Where You've Seen The Cast Of Everything Everywhere All At Once Before
"Everything Everywhere All At Once" is about as star-studded as it is weird. The latest brainchild of the directing duo known as the Daniels (Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, respectively) is backed with performances that will make you laugh, cry, and cringe — sometimes all at the same time. Now, you may recognize some of the stars, like Michelle Yeoh or Jamie Lee Curtis, but chances are you've seen quite a few of these actors before. But even if you hadn't before watching "Everything Everywhere," hopefully your curiosity's been piqued.
Let's take a closer look at the cast of "Everything Everywhere All At Once" — what they've done before the Daniels' genre-bending sci-fi odyssey, and where you can look for them next.
From here out, though, note that slight spoilers lie ahead for "Everything Everywhere All At Once."
Michelle Yeoh
It may seem like we're living through something of a Michelle Yeoh renaissance now, given her recent roles in mainstream hits like "Crazy Rich Asians" and "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings" — but in truth, the Malaysian actor has been quietly dominating both Hong Kong and Hollywood for the better half of five decades. Fans of the former will undoubtedly recognize Yeoh from Ang Lee's wuxia masterpiece "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" (and perhaps its sequel) or her turn in the "Supercop" films with Jackie Chan ... or maybe the "Ip Man" spin-off "Master Z." She's also popped up in a handful of major franchises, lending a hand to Pierce Brosnan's maligned James Bond in "Tomorrow Never Dies," playing mentor (and later antagonist) in "Star Trek: Discovery" — and then there's her upcoming role in the "Avatar" sequels.
Ironically, Yeoh has been in everything, everywhere, which makes her turn in the Daniels' trippy new film as much of a culmination of all her work as it is a showcase for her inexplicable range. In "Everything Everywhere," Yeoh is Evelyn, an overworked and chronically-distracted laundromat owner struggling to hold her life together in the midst of an IRS audit. She's also the only one with the power to access her parallel identities across the ever-expanding multiverse, which means that Yeoh must slip into many versions of Evelyn throughout the course of the film — and does so flawlessly.
Stephanie Hsu
Like Yeoh's role in "Everything Everywhere," Stephanie Hsu is tasked with portraying more than one version of her character. Hsu is first introduced as Joy, Evelyn's daughter, who struggles to overcome both her depression and her family's stifling expectations. But soon after Evelyn is introduced to the multiverse, we meet Jobu Tupaki, a version of Joy whose mind, while fractured, allows her to travel across the multiverse at will. Jobu has seen everything the multiverse has to offer by the time she appears to wreak havoc on Evelyn's life, and has since come to the conclusion that nothing matters. Her hopes, fears, and nihilistic sensibilities have all created a void that she likens to an everything bagel, but it's more like a black hole that will harvest your soul if you get too close.
But Jobu isn't exactly the villain of this story. Deep down, she's still Evelyn's daughter, which makes their back and forth one of the more afflicting elements of "Everything Everywhere" — and Stephanie Hsu the weird and wonderful heart of it all.
Hsu's role in "Everything Everywhere" is her first as a lead in a feature film, but there's a good chance you've seen the actress before. Hsu starred in two Broadway productions — "SpongeBob SquarePants: The Broadway Musical" and "Be More Chill" — before landing the role of Mei in season 3 of "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel." More recently, she appeared as Soo, Simu Liu and Awkwafina's no-nonsense mom friend in "Shang Chi."
Hsu reunited with Awkwafina — and worked with the Daniels for the first time — in "Awkwafina is Nora from Queens." The actress channels her inner K-drama protagonist in the Daniels-directed episode "Grandma & Chill," and it's there that the duo witnessed Hsu's incredible adaptability. "She was able to bring this very impossible thing to life," Daniel Kawn told Thrillist. "And it was funny, and it was alive. Everyone in the room was like, 'Who is this person?'"
Ke Huy Quan
In "Everything Everywhere," Ke Huy Quan is Waymond, Evelyn's mild-mannered husband. He's also Alpha Waymond, a fanny pack-whipping action hero who's equal parts Kyle Reese and Morpheus. And in another universe, he's also a swooning romantic lead who seems plucked from the world of Wong Kar-wai. He's precisely the kind of leading man that our world needs right now — so where has he been all our lives?
Quan's breakthrough came with "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom." At the ripe age of 12, Quan was hand-picked by Steven Spielberg for the role of Short Round in the film. Shortly after, Quan appeared in "The Goonies" as Data — but after a decade of less-than-appealing opportunities, the Saigon-born actor made the choice to work behind the camera instead. Quan choreographed stunts for "X-Men" and Jet Li's "The One," and found even more work in Hong Kong — he even assistant directed a Wong Kar-wai film ("2046," to be exact).
"But all the times I was working behind the camera, even as content as I was, there was something missing," Quan told /Film's Nguyen Le. Acting was a "missing piece" for Quan, one he eventually recovered when filming "Everything Everywhere." Quan may play three heroes at once in the film, but we won't have to wait long to see him on-screen again: the actor will reunite with Yeoh in the upcoming Disney+ series "American Born Chinese."
James Hong
It might be easier to ask where you haven't seen James Hong; the actor has over 400 credits across film and television. Hong has worked consistently since the mid-'50s, but he's probably best-known for his voice work for films like "Kung Fu Panda" and "Mulan," as well as series like "Star Wars: Rebels" and "Jackie Chan Adventures." And at 93, he shows absolutely no signs of slowing down.
Hong plays Gong Gong, the scrupulous patriarch of the Wong family, in "Everything Everywhere" — but naturally, he also plays a heightened, gun-toting version of himself from another universe. That Hong is still very much a part of the action — especially after years of bit parts in massive movies like "Blade Runner" and "Chinatown" — speaks to his still-untapped potential as a performer.
"Everything Everywhere" is a rare find on that front alone. Hong has always been a memorable presence wherever he goes, but it's not every day that this prolific actor is able to cut loose on this scale.
Jamie Lee Curtis
"Halloween." "True Lies." "Freaky Friday." "Scream Queens." "Knives Out." Jamie Lee Curtis is a total screen legend. Like Yeoh, Curtis has been working pretty consistently since her debut in the late '70s — which, sadly, is still considered a feat for actresses over 40. "Everything Everywhere" makes perfect use of Curtis as Deirdre Beaubeirdra (yes, that is her full name), the no-nonsense IRS auditor that antagonizes Yeoh's Evelyn ... and not just with her Jumbo Sharpie.
Deirdre is a perfect foil to Evelyn throughout the film — both are misunderstood at best, and overworked to the point of callousness at worst. But they both find opportunities to love and be loved, and Curtis' tough-tender performance bares it all at all the right moments.
Notably, Curtis also refused to suck her stomach in — like she'd been doing her whole life — in her portrayal of Deirdre. "I very specifically decided to relinquish and release every muscle I had that I used to clench to hide the reality," she revealed in an Instagram post. "That was my goal. I have never felt more free creatively and physically."
Tallie Medel
"Everything Everywhere" is as much a breakthrough role for Stephanie Hsu as it is for Tallie Medel. Comedy fans might recognize Medel from "Broad City" or "Inside Amy Schumer," or from the dance comedy troupe called Cocoon Central dance team. Medel co-founded the troupe with Eleanore Pienta and Sunita Mani (who also appears in "Everything Everywhere"), and their short film "Snowy Bing Bongs Across the North Star Combat Zone" was actually backed by The Daniels themselves.
Medel's role in "Everything Everywhere" — she plays Joy's girlfriend, Becky — might seem small compared to the universe-jumping spectacle throughout. She is one of the few characters removed from the conflict between Evelyn, Joy, and their alternate identities across the multiverse. But it's her relationship to Joy, and Joy's sexuality in general, that helps to inform some of the film's most important emotional arcs. Though she may not possess innate martial arts knowledge, her performance still packs quite the emotional punch.
Jenny Slate
Are you a die-hard "Parks and Recreation" fan? Alternatively, have you seen every episode of "Bob's Burgers"? Then there's a chance that you've seen — or, more likely heard — Jenny Slate before. Slate appears in "Everything Everywhere" as a drippy, Pomeranian-wielding patron of Evelyn's laundromat. And apart from her gut-busting roles in comedies like "Obvious Child," Slate is an equally-hilarious voice actress. She's also the mind (and the voice!) behind Marcel the Shell with Shoes On, a role she'll be reprising for the upcoming A24 film of the same name.
Slate is probably best known for playing the bratty, unlikable girlies, but she's also pulled off serious fare with films like "Gifted," which likely came in handy for her role in "Everything Everywhere." Slate's character (who Evelyn secretly calls Big Nose) was originally meant to reconcile with Evelyn after their brawl in the film, but her "full arc" was eventually cut from the final product. "They had this touching moment on the staircase that helps clean up that loop," Kwan told Inverse. "Instead we just beat up her dog and she's gone."
Even so, Slate seems right at home in the absurd, surreal world that the Daniels have created. Her appearance, however brief, is sure to be a treat for any fan of the actress.
Harry Shum Jr.
Harry Shum Jr. is one of the many "Glee" actors to have successfully escaped the series' long shadow, but I still find it hard to look at him without thinking about Mike Chang, the New Direction's vocally-challenged lead dancer. Shum was one of the most underrated — and under-utilized — members of the series, which makes his post-"Glee" career such a pleasure to watch.
Since graduating from the Fox series, Shum has racked up credits in "Crazy Rich Asians," "Shadowhunters" and "Love Hard" (in which he is hilarious). His comedic chops shine again in "Everything Everywhere," where Shum plays a hibachi chef who is controlled by a raccoon, "Ratatouille" style. That said, he's total leading man material — as seen in his role in "Nora from Queens" — so hopefully his opportunities moving forward will allow him to flex that muscle more often ... like in the "Crazy Rich Asians" sequel.
Brian and Andy Le
It takes a fair amount of commitment to choreograph a fight scene in which the business end of a trophy is ... well, you know where. In "Everything Everywhere," Evelyn eventually faces off against two Alpha Jumpers who have to stick a few things in a few inconvenient places to access their alternate selves' abilities. The fight is hilarious, but it's also expertly choreographed — and performed — by two martial artists that the Daniels discovered on YouTube.
The Le brothers, Brian (above left) and Andy (right), are a self-taught pair keeping classic Hong Kong-style martial arts alive. The duo first learned by watching and recreating fight sequences from their favorite kung fu movies, and eventually began to make their own with their friend Daniel Mah. Together, they started Martial Club on YouTube ... and now, they're breaking into Hollywood.
You may have seen Andy in "Shang-Chi," where he plays the titular hero's ruthless master, Death Dealer. Brian appeared as Nick Frost's stunt double in the AMC series "Into the Badlands" before both he and Andy were tapped by the Daniels.
Sunita Mani
Like Tallie Medel, Sunita Mani and the Daniels go way, way back. Mani and Medel first met the Daniels at Emerson college in Boston, where they featured in a number of the duo's projects. "Basically, every movie I made in college had one of those girls in it," Daniel Scheinert told IndieWire. Mani even appeared in the Daniels' infamous "Turn Down for What" music video — but you probably recognize her from the Netflix series "GLOW," or perhaps the darkly-funny alien invasion flick "Save Yourselves!"
Though Mani's role in "Everything Everywhere" is little more than a cameo — she plays a queen in the soapy romantic musical that Evelyn watches on TV — it's great to see her flex those delightful comedic chops whenever possible.
Biff Wiff
Scrolling through Biff Wiff's (who plays laundromat patron Rick in "Everything Everywhere") most notable roles, you'll start to see a pattern or two emerging. For one, Wiff has portrayed Santa Claus at least three times — notably on the series "9-1-1" and "Just Roll With It" — but otherwise seems content to play edgy, off-beat loners in one-off TV appearances. He played Hollywood Hobo in an episode of iCarly; he even appeared in "Pretty Little Liars" as a character called Crusty. But if you're a fan of Tim Robinson, it's likely you recognize Wiff from his sketch comedy series "I Think You Should Leave."
The nice thing about Wiff's role in "Everything Everywhere" is how he eventually connects, however briefly, with Evelyn. It's clear that on the surface, Evelyn feels a bit put off by Rick and his fragrance-related questions — but the two share a sweet moment later in the film when Evelyn chooses to be more present for the people in her life. It shows that Evelyn has evolved in more ways than one since her journey first began, and that appearances can, in fact, deceive.