Actors become unrecognizable when they perform on stage or play a role on a movie set. Their real selves are absorbed into the character they’re inhabiting, every true part of them pushed aside until the lights and cameras turn off. At least, that’s how it appears to the audience. Ironically, Ari Hong (‘26) calls acting a place where they can really be themself.
Hong began acting at eight years old, inspired by children in toy commercials. Their first role was as an extra on “Sesame Street,” and their career has only grown from there. Hong has appeared in several commercials, including one alongside singer Camila Cabello. They’ve been in television series such as “Awkwafina is Nora from Queens,” “The Blacklist,” “Little Voice,” “Madam Secretary,” and “Rise,” as well as movies like “We Need To Talk,” “Lucky Grandma,” and “Glass.” Hong had a voice acting role in the recently released “Svefnthorn: The Omen,” which came out on Oct. 25.
Their appearance as Juliette Kimura in season two of Netflix’s medical drama, “New Amsterdam,” is Hong’s biggest television role thus far and also their favorite. They described it as an experience “filled with learning,” and felt grateful for the challenge that came with playing such a tough role as a preteen.
Hong’s skilled portrayal of Juliette Kimura’s psychopathy is likely what led to the character’s reappearance in season three. They noted that playing a character with a mental health disorder requires maturity and sensitivity, especially at a young age.
“I was happy to represent the humanity of psychopaths and lessen the stigma around them. [Juliette] is… a teen who struggled with mental illness and deserved to be seen as more than a danger,” Hong said.
While Hong shines on television, they’ve also participated in junior theater every year. The Junior Theater Festival is a national competition for teenagers that provides the opportunity to showcase a 15-minute cut from a musical. Hong has won group awards for excellence in acting and even an individual All-Festival Performance award, which only three people out of the 7,000 entries achieve. Hong won this award for their performance as Lydia Dietz from “Beetlejuice.”
The stage and the Hollywood set are two very different atmospheres. While Hong loves something about both of them, they find stage acting more challenging.
“You really just have to go all out. Give it 150 percent all the time and act sort of not human,” they said.
The life of a child actor isn’t always filled with a constant stream of awards and roles. Hong dealt with severe scoliosis that required a spinal fusion. They went on hiatus from acting for nearly a year. Hong couldn’t audition and had to relearn how to dance for musical theater. They’ve regained most of their mobility, but navigating any hiatus in the acting world can be challenging.
After recovering from surgery for two months, Hong went to the SAG-AFTRA picket lines instead of long-awaited auditions. They joined the union in 2019 under the name Emma Hong, and by 2023 they were protesting for fair compensation and AI regulation in Hollywood. Hong described an “overwhelming sense of unity,” that came from participating in the strikes, reaffirming their place in the acting community.
As Hong’s eighteenth birthday approaches, they look forward to the community broadening. Hong plans to go to school for acting when they graduate from Cherry Hill High School East and hopes to continue their career. Adult actors are privy to a wider array of roles and networking opportunities than child stars.
Acting may be where Ari Hong feels most comfortable, but they hope anyone who wants to be an actor recognizes one thing: “It’s meant to be challenging, and it’s meant to be an intense environment…so always stay true to yourself and…remember that you are a person on your own.”
