Keiko Agena

Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, to Japanese-American parents, Keiko Agena has played a variety of Asian-American roles in films and on TV since the early 1990s. A chameleonic actress, Agena specializes in small character parts of widely varying nationalities and ages: when she began her best-known role as 16-year-old Korean-American high school student Lane Kim on the hit TV series "Gilmore Girls" in 2000, Agena was 27 years old. Best friend of series lead Rory Gilmore, Lane's difficult and rebellious relationship with her overbearing, strict mother became the primary counterpoint to the tight bond between Rory and her mother, Lorelai; by the show's end, Lane was one of the series' most beloved and important characters.

During filming breaks on the series, Agena took small roles in a variety of indie films, most notably the Asian-American wedding comedy "The Perfect Party" and "Hair Show," a beauty parlor-set comedy-drama starring comedian and actress Mo'Nique. Agena also voices the character Yori on the popular Disney cartoon "Kim Possible."