LOS ANGELES — Chase Del Rosario laughed as he looked back at a scene for his latest social media video on a fellow influencer's iPhone. It's one of his popular "short king" videos, comically sketching scenarios of dating and friendships for guys that, well, aren't tall. He takes pride in devising and directing his skits, from the action to the dialogue to the final look. The actor and content creator has built a following of over 2 million fans on TikTok. But he didn't take it seriously at first.
"It started becoming something that I was actually passionate about," Del Rosario said. "I leaned more into creating my own material and more skits, and I realized, OK, this is going to help me with my passion for acting."
In addition to enjoying the process of creation, Del Roasario's work paid off when he landed a recurring role on Hulu’s "The Cleaning Lady."
"Being a face on TikTok or on Instagram will start making other people, directors and cast directors think like, 'Oh, I can actually see this person acting on an actual show,'" Rosario said.
The trend is common across the board, but as Asian American and Pacific Islander creators continue to push for visibility in traditional media, many are using influence as the launchpad with great success.
A McKinsey report shows AAPI actors still account for only 3% of lead and supporting roles in U.S.-produced films, and fewer than 30% of AAPI viewers say they feel represented authentically on screen. But online, creators are rewriting that script and bringing their audiences with them. Del Rosario said he's particularly proud seeing creators of Filipino heritage like himself rise on social platforms and ultimately land big roles on screen.
Kasey Ma was one of the early voices in the influencer industry. On a recent day, she busy at home filming a video for a sofa brand called 7th Avenue, capturing angles, spilling liquids on the sofa and wiping it clean to demonstrate the couch's durability. It's quite a bit of work, but work Ma is used to it.
"I became a content creator in 2015 before influencer was even a term. We were called the OG bloggers back in the day," Ma said with a smile.
Her fashion and streaming content eventually led to a role on the Amazon Prime reality show "The One That Got Away," making her one of the first Asian American women to front a dating series on a major platform and giving her the opportunity to break stereotypes. Then, behind the camera, colleagues started asking for her guidance.
"They reached out to me to consult them, to coach them, in addition to understanding what to say in negotiations and contracts and all of that," Ma said.
Ma saw a new opportunity: helping others break in. She launched the Untamed Agency, choosing to focus on AAPI influencers and pushing for more visibility.
"A lot of us have to always fight for more money in our industry. Out of 10 people on a campaign, it's always nine Caucasian people to one Asian person, and it shouldn't be like that," Ma said, noting that Asian talent was often paid less.
Now in its second year, the agency represents 28 content creators helping to build careers with influencing as the base, giving them both the business backing and creative confidence to grow.
"Not only is it a vehicle for them to express what they want without any barriers or, you know, someone telling them no, it's also another mechanism for them to make money," Ma said.
For both Ma and Del Rosario, the goal isn’t just about the next post. It’s about long-term visibility and making sure AAPI stories don’t get left out of the frame.
“We deserve our recognition,” Ma said. “And we deserve our faces on the screen.”
