Kelsey Asbille has approximately two dozen acting credits while being only in her early 30s. Her professional career has spanned nearly decades, and she is just getting started in many ways. Most people will remember Kelsey from her roles as Mikayla Makoola in Pair of Kings and Gigi Silveri in One Tree Hill.
Furthermore, the film star is currently receiving a lot of attention for her portrayal of Monica Dutton in Yellowstone. Not only has the show allowed her to showcase her skills in front of a broad audience, but it has also demonstrated once and for all that Kelsey is officially on track and ready to take on the world.
Aside from her professional career, many might be curious about Asbille's personal life, including her family. Hence, this piece is about Kelsey Asbille's parents and how she has made them proud.
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Is Extremely Close To Her Parents
Kelsey was born Kelsey Chow on September 9, 1991, in Columbia, South Carolina, U.S., to her parents, Dr. James Chow and Jean Chow. While Kelsey Asbille's father is Chinese, her mother is an American from Columbia, South Carolina. Besides, she mentioned in 2010 that she was eager to improve her Mandarin Chinese and read traditional Chinese characters.
Kelsey is super close to her parents, and she credits them for her success. Furthermore, she also mentioned that she is successful today because of them. While this industry can be challenging to navigate, having such a support system is essential. Moreover, the Chow couple has a daughter, Kiersten Chow, and a son, Forrest Chow, aside from Kelsey.
In addition, the Columbia native initially intended to pursue public health. Her grandparents worked with the World Health Organization and her dad, Dr. Jim Chow, is a well-known surgeon at Columbia Skin Clinic. She also wanted to follow in their footsteps, but fate had something different written for her.
Moreover, both the actress and her mother, Jean, hold a background in clinical psychology and law, and they have worked with the Indigenous Women’s Alliance of South Carolina. Besides, Kelsey Asbille's parents made no compromises while raising her, and they ensured she received a proper education. Therefore, Chow completed high school at Hammond School in Columbia, SC.
Later, the actress attended Columbia University and studied human rights with a particular concentration on indigenous rights.
Making Her Parents Proud Of Her Achievements
Jim Chow's daughter began dancing at a young age and grew to love performing. School performances led to community theater, and she later became a member of the Hammond Select Ensemble, with whom she has played in Italy and other places. After getting experience in community theater, the Yellowstone star landed her first TV role in 2005, when she was 13 years old, and portrayed the recurrent role of Gigi Silveri on One Tree Hill until 2009.
Moreover, in 2008, Asbille appeared on The Suite Life of Zack & Cody as a guest star. She was also featured in the Disney Channel original movie Den Brother. Later, the gorgeous lady co-starred in the Disney XD original series Pair of Kings as Mikayla from 2010 to 2013. In addition, Chow also made a small part in The Amazing Spider-Man in 2012 and was then cast in Run, a feature movie.
Similarly, the Holywood personality has around 24 acting credits and has been featured in several movie projects such as The Wine of Summer, Hieroglyph, Full of Grace, Chicago Sanitation, Brimming with Love, and Wind River. For all her screen credits up to and including 2017, she is listed as Kelsey Chow. However, she has been credited as Kelsey Asbille in most of her appearances since that year.
Also, Jean Chow's daughter has been starring as Monica Dutton in the popular American TV series Yellowstone starring Kevin Costner from 2018 to date. She is widely appreciated and recognized for her performance in the series.
Having started her acting career at the young age of 13, Kelsey has surely come a very long way and has way more to achieve. With all these achievements under her belt, she must have undoubtedly made her mother and father proud.
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Was Heavily Criticized For Cutting Out Her Last Surname
Jean and Jim Chow's daughter cut her last surname, 'Chow,' in 2017, and it created headlines for a long time. Many people and even the media criticized her for decrying her Chinese heritage. So what was the actual reason behind the Yellowstone actress not using her surname?
Well, Kelsey thought that dropping her last name was necessary for one significant reason: she felt she was being typecast because of her last name, 'Chow.' She had already been cast in a few roles where her surname was used to cast her in stereotypical roles.
Changing her name from Chow to Asbille was a personal decision Kelsey made to get more roles. The irony is that while it succeeded in freeing her of the stereotypical casting she'd had to deal with, it also exposed her to greater criticism after being cast as a Native American in the Wind River and Yellowstone series.
Jim and Jean Chow's daughter cut out her last surname, Chow, because it limited her exposure in the industry. Image Source: Kelsey Asbille Instagram.
Moreover, Kelsey currently prefers to be known as Asbille rather than Chow, but this also indicates her confidence in her acting abilities, which can prevent her from being typecast. So, what was Kelsey Asbille's parents' reaction in regard to her changing her last name? Well, we don't know yet, but Jim and Jean must have been understanding.
Nonetheless, everyone is probably proud of the name they are given at birth, regardless of what others believe or do. There is no doubt that Kelsey's legal last name is still Chow, but to avoid typecasting, she adopts Asbille to safeguard a career she has cultivated for several years.
Overall, the actress has been doing exceptionally well in her professional career and has already achieved a lot. Kelsey has made her dad and mom proud, and with her high confidence and dedication, the Columbia native has a long way to go.
