Yep, an accountant helped find 'Crazy Rich Asians' star Henry Golding

You'll never know who you impress.
 By 
Johnny Lieu
 on 
Yep, an accountant helped find 'Crazy Rich Asians' star Henry Golding
Henry Golding made quite the impression — and didn't even know it. Credit: Griffin Lipson/BFA/REX/Shutterstock

You've probably already heard about the reluctance Crazy Rich Asians star Henry Golding had when it came to auditioning for his role.

Despite his lack of acting experience, Golding was tracked down by the film's director Jon M. Chu and eventually given the lead role.

The smooth-talking actor can thank an accountant, Lisa-Kim Kuan, for all of his future Hollywood troubles. Kuan passed on Golding's name to Chu, which led to the discovery of the star.

"If you’re out there Lisa Kim, I still owe you one. I love you Lisa!" Golding told Jimmy Fallon last week.

"She was like, ‘I met this guy about five years ago in Malaysia. I don’t know what he’s doing now, but for me he was this character Nick Young.'"

Vulture got in touch with Kuan, who works at the film's Malaysian production office, where she revealed that the suggestion for Golding came about over a conversation with a line producer over budgets.

"When we got to Nick Young’s part, he mentioned they were having difficulties finding the right guy to play him. I thought of Henry right away," she told the publication.

Kuan said she first encountered Golding at an event in Kuala Lumpur, and imagined him as being the perfect Young when she read Kevin Kwan's 2013 novel Crazy Rich Asians later on. Of course, she's thrilled that Golding scored the role.

"My adik [Malay for sister] said to me after [Golding’s appearance on] the Jimmy Fallon show, 'You built a bridge for Henry to get to the other side.' I thought that was sweetly appropriate; that was all I did. Everything else was down to Henry," she added.

Just another adorable story on top of the many adorable stories coming from Crazy Rich Asians, and proof you'll never know who you'll leave an impression on.

Topics Celebrities

Mashable Image
Johnny Lieu

Mashable Australia's Web Culture Reporter.Reach out to me on Twitter at @Johnny_Lieu or via email at jlieu [at] mashable.com

Mashable Potato

Recommended For You
'How to Make a Killing' review: Glen Powell stars in A24's eat-the-rich comedy
Glen Powell stars as Becket Redfellow in "How to Make a Killing."

OpenAI releases GPT-5.3-Codex, a coding model that helped build itself
chatgpt app logo on phone screen with same logo as background

Kit Harington breaks down 'Industry's 'emotionally moving' ghost story
Kit Harington in "Industry."

Astronomers have just found one of the universe's earliest mistakes
Hubble Space Telescope flying through space

App fatigue is real. I tested the best dating apps of 2026 to find the ones that really work.
illustration of two women meeting at a bar

More in Entertainment
How to watch Chelsea vs. Port Vale online for free
Alejandro Garnacho of Chelsea reacts

How to watch 'Wuthering Heights' at home: Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi's controversial romance now streaming
Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi embracing in still from "Wuthering Heights"

How to watch New York Islanders vs. Philadelphia Flyers online for free
Matthew Schaefer of the New York Islanders warms up

How to watch Mexico vs. Belgium online for free
Israel Reyes of Mexico reacts

How to watch Brazil vs. Croatia online for free
Vinicius Junior #10 of Brazil leaves

Trending on Mashable
NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for April 3, 2026
Connections game on a smartphone

Wordle today: Answer, hints for April 3, 2026
Wordle game on a smartphone

Wordle today: Answer, hints for April 4, 2026
Wordle game on a smartphone

Google launches Gemma 4, a new open-source model: How to try it
Google Gemma

The biggest stories of the day delivered to your inbox.
These newsletters may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. By clicking Subscribe, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Thanks for signing up. See you at your inbox!