Arden Cho

About Arden Cho

Arden Cho, born on August 16, 1985, is an American talent who has made her mark as an actress, singer, and model. She is widely recognized for her portrayal of Kira Yukimura in the series Teen Wolf and for lending her voice to Rumi in KPop Demon Hunters. Prior to these roles, she appeared in the 2011 film Mega Python vs. Gatoroid. Her modeling career primarily took place in Asia, and in 2013, she released an extended play titled My True Happy.

Born in Amarillo, Texas, to Korean-American parents, Cho spent her formative years in Dallas before relocating to Minnesota in her late teens with her younger brother. Her childhood was unfortunately marked by bullying, and she experienced two hospitalizations due to physical assaults that resulted in significant injuries. She recounted, "I had two teeth knocked out, a chipped tooth, 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 environments with limited ethnic diversity, she often felt like an outsider.

While attending Apple Valley High School, Cho was actively engaged in a variety of activities, as she explained, "My parents put me in dance classes, martial arts, sports, spelling bees, painting, music, cello; all sorts of things." It was during her time at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, where she studied psychology, that she began to connect with her Asian American heritage. Her exploration of acting began in college, and she found a profound sense of self-expression, stating, "theater was the first time I felt like I could open up and be someone I could only imagine to be."