Agnes Tong

Originally from Ottawa, Agnes moved out West to attend Studio 58 theatre school. Since graduating, Agnes has appeared on stages all over Vancouver, the Lower Mainland, Vancouver Island, and across Canada.

Some of her favourite theatre credits include: carried away on the crest of a wave, The Shoplifters, The Great Leap, King Charles III, 4000 Miles (Arts Club Theatre), The Ones We Leave Behind (vAct), and Kim’s Convenience (Chemainus Theatre).

Some film/tv credits include: The Good Doctor (ABC), Charmed (CW), Under Wraps (Disney+), and The Romeo Section (CBC).

You can catch her next in the (not yet released) new comedy thriller series Ellen (Amazon Prime), Superman & Lois (CW), A Million Little Things (ABC), the new videogame 1000xRESIST (Nintendo Switch/PC), and The Birds and the Bees (Arts Club Theatre tour). Agnes loves crystals, sunsets, her belt drive bicycle, hammocks, dance parties, and eggs.

I used to be only sent out for Asian specific roles because it was assumed I couldn’t play anything else but a Chinese immigrant with “can you do more of an accent?” type of feedback. Some breakdowns would literally say “speak whatever language for the Tagalog part in this scene.”

I am proud to learn from, work with, and be a part of the continuing wave of Asian-Canadian artists who continue to break barriers of diversity and empowered inclusion in the performing arts. I am proud to earn a living doing what I love to do, with people I respect, through stories that challenge me to my edges, in hopes of elevating the collective consciousness through art.

I feel immensely privileged for the opportunities to work in the performing arts. In 2014, I played Sleeping Beauty at the Globe Theatre. After the show, a 5-year old Asian girl and her caregiver came up to me. The little girl told me that she looked in the program and was so excited to see that the princess looked like her. That kind of representation, seen at such a young age is what builds the new narrative for the upcoming generation of artists that it’s possible for you to be the lead in the story.