Kristina Ho is kicking butt and taking names starring as the adventurous and lovable Betty Burke in Power Rangers Beast Morphers. The role finds her joining the iconic franchise, an honor Kristina doesn’t take that lightly. She’s pouring her heart and soul into the project and continuing the Power Rangers’ legacy for future generations. Pop Culturalist spoke with Kristina about this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
PC: Tell us about Power Rangers Beast Morphers, your character, and what drew you to this project.
Kristina: Beast Morphers is the 26th and 27th season of Power Rangers! The fact that it’s been on for 26 years was enough to draw me to this project. It’s the show’s first season being owned by Hasbro, and it’s honestly mind-blowing that I am a part of the start of the Hasbro-era for Power Rangers. One thing about the show that I love the most is that it actually teaches kids about values, friendship, and working as a team for the greater good. It’s seriously an awesome, heart-touching, and action-packed show.
My character, Betty, is an absolute riot! She’s there to make the kids laugh, especially since the show can get pretty dark. She’s completely endearing. She is always trying her hardest to help out the Rangers in whatever way she can—whether it’s out on the fighting field, inventing new things for them to use, keep watch, etc. The list goes on and on.
PC: What is it like being a part of such a large and historic franchise? Did that add any pressure while filming the series?
Kristina: Being a part of a show that’s been running for this long is an honor, but it’s also kind of intimidating. We have such big shoes to fill and we certainly don’t want to let anyone down. Every single castmate has poured their heart and soul into creating their character. We’re so passionate about our job that we literally give it our all! We’ve definitely lost a good amount of sleep during this job, but it’s been worth it. The feedback from the fans has been absolutely amazing.
PC: How similar or different are you to your character?
Kristina: I relate to Betty a lot. We’re both courageous, ambitious, loud, and will always try to do what is right and help out whenever we can. I think I’m definitely “the helper” in my friend group. I want everyone to be okay and happy—usually putting others before myself, just like Betty. I’m constantly learning that even though it’s nice to help people, I can’t forget about helping and taking care of myself.
I’m different from Betty in the sense where I need a lot more rest than she does. There will be so many episodes where you’ll see Ben, her brother, and Betty go through some things, and you’ll think, “Oh my gosh! How are they going to survive that?” Most of the time, you’ll see Ben a little traumatized from what happened to them, meanwhile Betty will be completely fine and ready to jump into the next crazy thing. I’m down for crazy shenanigans, but I also need some time to recuperate and maybe hide for a couple of days before I can come back and do the next crazy thing. [laughs]
PC: What can you tease about her arc this season?
Kristina: I don’t want to give anything away! I literally have no filter, and sometimes I’ll accidentally spoil something. [laughs] I guess I can say that the audience will definitely be rooting for Ben and Betty by the end of the season.
PC: How did you discover your passion for acting?
Kristina: This is going to sound random, but the film Happy Gilmore inspired me. I was in third grade when I first saw that movie and I remember laughing so much. It was the funniest thing, even though I was probably too young to be watching it. [laughs] I remember thinking, “Wow. That movie made me really happy. I want to do that. I want to help make other people happy and laugh, just like that movie did for me.” That was the reason I wanted to get into the industry. It wasn’t until high school that I actually started to act, though.
PC: What’s been the biggest lesson you’ve learned being a part of this industry?
Kristina: I had to learn how to be gentle with myself. This industry is extremely difficult, and there is so much rejection. I’ve learned that you need to have your own back. You need to love yourself, because you are all that you’ve got. Take care of your mental, emotional, physical, and (if you’re into it) spiritual health. In this industry, people are going to try to define you or tell you what they think you need to do to be “a successful actor”. Always stay true to yourself. Listen to your gut. What works for one person might not work for someone else. Everyone has their own path! Just be patient with yourself and figure out what works for you.
PC: There’s been a lot of conversation about diversity and representation in Hollywood. As an Asian actor, what has your experience been like? Have you felt or seen the slow progress that’s being made?
Kristina: I’ve definitely felt some progress. It’s been a long road for sure, and we still have ways to go. When I first signed with my manager about five years ago, I remember her telling me, “There aren’t a lot of roles out there for you right now.” That was really difficult to hear. Sometimes I’d go months without any auditions. A lot of the time when I had auditions, it would call for me to have a Vietnamese accent or to speak in Vietnamese. Even though I am 100% Vietnamese, I’m also American. Oftentimes, I wouldn’t even be “Vietnamese enough”—which is insane because I grew up speaking Vietnamese and come from a family of Vietnamese immigrants. And of course, I was never really “American enough”, either.
I feel like we’ve made enough process where I can be both and both can be embraced instead of having to be one thing! No one is ever just one thing—we are all human and we have many different sides to us. What I honestly love about Power Rangers is that when I was auditioning for the role of Betty, it didn’t call for any specific ethnicity. They were casting based on personality and talent, not on what someone looked like. Cosme plays my brother in the show and he’s Mexican. Our dad is Caucasian. How’s that for progress?
PC: Guilty pleasure TV show?
Kristina: Friends
PC: Guilty pleasure movie?
Kristina: The Notebook
PC: Favorite book?
Kristina: I’m currently reading Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck.
PC: Favorite play or musical?
Kristina: John Lennon & Me
PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Kristina: Linkin Park
PC: Last show you binge-watched?
Kristina: Queer Eye
PC: Hidden talent?
Kristina: I can cook pretty well.
To keep up with Kristina, follow her on Twitter and Instagram, and catch Power Rangers Beast Morphers on Nick.
Photo Credit: Stephanie Girard
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