Crazy Rich Asians characters

Appears from the start

A Chinese American economics professor at New York University, raised in California by her single mother. Independent and accomplished, she knows little about her boyfriend's family when she agrees to spend the summer with him in Singapore.

Also known as Nick

Appears from the start

Rachel's kind, understated boyfriend and a history professor at New York University. He invites her to Singapore for his closest friend's wedding without explaining the wealth, social expectations, and public interest attached to his family.

First appears in chapter 3

Nick's status-conscious mother, a disciplined member of Singapore's old-money elite. Protective of her son and wary of outsiders, she quickly begins investigating the woman he is bringing home.

First appears in chapter 5

Nick's celebrated cousin, admired for her beauty, taste, and impeccable place in high society. Behind that polished image, she is concerned about the growing distance and secrecy in her marriage.

First appears in chapter 5

Astrid's husband, a former soldier who built a technology company. He is capable and reserved but feels persistently diminished beside his wife's inherited wealth and socially powerful relatives.

Also known as Peik Lin

First appears in chapter 12

Rachel's exuberant college friend and host in Singapore. Warm, direct, and well informed about the city's wealthy families, she helps Rachel understand the scale of Nick's background and supports her through an increasingly hostile visit.

First appears in chapter 16

Nick's best friend and the groom whose wedding brings Nick home. An heir to a major fortune, he is less interested in spectacle than the people around him expect and understands the pressures Nick faces.

First appears in chapter 16

Colin's glamorous fiancée, a fashion figure whose marriage has become Singapore's dominant social event. She welcomes Rachel more readily than some members of Nick's circle do.

Also known as Ah Ma

First appears in chapter 20

Nick's commanding grandmother and the matriarch of the extended family. She presides over Tyersall Park and represents the traditions, alliances, and judgments of the world in which Nick was raised.

First appears in chapter 21

Nick's cousin, a Hong Kong financier who displays his wealth and family connections at every opportunity. He monitors status closely and treats family life as another arena for competition and appearances.

First appears in chapter 29

A stylish cousin within Nick's extended family who understands its rivalries but does not share its harshest instincts. He becomes a discreet guide and ally to Rachel during the wedding celebrations.

Appears from the start

Rachel's mother, who built a life for the two of them in America and rarely discusses the circumstances under which she left China. Rachel regards her as loving, practical, and the secure center of her family.

First appears in chapter 43

Astrid's former fiancé, now a successful technology entrepreneur. Their earlier relationship remains emotionally significant, and he offers calm practical help when Astrid's marriage reaches a crisis.