Amalia Emma Lola Yoo (born 2002) is an American television, film, and stage actress, best known for her roles as Leila Zimmer in the 2020 television drama Grand Army and as Raelynn Nix in the 2025 Broadway performance of John Proctor is the Villain.
Amalia Yoo | |
|---|---|
 Yoo in 2026 | |
| Born | Amalia Yoo 2002 (age 23–24) |
| Occupation | Actress |
Early life
editYoo was born in New York City to a Korean father and a Puerto Rican mother.[1] Her parents, both teachers, frequently took her to Broadway theatre shows from a young age.[2] She attended Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, while also taking drama classes at Katie Cappiello's studio GoodCapp Arts beginning in 2016.[3][4]
Career
editYoo played various roles in stage productions of Cappiello's play Slut while a high school student: first the minor character Jane, and then later the starring role of Joey.[5] After Cappiello began working with Netflix to create a television series inspired by Slut, she arranged for Yoo and some of her other students to audition for roles in the series, overcoming the reluctance of the casting directors as many of the students were not represented by talent agencies at the time. Yoo, who was only sixteen years old when the auditions were being held, did not audition for the role of Joey, as the casting directors sought to have an actress at least eighteen years old fill that role, and so instead she auditioned for the role of Leila Zimmer, an interracial adoptee from China.[5] Her parents accompanied her to Toronto, where Grand Army was partly filmed.[3] She frequently listened to the album Blonde by Frank Ocean as part of her preparation for getting into character.[6] Meghan O'Keefe of Decider praised Yoo for "her uncanny ability to be ruthlessly honest in how some terribly annoying some teens really are" and for balancing the competing demands of helping the audience to understand Leila's character without "absolv[ing] her from incrimination".[7]
Grand Army was cancelled after one season, and Yoo signed with the Agency for the Performing Arts and Luber Roklin Entertainment to seek further roles in film and television. In January 2022, she was cast in a supporting role in the romantic comedy film The Other Zoey.[8] Later that year it was also announced that she had been cast as National Security Agency technology expert Maya Choi in the Netflix comedy series Obliterated, but she was replaced by Kimi Rutledge before filming began.[9][10] She subsequently played the role of Natalie in the sex comedy No Hard Feelings, released in June 2023.[11]
In early 2025, Yoo performed in the Atlantic Theater Company's production of Eliya Smith's Grief Camp, under director Les Waters.[12] She made her Broadway debut later that year as Raelynn Nix in John Proctor is the Villain.[2] She won the 2025 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Performance in a Play for the latter role.[13] She was then cast in Smith's Dad Don't Read This, expected to play at St. Luke's Theatre in May 2026.[14]
Acting credits
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Role(s) | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | J Doe | Mckayla | Short film | |
| 2023 | No Hard Feelings | Natalie | ||
| The Other Zoey | Becca | |||
| TBA | John Proctor is the Villain | Raelynn Nix | Pre-production | |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role(s) | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Grand Army | Leila Kwan Zimmer | 9 episodes | |
| 2024 | Brilliant Minds | Sarah Kim | Episode: "The Girl Who Cried Pregnant" | |
Theater
edit| Year | Title | Role(s) | Playwright | Venue | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Grief House | Luna | Eliya Smith | Linda Gross Theater, Off-Broadway | [15] |
| John Proctor is the Villain | Raelynn Nix | Kimberly Belflower | Booth Theater, Broadway | [16] | |
| 2026 | Dad Don't Read This | Mal | Eliya Smith | Greenwich House Theater, Off-Broadway | [17] |
Awards and nominations
edit| Year | Association | Category | Project | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Featured Performance in a Play | John Proctor is the Villain | Won | [18] |
| Dorian Award | Outstanding Featured Performance in a Broadway Play | Won | [19] | ||
References
edit- ↑ Forrest, Eleanor (2020). "Amalia Yoo". 1883 Magazine. Retrieved 2023-10-24.
- 1 2 Levitt, Hayley (2025-05-08). "Amalia Yoo Makes a Primal Scream of Her Broadway Debut in John Proctor is the Villain". Broadway.com. Retrieved 2025-09-26.
- 1 2 Cerón, Ella (2020-10-16). "'Grand Army' Star Amalia Yoo on Why Leila's Story Is Important for Teens". Teen Vogue. Retrieved 2023-10-24.
- ↑ "October 2020 Digital Cover Story: Grand Army's Amalia Yoo". Flanelle. October 2020. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
- 1 2 Williams, Lexi (2020-10-17). "Amalia Yoo Says 'Grand Army's Creator Had To 'Fight' For Her To Play Leila". Elite Daily. Retrieved 2023-10-24.
- ↑ Casey, Bryan (2020-12-17). "Amalia Yoo on Starting Conversations". Mud Magazine. Retrieved 2023-10-23.
- ↑ O'Keefe, Meghan (2020-10-21). "Amalia Yoo Needs More Praise for Playing Monster Teen Leila on 'Grand Army'". Decider. Retrieved 2023-10-24.
- ↑ Grobar, Matt (2022-01-10). "Mia Sinclair Jenness Boards 'The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry'; Rom-Com 'The Other Zoey' Adds Mallori Johnson, Maggie Thurmon, Amalia Yoo & More". Deadline. Retrieved 2023-10-24.
- ↑ Petski, Denise (2022-07-21). "'Obliterated': Netlix Comedy Series Adds Six To Cast". Deadline. Retrieved 2023-10-24.
- ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (2022-08-01). "'Obliterated': Kimi Rutledge Joins Netflix Series In Recasting". Deadline. Retrieved 2023-10-24.
- ↑ Finnighan, Lucy-Jo (2023-06-23). "No Hard Feelings cast: All actors & characters". Dexerto. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
- ↑ Buchwald, Linda (2024-11-12). "World Premiere of Grief Camp Announces Cast at Atlantic Theater Company". Theater Mania. Retrieved 2025-09-26.
- ↑ Culwell-Block, Logan (2025-06-01). "Drama Desk Award Winners 2025: The Full List". Playbill. Retrieved 2025-09-26.
- ↑ Masseron, Meg (2026-03-10). "Amalia Yoo Will Lead Eliya Smith's Dad Don't Read This Off-Broadway". Playbill. Retrieved 2026-05-06.
- ↑ "Grief Camp". Abouttheartist. Retrieved June 12, 2026.
- ↑ "Amalia Yoo Makes a Primal Scream of Her Broadway Debut in John Proctor is the Villain". Broadway.com. Retrieved June 12, 2026.
- ↑ "Eliya Smith's Dad Don't Read This Will Transfer to Greenwich House Theater". Playbill. Retrieved June 12, 2026.
- ↑ "2024-2025 Drama Desk Awards nominations announce". NY1. Retrieved June 12, 2026.
- ↑ "'Death Becomes Her' leads nominations for Dorian Theater Awards". Broadwaynews. Retrieved June 12, 2026.