Arden Cho | |
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Cho at a 2014 Teen Wolf panel in London
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Born |
Arden Lim Cho August 16, 1985 Amarillo, Texas, United States |
Alma mater | University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign |
Occupation | Model, actress, singer |
Years active | 2004–present |
Agent | Pantheon Talent |
Website | ardencho |
Arden Lim Cho (born August 16, 1985) is an American actress, singer and model, best known for her role as Kira Yukimura on Teen Wolf. She starred in the 2011 feature Mega Python vs. Gatoroid. As a model she worked mostly in Asia while she released an EP My True Happy in 2013.
Born in Amarillo, Texas to Korean-American parents, Cho spent most of her childhood years in Dallas and her late teenage years in Minnesota together with her younger brother. As a child, she was often a target for bullying and was hospitalized twice for injuries after being physically attacked, saying that "I had two teeth knocked out, a chipped tooth, [and] I still wear a wire . . . my entire face was cut up. It was bad. It took me six months to completely recover." Growing up in areas with few ethnic minorities, she was made to feel like an outsider. She attended Apple Valley High School and was a highly involved student, saying that "My parents put me in dance classes, martial arts, sports, spelling bees, painting, music, cello; all sorts of things." It wasn't until she moved to the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign where she majored in psychology that she connected with her Asian American background. It was there that she attended her first drama classes and developed an interest in the profession, noting "theater was the first time I felt like I could open up and be someone I could only imagine to be".
In 2004, Cho entered and won the Miss Korea Chicago competition, giving her the opportunity to take part in the Miss Korea Pageant in Seoul, South Korea. The latter proved to be a disappointing experience as she was urged to get plastic surgery. After graduating in 2007 she spent the summer of that year in Kenya on a two-month humanitarian trip. Upon her return, she decided to move to Los Angeles where she worked odd jobs while trying to pursue a career in acting.
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. Clinique was reported to have stated that they "selected Cho not because she was Korean, but because she had the beauty to represent Asia". 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.