Betty Ouyang

Betty's parents emigrated from Taiwan to the United States in the late sixties, when her father arrived on a student visa to complete his Master of Business Administration Degree. After living in both Manhattan and Brooklyn for a number of years, the Ouyang Family eventually settled in East Brunswick, New Jersey.Born in New York City, the younger of two children, Betty Ouyang seemed convinced that she would either become a news correspondent for CNN or work for the United Nations. Throughout high school and at the start of college, she exhibited strong interest in international relations, and later at Columbia University's Barnard College, she studied political science, history, Russian and French. While she attended Barnard, Betty worked briefly as an on-air news correspondent for WKCR-FM radio, the Columbia University station.At the same time, Betty felt a strong pull toward acting and the theatre. Fortunately, Columbia University provided many opportunities for her to participate in the performing arts, where her first meaningful stage role was 'Bananas,' a housewife on the verge of a nervous breakdown in the John Guare play, "The House of Blue Leaves."After receiving her Bachelor of Arts Degree, Betty chose to remain in New York City, where she planned to gain additional stage experience. She completed the two-year acting program at the William Esper Studio and continued her voice and Shakespeare studies with Robert Neff Williams. Betty also worked as a freelance proofreader to help pay the bills.During this time, Betty's parents felt she needed to be more practical, so they encouraged her to enroll in law school or study computer science. Nevertheless, her commitment to acting remained strong.Art imitates life in Betty's most recent politically-charged motion pictures.Frozen River (2008), the critically-acclaimed Courtney Hunt motion picture for Sony Pictures Classics, dramatizes a story about a little-known border crossing on the Mohawk reservation between New York State and Quebec, where Betty portrays Li Wei, a Chinese teenager illegally smuggled into the United States as part of an international crime ring. Winner of the coveted Grand Jury Prize for Best Drama at the prestigious Sundance Film Festival: 2008, Frozen River (2008) continues to receive accolades from critics across the country.U.N. forces cross the 38th Parallel, as this marks the beginning of the invasion of North Korea in The Forgotten (2004) (1918 Productions), the Vincente Stasolla award-winning powerhouse film. Betty turns in a transcending performance as North Korean solider, Kim Jong Soo, in this story of sacrifice and a quest for redemption in a world where humanity and nature collide. In fact, it was Betty's passionate portrayal of Kim Jong Soo that provided her with the necessary impetus to take on her insightful character Li Wei in Frozen River (2008). The Forgotten (2004) won honors at festivals nationwide, including the Sedona Film Festival, Three Rivers and Breckenridge, among others.Betty portrays a young reporter, in one of her early Indie films: Run for Cover (1995), a campy movie about East German terrorists taking over Manhattan. The film featured a number of humorous cameos by Adam West (Family Guy (1999), Mayor of Quahog and TV's original Batman: The Movie (1966)), Al Sharpton and former New York Mayor Ed Koch.Her television credits include: Co-Starring on Law & Order: Criminal Intent (2001), Recurring on CBS As the World Turns (1956) and appearing on What Not to Wear (2003) on The Learning Channel (TLC).Betty also gives further evidence of her versatility in one of the top grossing video games of all time: Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (2004), where her voice is featured throughout. Additional film credits include, among others, Press or Say '2' (2005), Pandora Machine (2004) and The Raising of Christopher (1997). Show less «