Forrest Wheeler (born March 21, 2004) is an American actor. In 2014, he was cast as Emery Huang, a series regular on the ABC comedy series Fresh Off the Boat.[1][2][3][4][5]
Forrest Wheeler | |
|---|---|
 Wheeler at the 2017 "Fox LA Screenings Gala" Red Carpet | |
| Born | March 21, 2004 Santa Monica, California, U.S. |
| Education | New York University |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 2013–present |
| Forrest Wheeler | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Traditional Chinese | 韋智林 | ||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 韦智林 | ||||||
| |||||||
Career
editWheeler began his acting career at the age of seven when he booked the role of a Cambodian boy in the film The Incredible Burt Wonderstone, opposite Steve Buscemi, who presented him with a rabbit as a pet that Wheeler's character took home to his family for dinner.
He performed on commercials and several television shows and movies before landing a role as a series regular on the ABC comedy series Fresh Off the Boat. He plays the middle son of the Huang family alongside his television parents Randall Park and Constance Wu.[6]
Wheeler appeared on the Hallmark Channel's Home and Family on March 3, 2015, where he talked about Fresh off the Boat.[7] The series premiered on February 4, 2015.[8]
On October 28, 2015, Entertainment Weekly included Wheeler in the "12 Under 12: The Best Child Actors of 2015".[9]
In 2016, Wheeler collaborated with Fresh off the Boat costars Hudson Yang, Ian Chen, and ISAtv (founded by Wong Fu Productions) to produce a web series focusing on the interests of the Asian American Youth community in the hope of inspiring the youth from all over the world to go out and be active and curious.[10] In "The Forrest Wheeler Adventures" series, Wheeler goes on a quest to learn what it takes to become an action hero.[11]
On December 19, 2017, Wheeler hosted Kore Asian Media's 16th annual "Unforgettable Gala's" Fresh Off the Carpet event where he interviewed award recipients and celebrities including Maggie Q and Ross Butler.[12]
On August 8, 2018, The Hollywood Reporter named Wheeler among "Hollywood's Top 30 Stars Under Age 18".[13]
Personal life
editWheeler was born on March 21, 2004, in Santa Monica, California to a Chinese-American mixed family. He speaks Cantonese at home and studies Mandarin in school. He graduated Campbell Hall School in 2022 and currently attends New York University.
Wheeler is a martial artist and competed in the 2014 US Open ISKA World Martial Arts Championship where he won seven 1st places. He earned his first Karate black belt in 2015, and a second black belt in Extreme Martial Arts (XMA) in 2016.[14]
Media
editTelevision
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Mortal Kombat: Legacy | Young Kuai Liang | Recurring role; 2 episodes |
| 2014 | New Girl | Kid | Episode: Exes; uncredited |
| Community | Kid #2 | Episode: "G.I. Jeff" | |
| Chasing Life | Boy | Episode: The Family the Lies Together; uncredited | |
| 2015—2020 | Fresh Off the Boat | Emery Huang | Series regular; 116 episodes |
| 2017 | Sofia the First | Prince Jin | Episode: The Mystic Isles: The Falcon's Eye; voice role |
| 2018 | Paradise Run | Himself - Contestant | Episode: Fresh Off the Run |
Film
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Boomerang | Jeremy | TV movie |
| The Incredible Burt Wonderstone | Cambodian Boy | ||
| 2015 | Such Good People | Little Kuenlay/Little Kuenphay | |
| 2016 | Power Play | Billy | Short film |
Awards
edit| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Vulture Awards | Best Child Actor | Fresh Off the Boat | Nominated | [15] |
| 2016 | Young Artist Award | Outstanding Young Ensemble Cast in a Television Series | Won | [16] | |
| Young Entertainer Awards | Best Young Ensemble Cast - TV Series | Won | |||
| 2017 | Young Artist Award | Best Performance in a TV Series - Leading Young Actor | Nominated |
References
edit- ^ Kelley, Sonaiya (May 2, 2017). "ABC sitcom 'Fresh Off the Boat' gets its own day in L.A." Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 6, 2017.
- ^ Otterson, Joe (May 12, 2017). "'Speechless,' 'Fresh Off the Boat' Renewed at ABC". Variety. Retrieved August 6, 2017.
- ^ Keene, Allison (November 20, 2015). "TV Performers of the Week: Ian Chen and Forrest Wheeler, 'Fresh Off the Boat'". Collider. Retrieved August 6, 2017.
- ^ Yang, Jeff (January 20, 2015). "Is "Fresh off the Boat" a network sitcom or the rawest, realest TV show about Asian Americans ever? Yes". Quartz. Archived from the original on January 21, 2015. Retrieved August 6, 2017.
- ^ "Forrest Wheeler Talks "Fresh Off The Boat" – Interview". BSCkids. November 4, 2015. Retrieved August 6, 2017.
- ^ "Emery Huang played by Forrest Wheeler". Retrieved February 19, 2018.
- ^ "Forrest Wheeler and Ian Chen Interview - Home & Family". March 3, 2015. Retrieved February 19, 2018.
- ^ Mitovich, Matt Webb (December 10, 2014). "Fresh Off the Boat Comedy Gets Premiere Date at ABC". tvline.com. Retrieved February 19, 2018.
- ^ "EW's 12 Under 12: The Best Child Actors of 2015". Entertainment Weekly.
- ^ "HUDSON, IAN, AND FORREST JOIN ISATV!".
- ^ "isaKIDtv w/ Hudson, Ian, and Forrest". YouTube. Retrieved February 19, 2018.
- ^ Hong, Tae (December 19, 2017). "WATCH: The Unforgettable Gala Red Carpet with Forrest Wheeler". kore.am. Retrieved February 19, 2018.
- ^ "Hollywood's Top 30 Stars Under Age 18". The Hollywood Reporter. August 8, 2018.
- ^ Lindsay, Benjamin (November 3, 2015). "Forrest Wheeler Talks 'Fresh Off the Boat' Season 2". backstage.com. Retrieved February 19, 2018.
- ^ "Vulture TV Awards 2015: Best Child Actor". vulture.com. June 23, 2015.
- ^ "ABC and Nickelodeon Actors Lead Winners at Young Artist Awards". backstage.com. Retrieved July 11, 2016.