Taiwanese-American praised for stellar performance in latest Justin Bieber MV

Justin Bieber’s latest single, “Hold On,” debuted on March 5 to great acclaim. Much of the praise was directed to the touching storyline behind the music video and the acting skills of Taiwanese-American actress Christine Ko (葛曉潔).

Amid mounting discrimination and hate crimes directed toward the Asian-American community in the United States, Ko’s casting was significant and timely.

The 32-year-old portrays Bieber’s love interest, who had been diagnosed with a severe illness, ultimately going through chemotherapy, and leading to Bieber’s character to rob a bank to pay for the hospital bills.

Ko, the daughter of veteran Taiwanese singer and actor Frankie Kao (葛元誠), was born in Chicago but grew up in Taiwan and Atlanta.

According to foreign media, Ko revealed that she had faced immense difficulty finding her footing in Hollywood as an Asian-American actress.

Having received many stereotypical roles, including “hackers” and “Kung fu-kicking gal,” she voiced her appreciation for being cast as the female lead in Bieber’s music video, thanking the singer for “trusting [her] to tell this story.

Fans also praised the actress who is most famous for her role as Emma in the CBS sitcom “The Great Indoors,” with one quoted by foreign media commenting, “Christine Ko didn’t have to go that hard, she deserves an Oscar.”