WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — A college graduate who continues to connect with her Asian heritage is excited to see more diversity in the acting world. 

AnnaLei Negrin knew she wanted to have a career in performing arts ever since she was a little girl. She graduated from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts in May. 


What You Need To Know

  • Anna Lei Negrin graduated from University of North Carolina School of the Arts this May

  • She says call sheets are more diversified

  • Negrin connected more with her heritage while attending the university

“I started playing piano when I was 5, and that was sort of my first entry to like performance art,” Negrin said. 

She says her musical day started in fourth grade when she auditioned for the "Annie" musical. 

“We were doing 'Annie,' and I got cast as Daddy Warbucks, so that was fun. I was wearing a bald cap that didn't match the color of my skin. It was so funny. After that, I just kind of started doing it a bunch.”

Negrin is from New York City and she says wasn’t treated differently in the performing arts scene because of how she looked. She says most of the time, she was cast as roles that had unspecified races. 

She says the University of North Carolina School of the Arts helped her embrace her heritage more. 

“We just talk so much more about identity in like here at UTSA and like, it has become more of a thing for me to own parts of my identity. And I think now I really connect more with my Asian side that I had before growing up,” Negrin said. 

Growing up, she didn’t have many people to look up to, but now with an increasing AAPI representation in Broadway, TV shows and movies, she has more people to look up to. 

“I really look up to Michelle Yeoh and Sandra Oh. It's just like any of the Asian people that are doing it and just look like they're just having the time of their lives, that is what I want,” Negrin said.

She’s even seeing more representation on call sheets.

“You see on like audition like sides and stuff or breakdowns, asking for specific identities. And that's cool and just so much more telling more authentic stories. So that's really exciting.”