By Stacy Nguyen
Northwest Asian Weekly
Welcome to the Year of the Rabbit! (Or Year of the Cat, if you’re Vietnamese!). The Rabbit-Cat is one of my favorite signs of the zodiac because not only are the animals super cute, but the people born of these years have some of the loveliest personality traits, such as modesty, sweetness, sensitivity, patience, elegance, calmness, compassion—as well as skillfulness and swiftness.
Of course, in the fishbowl that is celebrity culture, it is often hard to exemplify some of the more low-key personality traits of the Rabbit-Cat. Let’s see which famous people are the most Rabbit-Catty!
Lil Nas X
Born: April 1999
Known for: Being a viral musical sensation, being so popular that the Country Music Awards threw itself into a racist-y tizzy
Rabbit-Cat or nah?: When I think of Lil Nas X, I feel awe because here is a young artist who refuses to be inauthentic and to accommodate the gatekeeping ‘games’ that have plagued the music industry for generations. I see an artist who is a provocateur, and while this rebellious streak may not initially seem like it vibes well with being a sweet Rabbit-Cat sign, Lil Nas X may actually embody the oft-overlooked Rabbit-Cat traits like industriousness, being popular, and being people-oriented.
Zac Efron
Born: October 1987
Known for: Being a “High School Musical” child star, growing up into a really ripped adult man who cares about the environment
Rabbit-Cat or nah?: For a long time, Zac Efron was all over our screens, whether is was for the “Baywatch” movie, the “Neighbors” duo of movies, or when he went serious and played Ted Bundy in “Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil, and Vile.” But these days, Efron has been more chill and quiet (which feels pretty Rabbit-Catty, right?). He has parlayed his fame towards a passion project called, “Down to Earth,” an eco-documentary and travel series about how humans impact (harm) our planet. Efron’s recent advocacy efforts feel like a good reflection of his zodiac sign, coming across as humble and genuine.
Shay Mitchell
Born: April 1987
Known for: Being a “Pretty Little Liar,” being Filipina, being really good at social media!
Rabbit-Cat or nah?: Shay Mitchell’s character on the former breakout hit (for her career) “Pretty Little Liars,” felt more Rabbit-Catty. The character of Emily was sweet, quieter than the other girls, and wisely observant. Now, I’m not saying Mitchell is not these things, but her public persona these past few years have been decidedly more flashy! Mitchell has since played characters that are glamorously young, privileged, beautiful, and unapologetic (“You,” “Dollface”). Though, like many other Rabbit-Cats, Mitchell is very business-minded, designing and helming her luggage brand, Beis Travel.
Angelina Jolie
Born: June 1975
Known for: Uh, BEING ANGELINA JOLIE!
Rabbit-Cat or nah?: Okay, fight me on this, but I don’t think there’s any other mega celebrity in Hollywood that screams out “elegance” as much as Angelina Jolie. And what is especially remarkable about this is that Jolie did quite the rebrand for herself starting in the late 1990s. Back then, she was a wild child with tattoos and a IDGAF attitude. These days, she is a mother, an activist, a humanitarian, an award-winning director, and just the classiest and calmest-seeming person ever. She is the best Rabbit-Cat!
Tiger Woods
Born: December 1975
Known for: Being an amazing golfer, being Thai (and Black), a cheating scandal
Rabbit-Cat or nah?: I think Tiger Woods is a complete pioneer in the sport of golf and has had to deal with a lot of racism over the years in that super white sport. For his labor, I will forever be grateful. That said, I must say I do not think Woods embodies Rabbit-Cat traits of cautiousness, timidity, or nervousness. He seems like a really confident person! Though, being very filial is a Rabbit-Cat trait and I do think Woods does really love his mother and honors her in public a lot, so there’s that!
Jet Li
Born: April 1963
Known for: Being an incredible martial artist, being in Jackie Chan’s shadow earlier in his career
Rabbit-Cat or nah?: You remember when Jet Li came onto the scene in the 2000s and was doing martial arts moves really, really fast while on the talk show circuit? Well, I think about that a lot. (Swiftness is a Rabbit-Cat trait!) I also think a bit about how he came from poverty and then trained super hard since he was a child and how isolating that must be and how hard it must’ve been to navigate the fetishism and fickleness of the American movie system, so I project and feel like Jet Li is maybe a bit nervous and insecure IRL, in a very Rabbit-Catty kind of way, deep deep inside.
Rob Schneider
Born: October 1963
Known for: Being in a lot of Adam
Sandler movies, in borderline (or straight-up) offensive roles, being stealth Asian
Rabbit-Cat or nah?: I included Rob Schneider on this list because he has Filipino ancestry, and it seemed better than including another white celebrity. Though, I’m not really a fan because Schneider has spent a lot of his career playing racist characters and stereotypical characters, including doing yellowface in “I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry.” That just doesn’t seem like stuff a for-real-real Rabbit-Cat person would do, you know? Rabbit-Cat people would be too shy to be so blatant in their racism, I think.
Jill Biden
Born: June 1951
Known for: Being the First Lady of the United States, still having a career while being FLOTUS
Rabbit-Cat or nah?: Yo, Jill Biden is a teacher (among her many other roles) and has been a teacher for decades. Biden must have a ginormous well of unending patience and grace and compassion for others and also be a good mediator and facilitator, like many other Rabbit-Cats. She is elegant-looking, seemingly careful and methodical, and kind of quiet. OMG, she might be more Rabbit-Cat than Angelina Jolie….
Other famous Rabbit-Cat people
Madison Beer (1999)
Joey King (1999)
Blake Lively (1987)
Wiz Khalifa (1987)
Drew Barrymore (1975)
Kate Winslet (1975)
David Beckham (1975)
Whitney Houston (1963)
Michael Jordan (1963)
Robin Williams (1951)
Mark Hamill (1951)
Tina Turner (1939)
Marvin Gaye (1939)
Coretta Scott King (1927)
Cesar Chavez (1927)
Frank Sinatra (1915)
Bing Crosby (1903)
Albert Einstein (1879)
Queen Victoria (1819)
Stacy Nguyen can be reached at stacy@nwasianweekly.com.