The Most Underrated Asian Actors of the 21st Century
Asian cinema and television have shaped global screens in the 21st century with a wide range of genres and storytelling traditions. Many male performers built long careers across multiple industries and languages while working with major directors and carrying films that traveled far beyond their home markets.
This list highlights working biographies, landmark roles, awards, and cross-border projects for twenty actors. Each entry focuses on concrete credits, collaborations, and milestones that help map where to start and what to watch next.
Irrfan Khan
Irrfan Khan worked across Hindi cinema and international productions and acted in English and Hindi and Bengali. His filmography includes ‘The Lunchbox’, ‘Paan Singh Tomar’, ‘Maqbool’, and ‘Piku’, along with Hollywood titles like ‘Life of Pi’, ‘Jurassic World’, and ‘Inferno’. He trained at the National School of Drama in New Delhi.
He received a National Film Award for ‘Paan Singh Tomar’ and Filmfare Awards across categories. His international visibility grew through collaborations with directors like Ang Lee, Mira Nair, and Asif Kapadia, which placed him in festival circuits at Cannes and Toronto.
Song Kang-ho
Song Kang-ho became one of the central figures of South Korean cinema through roles in ‘Memories of Murder’, ‘The Host’, ‘Parasite’, and ‘Broker’. He began in theater and moved into film with directors like Bong Joon-ho, Park Chan-wook, and Kore-eda Hirokazu.
He earned Best Actor at Cannes for ‘Broker’ and appeared in Oscar winning ‘Parasite’. His films often top the Korean box office while circulating at major festivals, giving him a footprint in both commercial and arthouse spaces.
Choi Min-sik
Choi Min-sik is known for intense lead performances in ‘Oldboy’, ‘I Saw the Devil’, and ‘The Admiral Roaring Currents’. He also worked in international projects such as ‘Lucy’.
He studied theater in Seoul and built a stage career before film. His titles secured domestic records and wide festival play, and he received multiple Grand Bell and Blue Dragon awards for acting in Korea.
Ha Jung-woo
Ha Jung-woo has credits as both actor and director. His film work spans ‘The Chaser’, ‘The Yellow Sea’, ‘Along with the Gods’, and ‘Nameless Gangster’. He is also active in television and art.
He graduated from Chung-Ang University with a focus on performance and later directed features. His box office hits and award wins at Baeksang and Blue Dragon solidified his status across thriller and drama categories.
Ryu Seung-ryong
Ryu Seung-ryong led ‘Extreme Job’, which became a major Korean box office success. His range includes ‘Miracle in Cell No. 7’, ‘Masquerade’, and the series ‘Kingdom’.
He trained at the Seoul Institute of the Arts and moved from stage to screen. His performances earned Grand Bell and Baeksang recognition and his projects regularly cross into international streaming platforms.
Lee Byung-hun
Lee Byung-hun works in Korean and English and appears in ‘A Bittersweet Life’, ‘Inside Men’, and the series ‘Mr. Sunshine’. His international work includes ‘G.I. Joe’ and ‘Red 2’.
He won major Korean acting prizes including Baeksang and Blue Dragon awards and received a Hollywood Walk of Fame star. His projects connect festival premieres with mainstream franchise roles.
Chang Chen
Chang Chen moved between Taiwanese, Chinese, Hong Kong, and international cinema. Key titles include ‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon’, ‘The Assassin’, ‘Three Times’, and ‘Dune’.
He worked frequently with Hou Hsiao-hsien and Wong Kar-wai and appeared at Cannes and Venice. His roles cover wuxia, romance, and science fiction with steady critical recognition.
Huang Bo
Huang Bo is a leading Chinese box office star with films like ‘Crazy Stone’, ‘Lost in Thailand’, and ‘No Man’s Land’. He also directs and produces.
He won a Golden Horse Award for acting and became associated with contemporary Chinese comedies and dramas that traveled widely across Asia. His career includes music and variety television appearances that expanded his audience.
Liao Fan
Liao Fan earned international notice for ‘Black Coal Thin Ice’. His body of work includes ‘Ash Is Purest White’ and ‘The Shadow Play’.
He won Best Actor in Berlin for ‘Black Coal Thin Ice’. He collaborates with directors like Diao Yinan and Jia Zhangke, which placed his films in European festivals and mainland release slates.
Wang Jingchun
Wang Jingchun built a career in Chinese film and television and appeared in ‘So Long My Son’, ‘Police Story 2013’, and ‘The Golden Era’.
He won Best Actor in Berlin for ‘So Long My Son’. His television work in China broadened his profile while his festival awards built an international reputation.
Tony Leung Ka-fai
Tony Leung Ka-fai worked in Hong Kong and mainland productions with credits in ‘The Lover’, ‘Election’, ‘Cold War’, and ‘Tai Pan’. He is a four time Hong Kong Film Award Best Actor winner.
He collaborated with Ann Hui and Johnnie To across crime, historical, and literary adaptations. His long career spans from the 1980s to the present with steady awards recognition.
Tadanobu Asano
Tadanobu Asano appears in Japanese and international films including ‘Ichi the Killer’, ‘Zatoichi’, ‘Mongol’, and ‘Silence’. He also took roles in franchise titles like ‘Thor’.
He started as a teen actor and became a regular at Cannes and Venice through auteur projects. His music and visual art work supported a multidisciplinary profile alongside acting.
Koji Yakusho
Koji Yakusho starred in ‘Shall We Dance’, ‘Cure’, ‘The Eel’, and ‘Perfect Days’. He is associated with directors like Kiyoshi Kurosawa and Shohei Imamura.
He won Best Actor at Cannes for ‘Perfect Days’. His films circulated widely in Japan and abroad and formed a bridge between genre cinema and festival arthouse programming.
Satoshi Tsumabuki
Satoshi Tsumabuki rose to prominence with ‘Waterboys’ and continued with ‘Tokyo Family’, ‘Rage’, and ‘Akunin’. He also works in series for Japanese television.
He received Japan Academy Film Prize honors and built a versatile resume in drama and mystery. His projects often pair him with veteran directors like Yoji Yamada and Lee Sang-il.
Ryo Kase
Ryo Kase worked in Japan and internationally with credits in ‘Letters from Iwo Jima’, ‘I Just Did not Do It’, and ‘Restless’. He frequently appears in indie and auteur projects.
He received awards at the Japan Academy Film Prize and the Kinema Junpo Best Ten. His collaborations with Clint Eastwood and Kore-eda Hirokazu introduced him to broader audiences.
Hiroshi Abe
Hiroshi Abe is known for ‘Still Walking’, ‘After the Storm’, and the comedy ‘Thermae Romae’. He began as a model before establishing a long acting career.
He is a frequent collaborator with Kore-eda Hirokazu and appears in family dramas that screen at international festivals. His television roles maintain strong popularity in Japan.
Iko Uwais
Iko Uwais is an Indonesian actor and pencak silat practitioner who broke out in ‘The Raid’ and ‘The Raid 2’. He also appeared in ‘Headshot’ and the series ‘Wu Assassins’.
He choreographs action and performs screen fighting rooted in silat. His films opened at festivals like Toronto and elevated Indonesian action cinema in global markets.
Tony Jaa
Tony Jaa brought Muay Thai to international audiences with ‘Ong Bak’ and ‘The Protector’. He later joined franchises with roles in ‘Furious 7’ and ‘Monster Hunter’.
He trained at the physical education college in Saraburi and worked as a stunt performer before leading films. His action choreography features practical stunts that traveled widely through global distribution.
Daniel Wu
Daniel Wu worked in Hong Kong and the United States in ‘New Police Story’, ‘Overheard’, and the series ‘Into the Badlands’. He studied architecture at the University of Oregon before moving into film.
He directed and produced while maintaining acting roles across action and drama. His bilingual career connected Hong Kong cinema with American television audiences.
Eddie Peng
Eddie Peng built credits in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and mainland China with ‘Unbeatable’, ‘Jump Ashin’, and ‘Operation Mekong’. He trained intensively for athletic roles that required boxing and gymnastics.
He received Golden Horse nominations and became a frequent face in pan-Asian co productions. His projects combine festival exposure with strong regional box office performance.
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