Embracing Heritage: Tati Gabrielle's Multiracial Identity

Although they took a long time coming, mixed-race celebrities are steadily stealing the show in Hollywood. While they still face obstacles, these stars are gradually paving the way for a diverse future in the entertainment industry. Tati Gabrielle is one such star.

Tatiana Gabrielle Hobson, best known by her Insta name, Tati Gabrielle, is an American actress of African-American and Korean descent. The 27-year-old actress is popular for her awe-inspiring performances in various films, including several of Netflix's hit series, namely, You, The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, and the recently-rolled out epic-drama, Kaleidoscope.

Explore how her mixed-race heritage influences her life and acting career, including her most recent role in Kaleidoscope.

Tati Gabrielle was born and raised in California’s Bay Area. Although she grew up in a predominantly African-American environment, Tati’s mother, despite being adopted into an African-American family at a young age, went the extra mile to instill Korean influences in her children. Consequently, Tati grew up eating kimchi, doing taekwondo, and even has a black belt in Karate. She was incredibly proud of her Korean heritage and took every opportunity she could to show off her Korean culture while growing up.

For instance, she once walked a school parade in her mother’s hanbok. The actress even took it upon herself to learn the language in sixth grade.

Fast-forward, Miss Gabrielle continues to embrace and celebrate her Korean heritage. She is currently learning to read and write in Korean and aspires to achieve fluency within the next year. Her mother’s love for Korean dramas and K-pop influences Tati and her siblings to enjoy the same and further fuels her desire to reconnect with her roots.

Tati’s Korean heritage has not only enhanced her personal life but also played a significant role in her career. The actress was recently cast as Hannah Kim, a Korean character in Kaleidoscope, Netflix’s eight-part epic-heist drama series. Despite the role originally being scripted in English, Tati willingly chose to speak Korean to pay homage to her Korean heritage. Beyond homage, the role allows her to showcase her multiracial ethnicity authentically. Tati Gabrielle plans to visit her fans in Korea, further bridging the gap between her American upbringing and Korean heritage.

Besides her Korean heritage, Tati Gabrielle has always been committed to artful expression. Growing up, the actress was always shy and quiet and had a hard time expressing herself—the total opposite of what she gives on the screen. She consequently got into acting, not for the fame and the glam, but to express herself artfully.

Today, Miss Gabrielle deliberately chooses diverse roles to showcase her artistic versatility. Through her commitment to art and talent-driven performances, Tati Gabrielle is one of the mixed-race stars actively fueling the diversification and enhancing representation of people of color in Hollywood.