Biography

Grace Dumdaw (they/them) is a Myanmar-born, Louisiana-raised ethnically Kachin actor, singer, filmmaker, and photographer living in New York City.

Grace's early life was divided between assisting in their family's immigrant-owned restaurant and hopping between music lessons. As early as the age of three, Grace began performing on various stages through including music recitals, church musicals, and orchestra performances.

In high school, Grace began to explore theatre and their passion for acting. In their senior year, they won first place in the Thespian Scholarship competition in the 2017 Louisiana Thespian Festival. By leveraging their talent and academic strengths, Grace left Louisiana to attend Swarthmore College where they received the Philip Evans Scholarship.

In 2020, Grace was recognized for their outstanding potential in the entertainment industry as an Agency Fellow by the Emmy's Television Academy Foundation.

In 2021, Grace earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with majors in Stage, Screen, & New Media as well as Peace & Conflict Studies. Beyond college, Grace's additional acting education includes Prague Film School, Stella Adler Studio of Acting, and Upright Citizens Brigade NYC.

Upon graduating, Grace moved to New York City to pursue acting and has since made appearances in notable TV shows & films such as "And Just Like That," "Succession," "The Blacklist," "The Watcher," and more. They are best known for starring as the love interest of singer Zayn Malik in his music video for "Love Like This" (dir. Frank and Ivanna Borin).

As a filmmaker, Grace is mostly a director, although they also have credits in videography, editing, and art direction.

Additionally, Grace is the lead singer for the genre-bending band Chanpan who, since their conception in NYC's Chinatown in October 2022, have been mentioned in The New York Times' T Magazine and hailed by Vogue as "a very cool New York Band". Grace also releases musical collaborations under the moniker "gracegrace".

Most importantly, Grace is a passionate advocate for the Kachin people of northern Myanmar, their ethnic group. They actively work to raise awareness of the civil unrest and injustices faced by minority ethnicities not only in Myanmar but also worldwide. Through their art and advocacy, Grace continues to make a meaningful impact on both the entertainment industry and broader social issues.

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