Angela Zhou is a New Zealander of Chinese descent raised in Auckland. Born in Guangzhou, Angela grew up learning Mandarin from her mother's side and Cantonese from her father's side. A high school scheduling conflict led Angela to her first drama class where she discovered acting. From then on, she took up every opportunity to act in musicals, improvisational comedy, and classical dramas -- eventually writing and directing too. Her interest in Shakespearean productions led her to train and perform with SGCNZ's Young Shakespeare Company at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, London. Angela moved to the U.S. to study at Duke University as a Robertson Scholar. During her junior year, she studied at NYU's Tisch and USC through Duke in New York and Duke in LA programs. She graduated with an A.B. degree majoring in Politics, Economics, and Creative Media and moved to Los Angeles where she caught her first big break in the gender-bending role of Mei/Fong on AMC's Hell on Wheels (2011).