# Ahney Her
**Ahney Her** (born 1992) is an American actress of Hmong descent, best known for her debut role as Sue Lor, the protective older sister of Thao, in [Clint Eastwood](https://www.edgepedia.org/clint-eastwood)'s 2008 film *Gran Torino*.
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1992, Lansing, Michigan, United States[1](https://elcinema.com/person/2141590/) |
| Breakthrough role | Sue Lor in *Gran Torino* (2008), cast at age 16 after beating out hundreds of auditioners[2](https://emanuellevy.com/review/gran-torino-behind-the-scenes-of-eastwoods-new-film-2/) |
| Discovery | Approached by casting scout Amelia Rasche at a "Hmong Movie Casting" booth at a Hmong fair in the Detroit area[2](https://emanuellevy.com/review/gran-torino-behind-the-scenes-of-eastwoods-new-film-2/) |
| Other films | *Night Club* (2011 comedy); *Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice* (2016), credited as Hostage Girl[3](https://www.sinemalar.com/sanatci/132725/ahney-her) • [4](https://www.ecartelera.com/personas/ahney-her/) |
| Training | Completed high school at Sexton High School; studied drama at a local talent school for three years[1](https://elcinema.com/person/2141590/) |
## Early life and casting
Her grew up in [Lansing, Michigan](https://www.edgepedia.org/lansing-michigan), where she attended Sexton High School and studied drama at a local talent school for three years.[1](https://elcinema.com/person/2141590/) When casting director Ellen Chenoweth sought Hmong actors for *Gran Torino*, few were members of the [Screen Actors Guild](https://www.edgepedia.org/screen-actors-guild), so the search went through community outreach rather than normal industry channels, with open casting calls held in Hmong communities in Detroit, Saint Paul, and Fresno.[5](https://www.slashfilm.com/886265/clint-eastwood-didnt-cut-any-corners-casting-gran-torino/) • [6](https://www.pangloss.de/cms/index.php?page=gran-torino)
Her's entry into the film came by chance. Amelia Rasche had set up a booth at a Hmong fair in the Detroit area with a large sign reading "Hmong Movie Casting"; when Her and her family walked by, Rasche ran over and asked if she wanted to try out for a movie.[2](https://emanuellevy.com/review/gran-torino-behind-the-scenes-of-eastwoods-new-film-2/) Sixteen years old at the time, Her beat out hundreds of other auditioners for the role of Sue.[2](https://emanuellevy.com/review/gran-torino-behind-the-scenes-of-eastwoods-new-film-2/)
## Gran Torino (2008)
*Gran Torino* stars Eastwood as Walt Kowalski, a [Korean War](https://www.edgepedia.org/korean-war) veteran and retired Ford factory worker whose prejudice is worn down by his Hmong neighbors; Her plays Sue, Thao's older sister, who is protective of her more vulnerable brother.[7](https://escholarship.org/content/qt9bw458br/qt9bw458br_noSplash_a4de33c5fc748e0dba1d8b24d8f8f927.pdf?t=ml379z) • [2](https://emanuellevy.com/review/gran-torino-behind-the-scenes-of-eastwoods-new-film-2/) Casting producer notes describe Her's confidence and humor as making her a natural for the part, with a slightly tougher edge and a youthfulness the filmmakers valued.[2](https://emanuellevy.com/review/gran-torino-behind-the-scenes-of-eastwoods-new-film-2/)
Her rapport with Eastwood, she said in a production interview, resembled the relationship between Sue and Walt on screen: "He's very humble and easygoing... He wants you to do whatever you feel is right, and if it's not right in his eyes, then he'll tell you."[2](https://emanuellevy.com/review/gran-torino-behind-the-scenes-of-eastwoods-new-film-2/) Eastwood credited the first-time actors themselves: "Bee and Ahney both seemed to take to acting very naturally because they had great natural qualities anyway."[2](https://emanuellevy.com/review/gran-torino-behind-the-scenes-of-eastwoods-new-film-2/)
The film was welcomed by many [Hmong Americans](https://www.edgepedia.org/hmong-americans) as the first Hollywood movie to deal with Hmong culture using Hmong actors and a Hmong crew, though it later drew criticism for cultural inaccuracies and stereotyped portrayals, and lead actor [Bee Vang](https://www.edgepedia.org/bee-vang) became a prominent critic of how the Hmong characters were written.[6](https://www.pangloss.de/cms/index.php?page=gran-torino) • [5](https://www.slashfilm.com/886265/clint-eastwood-didnt-cut-any-corners-casting-gran-torino/)
## Later work
Her's screen appearances since *Gran Torino* have been sparse. She appeared in the 2011 comedy *Night Club*, and in 2016 played a character credited as Hostage Girl in *Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice*.[3](https://www.sinemalar.com/sanatci/132725/ahney-her) • [4](https://www.ecartelera.com/personas/ahney-her/) • [8](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/batman-v-superman-dawn-of-justice/credits/) Film databases list her active career as spanning roughly eight years across these credits.[4](https://www.ecartelera.com/personas/ahney-her/)
## References
1. [Ahney Her biography, ElCinema](https://elcinema.com/person/2141590/)
2. [Gran Torino: Behind the Scenes of Eastwood's New Film, Emanuel Levy](https://emanuellevy.com/review/gran-torino-behind-the-scenes-of-eastwoods-new-film-2/)
3. [Ahney Her, Sinemalar](https://www.sinemalar.com/sanatci/132725/ahney-her)
4. [Ahney Her, eCartelera](https://www.ecartelera.com/personas/ahney-her/)
5. [Clint Eastwood Didn't Cut Any Corners Casting Gran Torino, SlashFilm](https://www.slashfilm.com/886265/clint-eastwood-didnt-cut-any-corners-casting-gran-torino/)
6. [Fakten und Hintergründe zum Film "Gran Torino", kino.de](https://www.pangloss.de/cms/index.php?page=gran-torino)
7. [Ma Vang, Displaced Histories: Refugee Critique and the Politics of Hmong American Remembering, UC San Diego dissertation](https://escholarship.org/content/qt9bw458br/qt9bw458br_noSplash_a4de33c5fc748e0dba1d8b24d8f8f927.pdf?t=ml379z)
8. [Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice credits - Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/batman-v-superman-dawn-of-justice/credits/)
---
*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › American actors: 2000s onward › Surnames He to Hs*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Sep 20, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license