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Get to Know "The Cleaning Lady" Actress Elodie Yung

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Lance Joseph Martinez

<p>Since landing on <strong>Netflix</strong>, <strong><em>The Cleaning Lady</em></strong> has quickly climbed to the No. 1 spot on the Philippines’ Top 10 TV Shows list, proving just how hooked Filipino viewers are on the gripping series.</p><p>Developed by <strong>Miranda Kwok</strong>, the show is an American crime drama inspired by the 2017 Argentine series<strong><em> La chica que limpia.</em> </strong>It follows the story of a Cambodian-Filipino former surgeon who now finds herself navigating a dangerous new life in Las Vegas.</p><div style="text-align:center"><br/></div><div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-2" src="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DIyWJnrvue1/embed/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=1080&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A2%2C%22os%22%3A1074284%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="881" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-2" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe></div><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><div><br/></div><p>At the center of it all is <strong>Élodie Yung,</strong> who takes on the role of the fearless <strong>Thony De La Rosa</strong>.<strong></strong> Once a respected surgeon in one of Manila’s top hospitals, Thony is forced to stay in Las Vegas as an undocumented immigrant after her visa expires. Driven by desperation to save her ailing son, she becomes entangled with the mob—working as a cleaner to gain access to life-saving connections.</p><p>Many viewers initially assumed that Yung has Filipino roots, given her convincing portrayal—but surprisingly, she does not. As curiosity around the actress continues to grow, here are 10 things you need to know about Élodie Yung, the star of <em>The Cleaning Lady.</em><em></em><strong><em></em></strong></p><div><br/></div><div><strong>She is 45 years old.<br/></strong></div><p>Élodie Yung was born on February 22, 1981, making her a Pisces. The actress hails from Paris, France, where she was born and raised, particularly in the suburb of Seine-Saint-Denis.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>She has mixed roots.<br/></strong></div><p>While many fans assumed she shares Filipino roots like her character in <em>The Cleaning Lady,</em> Élodie Yung actually has a different heritage. The actress is half Cambodian through her father, while her mother is French.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>She has a background in karate.<br/></strong></div><p>According to an article by <strong></strong><em>Paris Voice</em><strong></strong>,<strong></strong> Élodie Yung has a strong background in karate, having been enrolled in the sport by her father at just nine years old.</p><p>She went on to hone her skills over the years, eventually earning a black belt in her late teens.</p><div><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:700px;display:block" width="700"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1776224268020[image] - 4226059.jpeg" style="width:700px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="700"/><span class="fr-inner">Photo from @dramaclubfox</span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>She is a degree holder.<br/></strong></div><p>Acting wasn’t always part of Élodie Yung’s plan. She initially dreamed of becoming a judge and even earned a law degree from the <strong>University of Paris</strong>.<strong></strong></p><p>However, fate had other plans, eventually leading her to pursue acting at the <strong>London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art</strong>.<strong></strong></p><div><br/></div><div><strong>She debuted as an actress in 2002.<br/></strong></div><p>It must have been incredibly iconic for her to make your acting debut in one of France’s most celebrated series.</p><p>Elodie first appeared on screen as Jade Perrin in <strong><em>La vie devant nous</em></strong><em></em><em>,</em><em></em><strong><em></em></strong> a hugely popular French teen drama that followed a group of high school friends navigating growing up, falling in love, dealing with conflicts, discovering their identities, and facing life’s challenges.</p><p>She later transitioned to film with <strong><em>Les Fils du Vent (2004)</em></strong><em></em><em>,</em><em></em><strong><em> </em></strong>a French action movie featuring the Yamakasi, where she played the female lead, Tsu.</p><div style="text-align:center"><br/></div><div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-4" src="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DJY9_ClPn-Y/embed/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=1080&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A4%2C%22os%22%3A1181743%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="881" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-4" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe></div><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><div><br/></div><div><strong>She began her career in action films.</strong></div><p>Drawing from her strong foundation in karate, Élodie Yung naturally channeled her martial arts expertise into her acting career, carving out a niche in action-driven roles.</p><p>Following her breakout stint, she took on the role of the formidable gang leader Tao in <strong><em>District 13: Ultimatum</em></strong>, solidifying her reputation in the action genre. She later returned to television through the first three seasons of the acclaimed police drama <strong><em>Les Bleus</em></strong><em></em><em>.</em><em></em><strong><em></em></strong></p><p>Her international profile continued to grow with a brief but notable appearance in <strong><em>The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011) </em></strong>as Miriam Wu, a character linked to Lisbeth Salander’s storyline. This was followed by larger Hollywood projects, including her role as the ninja Jinx in<em><strong> G.I. Joe: Retaliation (2013)</strong></em> and her portrayal of the goddess Hathor in <strong><em>Gods of Egypt (2016)</em></strong><em></em><em>.</em><em></em><strong><em></em></strong></p><p>That same year, she further expanded her action-comedy repertoire as Amelia Roussel in <strong><em>The Hitman’s Bodyguard</em></strong><em></em><em>,</em><em></em><strong><em></em></strong> sharing the screen with<strong> Ryan Reynolds </strong>and<strong> Samuel L. Jackson</strong>.<strong></strong></p><div><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:700px;display:block"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1776223977341[image] - 9619384.jpeg" style="width:700px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner">Elodie Yung and her family | Photo from @e.l.o.d.i.e.y.u.n.g</span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>Her breakthrough performance came in 2016. <br/></strong></div><p>After appearing in several films and TV projects in her home country, along with brief roles in Hollywood productions, Élodie Yung’s breakthrough came in 2016 when she joined <strong>Marvel’s <em>Daredevil</em></strong>.<strong></strong></p><p>The American series saw her portray the iconic <strong>Elektra Natchios</strong>—a mysterious and dangerous figure from <strong>Matt Murdock’s</strong> past, a role that had already been teased in the show’s first season before Yung was officially cast.</p><p>She later reprised the character in 2017’s <strong><em>The Defenders</em></strong>. In 2020, Yung also appeared in the <strong>Disney+</strong> film<strong><em> Secret Society of Second-Born Royals,</em></strong> where she played Queen Regent Catherine, the mother of the film’s lead character.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>She is a mother. <br/></strong></div><p>While much of her personal life remains private, it was confirmed in 2018 that Élodie Yung had welcomed a daughter, <strong>Minavann Yung Howard</strong>, with English actor <strong>Jonathan Howard</strong>.<strong></strong></p><p>As a fun piece of trivia, both of Minavann’s parents have ties to the Marvel universe—Élodie famously played Elektra, while Jonathan appeared in <strong><em>Thor: The Dark World </em></strong>as Ian Boothby.</p><div><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:700px;display:block" width="700"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1776223796219[image] - 7887726.jpeg" style="width:700px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="700"/><span class="fr-inner">Elodie Yung and her daughter Minavann | Photo from @e.l.o.d.i.e.y.u.n.g</span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>She is a voice actor.<br/></strong></div><p>Beyond her work on screen, Élodie Yung has also expanded her craft into voice acting, lending her voice to several projects, including <strong><em>Secret Level </em></strong>and<strong> <em>Love, Death &amp; Robots</em></strong><em></em><em>.</em><em></em><strong><em></em></strong></p><p>She also ventured into gaming, voicing <strong>Olivia Durant</strong> in the 2017 first-person shooter <strong><em>Call of Duty: WWII</em></strong><em></em><em>,</em><em></em><strong><em> </em></strong>developed by Sledgehammer Games and published by Activision.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>She got her driver’s license after her 7th try.<br/></strong></div><p>In an interview with <strong>Jennifer Hudson, </strong>Élodie Yung revealed that after moving to the United States, it took her seven attempts before finally passing her driving test and getting her driver’s license.</p><div style="text-align:center"><br/></div><div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-0" src="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DIRksZxMWUG/embed/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=1080&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A0%2C%22os%22%3A414085.00000000006%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="881" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-0" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe></div><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><div><br/></div><div><strong>Stream <em>The Cleaning Lady</em> on Netflix.</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Lead photo from <strong>@dramaclubfox</strong></p>

<p>As curiosity continues to rise around the lead star of Netflix PH’s current No. 1 series, here are 10 things you need to know about Élodie Yung, the actress behind "<i>The Cleaning Lady</i>."</p>

As curiosity continues to rise around the lead star of Netflix PH’s current No. 1 series, here are 10 things you need to know about Élodie Yung, the actress behind " The Cleaning Lady ."

10 Things to Know About Élodie Yung, the Star of the Buzzworthy Crime Drama ‘The Cleaning Lady’

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10 Things to Know About Élodie Yung, the Star of the Buzzworthy Crime Drama ‘The Cleaning Lady’

Lance Joseph Martinez

Published April 15, 2026 12:50 PM PHT

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Updated April 15, 2026 01:08 PM PHT

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