wen
Legendary actress, producer, author, and Asian American icon Ming-Na Wen has built a career defined by reinvention and an unwavering commitment to bringing complex, powerful women to life on screen.
From groundbreaking roles to some of the world’s most beloved entertainment franchises, Wen has become one of Hollywood’s most respected and enduring performers, honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and enshrined as a Disney Legend.
Wen recently wrapped production on Disney+’s hit series "Percy Jackson and the Olympians," where she joins as the newly announced Greek goddess Hera alongside Lin-Manuel Miranda, Kate McKinnon, Courtney B. Vance, Jason Mantzoukas, Jennifer Beals, and Jay Duplass, set to premiere in November 2026. She also stars in filmmaker Mina Shum’s Whatcha Want, which premiered at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival.
Wen recently starred alongside Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio in the iconic franchise Karate Kid: Legends, bringing her signature strength and fierceness to the role of Dr. Fong. She can also be seen as the fan-favorite mercenary assassin Fennec Shand across the Disney+ Star Wars universe, including the Emmy Award-winning series "The Mandalorian" and "The Book of Boba Fett."
Wen’s career is perhaps best defined by the iconic characters she has originated. She is the beloved voice of Disney’s warrior princess Mulan, a role she originated in the 1998 animated classic Mulan and reprised throughout the franchise, earning an Annie Award for Best Voice Acting by a Female Performer.
In 2019, Wen was named a Disney Legend, one of the highest honors bestowed by The Walt Disney Company, recognizing her contributions to the Disney legacy through Mulan, as well as Agent Melinda May in "Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." and June in the seminal feature The Joy Luck Club, based on Amy Tan’s acclaimed novel.
Her acclaimed work on television includes five seasons as Dr. Jing-Mei “Deb” Chen on the Emmy Award-winning NBC drama "ER." She also starred for seven seasons as Agent Melinda May on "Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D" as well as regular roles on "The Single Guy," "Stargate Universe," and "Vanished." Wen also broke barriers as the first Asian American contract actor on a daytime drama, portraying Lien Hughes on "As the World Turns." Wen also has been part of HBO’s award-winning comedy "Hacks."
Now, Wen is adding author to her remarkable list of accomplishments with her forthcoming cookbook Have You Eaten Yet?: Family Recipes from a Restaurant Daughter, published by Simon & Schuster / Simon Element and set for wide release this Tuesday, October 6, 2026. The deeply personal collection combines family recipes, stories, memories, and reflections on her Chinese American heritage and upbringing in her family’s Pittsburgh restaurant. More than a cookbook, it offers an intimate look at the traditions and experiences that have shaped Wen’s life, identity, and connection to family.
Born in Macao and raised for a time in Hong Kong, Wen moved to the United States with her family at the age of five. She learned English in Queens, New York, where her love of performance first blossomed. Afer her mother remarried, the family moved to Pittsburgh, where her stepfather ran the successful Chinatown Inn restaurant. That experience growing up in a family restaurant would later become a meaningful part of Wen’s creative journey and identity.
Wen is a proud graduate of Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Drama, where she received her formal training before graduating in 1986 and moving to New York City to pursue her acting career. She honed her craft at Manhattan Theatre Club, Playwrights Horizons, and Ensemble Studio Theatre before making her Broadway debut in 1998 in David Henry Hwang’s award-winning play The Golden Child. She remains closely connected to her alma mater as a member of the College of Fine Arts Dean’s Council, supporting the institution and its next generation of artists and creatives.
Beyond her work in entertainment, Wen is also committed to advocacy and inclusion. She serves on the Board of KultureCity, a nonprofit dedicated to creating inclusion and sensory accessibility for individuals with invisible disabilities. Through her work with the organization, Wen continues to use her platform to help make entertainment and public spaces more accessible and inclusive.
Yet beyond the iconic characters, accolades, and franchises, Wen considers her greatest accomplishments to be her family—her 31-year marriage to Eric Michael Zee and her two children, Cooper and Michaela.
Barnes & Noble - Union Square in NYC will welcome Ming-Na Wen tonight Monday, Oct. 5th at 6 PM for a moderated conversation with audience Q+A to celebrate her Have You Eaten Yet?: Family Recipes from a Restaurant Daughter (A Cookbook). Filled with personal stories, heartwarming memories, practical tips, dishes she now cooks at home for loved ones and friends, and even never-before-seen family photos, the book is an essential guide for anyone looking to explore the rich flavors of Chinese American cuisine. Wen will also conduct a Book Signing/Meet and Greet on Wednesday, Oct. 7, 6 PM at Ridgewood, NJ's Bookends Bookstore.