Two AAPI actors are among The Associated Press’ Breakthrough Entertainers of the Year.

Simu Liu
Simu Liu smashed through the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s comfort zone as its first Asian-led superhero stand-alone in “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.” His was a career-making turn as Shang-Chi, who combines Spider-Man’s aw-shucks sweetness with lethal fists.
Anupam Tripathi
The path Anupam Tripathi took was far slower. For more than a decade, the Indian actor who relocated to South Korea more than a decade ago, spent countless hours singing in humble theaters and taking on minor film gigs. Then came “Squid Game,” which led to sudden, massive popularity.