Brenda Song facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Brenda Song
Song in 2022
Born	(1988-03-27) March 27, 1988 (age 37) Carmichael, California, U.S.
Education	University of California, Berkeley (BA)
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1993–present
Partner(s)	Macaulay Culkin (2017–present)
Children	2

Brenda Song (born March 27, 1988) is an American actress. She started her career at age six as a child model. Her first TV appearance was in Thunder Alley in 1995. She also appeared in Fudge and 100 Deeds for Eddie McDowd.

Brenda became widely known for her roles on Disney Channel. She starred in The Ultimate Christmas Present (2000), which won her a Young Artist Award. She also played the main character in Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior (2006). Her most famous role was London Tipton in The Suite Life series (2005–2011). For this, she won two Young Hollywood Awards. She also had roles in Phil of the Future, Get a Clue, Like Mike, and Stuck in the Suburbs.

Later, Brenda moved into more grown-up roles. She was in the movie The Social Network (2010). She also appeared in TV shows like Scandal, New Girl, and Dads. She voiced Anne Boonchuy in the animated series Amphibia (2019–2022). She also starred in the comedy-drama Dollface (2019–2022). More recently, she voiced Princess Akemi in Blue Eye Samurai (2023–present). In 2024, she starred in the drama film The Last Showgirl. She also appeared in the Netflix series Running Point (2025–present).

Early Life and Education

Brenda Song was born on March 27, 1988, in Carmichael, California. This is a town near Sacramento. Her father is from Hmong background and her mother is Thai. Her father is a school teacher and her mother stays at home. Brenda has two younger brothers, Timmy and Nathan.

When Brenda was six, she moved to Los Angeles with her mother. This helped her start her acting career. The rest of her family joined them two years later. As a child, Brenda wanted to do ballet. Her brother wanted to learn taekwondo. They decided on taekwondo. Brenda now has a black belt in taekwondo. She was homeschooled and finished high school at age 16. She then went to a community college. In 2009, she graduated from the University of California, Berkeley. She studied psychology and business.

Career Highlights

Early Acting Roles

Brenda started as a child model in San Francisco. An agent saw her in a shopping mall. She began acting in commercials for Little Caesars and Barbie. Her first film role was in Requiem in 1995. This was a short film by actress Elizabeth Sung. Brenda played a young version of the main character, Fong. The film won an award.

She also appeared in the TV show Thunder Alley. She was a regular on Fudge. Her first movie in theaters was Santa with Muscles (1996). After a small role in Leave It to Beaver (1997), she joined the Nickelodeon series 100 Deeds for Eddie McDowd. She played Sariffa Chung in 19 episodes. She also had small parts in many other TV shows. These included 7th Heaven, ER, and George Lopez.

Becoming a Disney Star

Brenda's early roles earned her recognition. Her part in the 2000 Disney Channel movie The Ultimate Christmas Present won her a Young Artist Award. She played Samantha Kwan, a girl who finds a weather machine. In 2002, her role on The Bernie Mac Show earned her another nomination. That same year, she was in the family film Like Mike. The movie made over $60 million. Brenda played Reg Stevens, a 13-year-old orphan.

In 2002, Brenda signed a contract with Disney. She appeared in the Disney Channel movie Get a Clue with Lindsay Lohan. She also guest-starred in Disney shows like That's So Raven. She had a recurring role as Tia in Phil of the Future. In 2004, she starred in Stuck in the Suburbs. This movie was watched by 3.7 million people. It was about two girls who accidentally swap phones with a famous singer.

In 2005, Brenda began her famous role as London Tipton in The Suite Life of Zack & Cody. London was a rich, spoiled heiress. Brenda got the role without an audition. The show was about twins, Zack and Cody Martin, living in a hotel. The first episode had four million viewers. The series won a Young Artist Award in 2007. Brenda was nominated for an Asian Excellence Award in 2006.

Brenda became a regular on Disney Channel. She voiced a character in American Dragon: Jake Long. In 2006, she voiced a character in Holidaze: The Christmas That Almost Didn't Happen. She also starred in an online series called London Tipton's Yay Me!. Brenda was part of the Disney Channel Circle of Stars. She sang in a music video for "A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes".

Her first main role in a movie was in Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior (2006). This Disney Channel movie had over 5.7 million viewers. Brenda was originally meant for a smaller role. But after she started martial arts training, she was offered the lead. The movie was about a Chinese-American teenager who learns about her heritage. Brenda did most of her own stunts. The New York Times called the film a "star vehicle" for Brenda.

Brenda continued playing London Tipton in The Suite Life on Deck. The show's first episode had 5.7 million viewers. It became the most-watched series premiere on Canada's Family Channel. The cast of The Suite Life became Disney Channel's longest-running characters. In 2009, she starred in the TV movie Special Delivery. She also appeared in the movie College Road Trip with Raven-Symoné and Martin Lawrence.

Moving to Mainstream Roles

In 2010, Brenda was a spokesperson for Disney Cruise Line. In 2011, she was also the spokesperson for the clothing brand OP. That same year, Brenda joined the cast of The Social Network. This movie was about the creation of Facebook. Brenda played Christy Lee, a Harvard student. The film was highly praised. Brenda said this role "changed her life." She fought for the part because Disney had concerns about the movie's content.

In 2012, Brenda starred in the short film First Kiss. It won awards at film festivals. From 2012 to 2013, she had a recurring role in the TV series Scandal. In 2013, she also appeared in New Girl. In August 2013, Brenda was cast in the Fox TV series Dads. She played Veronica. The show was canceled after one season.

In 2016, Brenda was cast in the CBS show Pure Genius. It was canceled after one season. In 2017, she was in Seth Green's movie Changeland. She worked with Macaulay Culkin on this film. In 2017, she starred in the Freeform holiday film Angry Angel. From 2018 to 2020, Brenda had a recurring role in Station 19.

In 2019, Brenda starred in the Netflix thriller Secret Obsession. She also joined the Hulu TV series Dollface with Kat Dennings. From 2019 to 2022, she voiced Anne Boonchuy in the Disney Channel animated series Amphibia.

Recent Work

In 2022, Brenda began voicing Vanessa Vue in The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder. That same year, she starred in the movie Love Accidentally. She was also part of the horror video game The Quarry. In 2023, she started voicing Princess Akemi in the animated series Blue Eye Samurai.

In 2024, Brenda starred as a showgirl in the drama film The Last Showgirl. She won an award for this role at the San Sebastián International Film Festival. In 2025, she will star in the Netflix comedy series Running Point. Critics have praised Brenda for these roles, saying they show "the adult me." Also in 2024, Brenda appeared in the comedy film Operation Taco Gary's.

Personal Life

From 2010 to 2017, Brenda was in a relationship with musician Trace Cyrus. They were engaged for a time. In 2018, Brenda shared that she was dating actor Macaulay Culkin. They met in June 2017 while working on Changeland. Their first son, Dakota Song Culkin, was born on April 5, 2021. He was named after Macaulay's sister. Brenda and Macaulay got engaged in January 2022. Their second son, Carson Song Culkin, was born in December 2022. The family lives in Los Angeles.

Community Involvement

Brenda has supported many good causes. In 2006, she hosted a fashion show to help Optimist Youth Homes & Family Services. She also supported the L.A. Cancer Challenge. In 2006 and 2007, she took part in YMCA Healthy Kids Day. In 2007, she started hosting a Disney show called Pass the Plate. In this show, she teaches kids about healthy food.

In 2008, Brenda was in a commercial to encourage people to vote. She also helped at the "Power of Youth carnival" for St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital. In 2009, she decorated an egg for a charity event. The egg was sold to help Feeding America.

Brenda was a spokesperson for Disney's environmental campaign, Disney's Friends for Change. She appeared in commercials for the campaign. This charity taught kids how to help protect the Earth. It also let them choose how Disney would invest money in environmental programs.

Filmography

Film

Television

Video Games

Awards and Nominations

Song at the 2009 Movieguide Awards

Brenda Song has won several awards for her acting.

Images for kids

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  Song at Disneyland on March 23, 2008

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  Song at The Cheetah Girls: One World premiere on August 12, 2008