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Kaila Yu
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| Kaila Yu | |
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| Background information | |
| Also known as | Taipei, Taiwan |
| Origin | Inland Empire, California, United States |
| Genre(s) | Pop, R&B, Hip-Hop |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter, glamour model |
| Years active | 2000–present |
| Website | www.kailayu.com |
Kaila Yu (Chinese: 于麗萍, pinyin: Yú Lìpíng), in Taipei, Taiwan, is a Taiwanese American Playboy model and pop singer.
She gained popularity through modeling in import car shows. Kaila is known for her appearances in Import Tuner, Playboy, FHM, and her roles in The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, House of Style, and Dark Blue. She began college at UC San Diego and later transferred to UCLA in order to live in Los Angeles to pursue modeling and singing.
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Early life
Kaila was born in Taiwan. When she was three years old, her family moved to the Inland Empire, a region in Southern California where she attended Upland High School. Pressure from her parents led her to take piano classes, ballet lessons, tap dancing classes, Chinese folk dancing classes, cello lessons, speed contests, SAT classes and attend Chinese school. Yu claims she was incredibly self-conscious and a "nerd" throughout her middle and high school years.1 After graduating from high school, she made the decision to attend UCSD as a biology major. She moved out to Los Angeles and transferred to UCLA, where she received an economics degree.
Career
In 2000, Kaila began her personal website that required a paid membership subscription to see her pose nude in various photography spreads (usually updated once a week). Her site became a model for many other Asian models that would soon follow in her footsteps. As Kaila's music career took off, she added a second website that was devoted entirely to her music. Over time, her photographic site has taken a backseat (in terms of content) to her music career.
In 2007 Kaila teamed up with Kit E. Kat to form the group Nylon Pink. Their signature song Hello Drama is also the name for the jewelry line that the two own. Their act is inspired in part by anime and Harajuku fashion.2
Discography
Albums
- Kaila (2003)
Singles
- Our Last Night
- Move
- Roll Away
- Candy Coated Sugar Sex
- Get Up On You
- Just A Dream
- Let's Just Do This
- Sugar
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Toilet Lesson | Sarah |
| 2002 | Dark Blue | Pole Dancer |
| 2003 | The Mummy's Kiss | Waitress |
| 2004 | Until the Night | Ali |
| 2006 | The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift | Cowgirl |
| 2006 | It's Not Just You, Tommy Chu! | Sarah Sometimes |
| 2006 | A Study in the Orientation of Han Sum | Mrs. Lan Smith |
| 2007 | Harry Potter in the Hood | Harry's hotties |
| 2007 | The Indian | Limo Girl #1, as Elaine Yang |
| 2007 | The Metrosexual | Tiffany the Dancer |
| 2008 | Runners | Mimi Kahn |