Brenda Song is an American actress. She gained mainstream recognition from her appearances in Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior (2006) and The Suite Life (2005–2011).
Some of her prominent acting works are Phil of the Future (2004–2005), Get a Clue (2002), and Stuck in the Suburbs (2004).
Contents
Career
Brenda Song started her own career in the entertainment industry when she was a young girl.
She began her journey as a model in United States, and later modeled for some commercials, such as Little Caesars and Barbie.
This Aries actress then made her official debut on TV by appearing in Thunder Alley in 1994 as Kathy for 2 episodes.
Since then, her opportunities to be an actress then became wider than ever, proven by her appearance in some movies and series, such as Santa with Muscles (1996), Leave It to Beaver (1997), Once and Again (1999), and Popular (1999).
In 2002, Brenda Song gained more popularity after appearing in The Bernie Mac Show, which earned her nomination for Best Performance in a TV Comedy Series, Guest Starring Young Actress.
But actually, her actual career breakthrough began after she signed with Disney in that year.
After signing with Disney, Brenda started to show her acting in various Disney movies and series, such as Get a Clue (2002), That’s So Raven (2003), Phil of The Future (2004), and many more.
In 2006, she starred in The Suite Life of Zack & Cody as London Tipton, which blew up her popularity.
Because of that role, she successfully won as Best Role Model for Asian Excellence Awards 2006.
Later, she appeared in more iconic series, such as The Suite Life on Deck (2008), Phineas and Ferb (2009), Wizards of Waverly Place (2009), and Hannah Montana (2009).
After continuing her career by starring and appearing in various Disney movies and series, Brenda got another career breakthrough in 2010.
In that year, she was trusted to act in The Social Network, a biographical drama movie about Facebook and resulting lawsuits, which earned her various awards.
Brenda then continued her acting career for Scandal (2012), Dads (2013), Pure Genius (2016), and Angry Angel (2017).
Later, she made other appearances for Station 19 (2018), Amphibia (2019), and also Dollface (2019).
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Profile
- Real Name: Brenda Song
- Stage Name: Brenda Song
- Nickname: Brenda
- Birthday: March 27, 1988
- Birthplace: Carmichael, California, United States
- Zodiac Sign: Aries
- Nationality: American
- Religion: –
- Profession: Actress
- Education: University of California.
- Hobbies: Shopping, martial arts, studying, watching basketball games
- Facebook: Brenda Song Official
- Twitter: @BrendaSong
- Instagram: @brendasong
- TikTok: –
- YouTube: –
Height, Weight, & Physical Appearance
- Height: 157 cm (5’2″)
- Weight: 51 kg (112 lbs)
- Blood Type: –
- Hair Color: Dark brown
- Eye Color: Dark brown
- Body Measurements: 34-24-34 (Bust -34, Waist -24, and Hips -34 inches)
- Shoe Size: 8 (US)
- Dress Size: 6 (US)
Family
- Father: –
- Mother: Mai Song
- Brother: Nathan Song, Timmy Song
- Sister: –
- Children: Dakota Song Culkin, Carson Song Culkin
Boyfriend & Dating History
Trace Cyrus
She dated Trace, who’s the brother of Miley Cyrus, around early 2010s. In 2011, the couple officially announced their engagement.
That being said, in the next year, media reported that the pair called the engagement quit in 2011.
He stated that they have to go “separate ways” and “split up a couple of months ago.” Additionally, he mentioned about how they will “continue to focus on our careers,” so it seemed that they parted on good terms.
They went on an on-and-off relationship for the next few years, but eventually broke up for real in 2017.
He released a song titled Brenda on Valentine’s Day the following year, citing that he “wrote this song last year in Nashville after Brenda & I broke up,” and that the song “was my final goodbye as we ended our relationship.”
Macaulay Culkin
Brenda and Macaulay met in 2017 on the filming site of Changeland. They tend to keep the relationship private for the first several years of it.
She opened up about him in an interview with Esquire in 2020, citing that how “how incredibly kind and loyal and sweet and smart” he is.
In April 2021, the pair announced that they have welcomed a baby son named Dakota Song Culkin.
Media reported afterwards that they were apparently engaged, as Brenda was seen wearing a ring during an outing event in Beverly Hills.
They reportedly welcomed the second baby named Carson at one point before Christmas in 2022.
Net Worth
According to multiple sources, she’s estimated to own around $8 million of net worth. She appeared to earn her income primarily from working as an actress.
Real Estate
In 2019, Brenda and Macaulay purchased a farmhouse-style house located near Studio City for $2.5 million.
The 3,700 sq-ft property reportedly has five bedrooms and five bathrooms, high ceilings, and automated shades.
In August 2022, they purchased a house located in Toluca Lake, Los Angeles, from Kiefer Sutherland for $8 million.
The living space stands on top of 4,900 sq-ft of space, and features five bedrooms and six bathrooms.
The pair listed their Studio City house on the market for $3.2 million in October 2022, which finally sold for the asked price in November 2022.
Facts
- Brenda is a pet lover.
- She owns two dogs.
- She always keeps in touch with her fans through her social media platforms.
- Brenda’s parents were born in Thailand.
- Her father is a school teacher.
- Brenda’s mother is a housewife.
- Originally her last name was Xiong, but she and her family changed it to Song when they moved to United States.
- She moved to the US with her mother when she was 6 years old.
- When she was younger, Brenda wanted to learn ballet.
- Her brother wanted to learn taekwondo when he was young, so her mother settled on taekwondo to take Brenda and her brother to one place.
- Brenda already got a black belt in taekwondo.
- During the ninth grade, Brenda had titled as an All-American Scholar.
- She already got a high school diploma when she was 16 years old.
- Her ideal type is…
- Her net worth is around $8 million.
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Movies
- Bobbleheads: The Movie (2020), as Kelani (voice)
- Secret Obsession (2019), as Jennifer Allen Williams
- Changeland (2019), as Pen
- Little Sister (2010), as storyteller
- The Social Network (2010), as Christy Ling
- Boogie Town (2009), as Natalie
- College Road Trip (2008), as Nancy
- Like Mike (2002), as Reg Stevens
- Leave It to Beaver (1997), as Susan Acustis
- Santa with Muscles (1996), as Susan
TV Movies
- Angry Angel (Freeform | 2017), as Allison Pyke
- The Suite Life Movie (Disney Channel | 2011), as London Tipton
- Special Delivery (Sky Movies | 2008), as Alice Cantwell
- Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior (Disney Channel | 2006), as Wendy Wu
- Stuck in the Suburbs (Disney Channel | 2004), as Natasha Kwon-Schwartz
- The Ultimate Christmas Present (Disney Channel | 2000), as Samantha Kwan
Drama Series
- Dollface (Hulu | 2019-present), as Madison Maxwell
- Amphibia (Disney Channel | 2019-present), as Anne Boonchuy (voice)
- Station 19 (ABC | 2018-2020), as JJ
- Superstore (NBC | 2017), as Kristen
- Freaktown (Disney XD | 2016), as B-1000
- Pure Genius (CBS | 2016-2017), as Angie Cheng
- Life in Pieces (CBS | 2016), as Bonnie
- Miles from Tomorrowland (Disney Junior | 2015), as Frida (voice)
- The League (FXl | 2014), as Rosette
- Dads (Fox | 2013-2014), as Veronica
- New Girl (Fox | 2013), as Daisy
- Scandal (ABC | 2019-present), as Alissa (voice)
- Key & Peele (Mad TV | 2012), as Purple Falcon
- Hannah Montana (Disney Channel | 2009), as London Tipton
- Wizards of Waverly Place (Disney Channel | 2009), as London Tipton
- The Suite Life on Deck (Disney Channel | 2008-2011), as London Tipton
- The Emperor’s New School (Disney Channel | 2007), as Dancing Queen (voice)
- American Dragon: Jake Long (Disney Channel | 2006), as Cheerleader Tracey (voice)
- The Suite Life of Zack & Cody (Disney Channel | 2005-2008), as London Tipton
- Phil of the Future (Disney Channel | 2004-2005), as Tia
- One on One (UPN | 2003), as Asoniti
- Lilo & Stitch: The Series (ABC | 2003), as Mitzi Suzuki (voice)
- That’s So Raven (Disney Channel | 2003), as Amber
- For the People (Lifetime | 2002), as Ellie
- George Lopez (ABC | 2002), as Jennifer
- The Nightmare Room (Kids’ WB | 2002), as Tessa
- Judging Amy (CBS | 2001), as Vanessa Pran
- ER (NBC | 2001), as Lynda An
- Bette (CBS | 2001), as Stacey
- 7th Heaven (The WB | 2000), as Cynthia
- 100 Deeds for Eddie McDowd (Nickelodeon | 2000-2002), as Sariffa Chung
- Popular (The WB | 1999), as Mandy Shepherd
- Once and Again (ABC | 1999), as Chrissy
- Thunder Alley (ABC | 1994-1995), as Kathy
TV Shows
- The Eric Andre Show (Adult Swim | 2020), as herself
- The Bernie Mac Show (Fox | 2002), as Shannon
Awards
- Palm Springs International Film Festival Awards 2011 – Best Ensemble Cast – The Social Network
- Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards 2010 – Best Ensemble Acting – The Social Network
- Hollywood Film Awards 2010 – Ensemble of the Year – The Social Network
- Young Hollywood Awards 2006 – Superstar of Tomorrow – The Suite Life of Zack & Cody
- Young Hollywood Awards 2006 – Best Role Model – The Suite Life of Zack & Cody
- Young Artist Awards 2001 – Best Performance in a TV Movie (Comedy), Supporting Young Actress – The Ultimate Christmas Present
Nominations
- Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards 2011 – Funniest TV Sidekick – The Suite Life on Deck
- Gold Derby Awards 2011 – Best Ensemble Cast – The Social Network
- Washington DC Area Film Critics Association Awards 2010 – Best Acting Ensemble – The Social Network
- San Diego Film Critics Society Awards 2010 – Best Ensemble Cast Best Ensemble Performance – The Social Network
- Asian Excellence Awards 2006 – Newcomers Award – The Suite Life of Zack & Cody
- Young Artist Awards 2003 – Best Performance in a TV Comedy Series, Guest Starring Young Actress – The Bernie Mac Show
Quotes
“[My family] were very, very poor. We had no money. My mom was still in school, my dad was in college to be a schoolteacher. My parents had no idea what this industry was. They were immigrants, refugees, they didn’t understand.”
“My dad, who’s a schoolteacher, sat me down and said, ‘Here’s the thing. You have an amazing opportunity if acting is what you want to do. Education is the most important thing. You go to college to figure out what you want to do, but if this is what you want to do, you have an opportunity to do it.’”
“I didn’t get a lot of auditions. It wasn’t until I got into the Disney family that they were so very open. So, I feel really proud of that because for me, growing up, I didn’t see a lot of girls who looked like me on TV and it was a little disheartening.”
“I never looked at the big picture as a kid. I just loved acting so much. I loved the day to day. I loved getting a script. I loved auditioning. It was never about winning an Oscar or being a movie star.”
“Your body is like a machine, and if you don’t keep it in shape, it holds you back. You don’t want anything holding you back, especially yourself.”
“Coming from The Disney Channel, anything I do is going to offend somehow, somewhere, somehow.”
“When I was first approached for ‘Pass the Plate,’ I was thrilled because I love to cook. And I love to cook healthy. The reason I started cooking was because I would go to restaurants and have just amazing food but feel so heavy and gross. I would go home and try to cook the same thing, but a healthy version.”
“I’d like to have any sort of Mexican or Italian food any time of the day! Brenda Song I love to bake. I like to bake with wheat and try not to eat sugar, so I use applesauce instead, which probably sounds really gross.”
“My dad loves to cook. I’m half Thai, and growing up, that’s all we ate in my house. My dad was very big on the idea that dinnertime and cooking time was also family time.”
“I joke around all the time, ‘I’m Asian; I’m really good at math.'”
“To this day, just always treat people the way you want to be treated. Whether it’s family or friends or co-workers, I think it’s the most important thing. Whether you have success or don’t have it, whether you’re a good person is all that matters.”
“I’m a huge breast cancer awareness advocate because my mom went through breast cancer recently. It really brought our family closer.”
“Growing up, I never saw Asian-Americans on TV at all.”
“I was just a little girl watching TV and wanting to be in it. My parents had no idea how to get me there, but here I am as a part of this great cast on the Disney Channel. Truly, if you just want to do this, then you have to commit to it.”
Brenda is really a good inspiration since she was a child actress. She is inspiring, fresh, and full of spirit!