Ashley Park (actress)
Ashley Park (actress)
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Ashley Park (actress)

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Ashley Park (actress)

Ashley Jeein Park (born June 6, 1991) is an American actress and musician. She is best known for her portrayal of Mindy Chen on the Netflix comedy series Emily in Paris. She originated the role of Gretchen Wieners in the Broadway musical Mean Girls, for which she was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical.

Her theatre roles include Tuptim in the 2015 Broadway revival of The King and I and MwE in Ars Nova's off-Broadway musical KPOP. She stars in Adele Lim's directorial debut, Joy Ride, and has had recurring roles in Beef and Only Murders in the Building.

Park was born in Glendale, California, and grew up in Ann Arbor, Michigan. She is of Korean descent, and is a second cousin of actor Justin H. Min.

Park was placed in dance classes at the Oceanside Dance Academy at age three and began piano lessons at age five. Park's love of performing led her to participate in Ann Arbor's community kids' theatre throughout middle school and high school. She attended Interlochen Summer Arts Camp in 2003. Park attended Pioneer High School where she participated in both theatre and choir. She co-founded a women's a cappella group at Pioneer High School, Soulfege, which placed second at a national competition in 2009.

During her sophomore year in high school, at age 15, Park was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia and was hospitalized for eight months. Park was a recipient of a "wish" from the Make-A-Wish Foundation for which she and her family went to New York City and saw the Broadway productions of A Chorus Line, The Lion King, Spring Awakening, and Wicked. In interviews she has stated, "My cancer experience is, I think, the reason I do theater... As soon as I was out of the hospital, all I wanted to do is be around people." After chemotherapy, Park returned to high school, and three months later, she was cast as the lead role of Millie Dillmount in her high school's production of Thoroughly Modern Millie. Park has disclosed that during this time, "putting on a wig and putting on shoes and costume and being a different person was the best escape from being just the girl who had cancer".

She graduated from Pioneer High School in 2009 and then attended the University of Michigan, earning a BFA degree in musical theatre from the School of Music, Theater, and Dance in 2013. During her undergraduate years, she co-founded the Michigan Performance Outreach Workshop (MPOW).

In 2009, Park made her professional theatre debut as Yvonne in Music Theatre Wichita's production of Miss Saigon. She spent the following two summers performing in Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera's Benedum Center production of Miss Saigon, with which she earned her Equity card.

Park made her Broadway debut as a member of the ensemble in Mamma Mia! at the Broadhurst Theatre on February 17, 2014. She left the production on September 21, 2014. From October 2014 to January 2015, Park portrayed Gabrielle in the original U.S. national touring company of Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella.

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