Why Lindsay From Home Economics Looks So Familiar
"Home Economics" is an ABC sitcom that was released in 2021 and follows three siblings in three separate tax brackets coming together to fix both their financial and emotional struggles. The series stars Topher Grace as the oldest sibling and a failing writer, Caitlin McGee as the middle sibling and a child therapist, and Jimmy Tatro as the youngest sibling and the only one of the three with any money. The main talent pool also includes Karla Souza, Sasheer Zamata, Lidia Porto, and a litany of child actors.
The supporting cast of characters includes Lindsay, a book club leader and brief flame for Connor (Tatro) ... so long as he can pretend to be smarter than he is. Their story (which is entirely encapsulated in Season 1 Episode 2) is brief but long enough to wonder why the actress playing Lindsay seems so familiar. That's because she's Anna Akana, and she's been everywhere, from helming original YouTube content to a cameo in Marvel to practically every television series ever aired. Here are a few of her most prominent credits.
Anna Akana is a high school super hero in Riley Rewind
"Riley Rewind" is a five-part mini-series that was released on YouTube in 2013 that follows a high school student with the power to traverse through time who uses said power to try and save the life of a fellow student. The series was written by Anna Akana and directed by Ray William Johnson, both of whom had garnered impressive YouTube subscription counts. As of this writing, their separate accounts have a combined total of roughly 15 million subscribers (via YouTube).
Akana not only wrote "Riley Rewind" but produced it and starred in it as well. She portrays Riley Brown, the titular teenager, and a self-described social loser. Riley struggles with the same things that any teen in YA fiction struggles with: popularity and also that one thing that's surprisingly dark for children. In her case, Riley tries to use her powers to undo an act of suicide. In an interview with Mochi Magazine, Akana shared how the story and themes were influenced by personal trauma. In 2007, her younger sister, who was 13 years old at the time, died by suicide in response to bullying.
If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
Anna Akana is the woman to know in Ant-Man
"Ant-Man" is a 2015 blockbuster film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe that follows Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) on his quest to become a better father and also maybe a superhero, sometimes. "Ant-Man" stands out in the MCU for embracing the absurdity of the conceit and, even more earnestly, embracing the inherent comedy. Written by Edgar Wright, the movie about the MCU's smallest Avenger also stars Michael Douglas, Evangeline Lily, and Michael Pena.
Anna Akana portrays a nameless writer for one of the funniest bits to ever make its way into Marvel. Luis (Pena), who has a tendency to speak hyperactively, shares a story (high-speed monologue) with Scott which is imposed over a montage of characters mouthing his words. Akana's writer is one of the characters whose voice comes from Luis' rambling, and ultimately helps Scott get in contact with Sam Wilson/Falcon (Anthony Mackie) for the events of "Captain America: Civil War."
Anna Akana is an exhausted millennial in This Isn't Working
"This Isn't Working" is a 2016 ABC sitcom that follows Sarah (Lisa Schwartz) as she takes a string of survival jobs to pay her bills while she pursues a career in acting. The series also features the talents of Connor Del Rio, Anna Akana, and Morgan Krantz. "This Isn't Working" apparently didn't work because the ABC project only ever churned out five episodes before it disappeared into the ether. As the project was only ever released on ABC's website, it's possible that it was meant to be a short-term series to give Schwartz's story a voice. In an interview with VoyageLA, Schwartz described how the digital series reflected her own life in Los Angeles.
Akana portrays Nicole, one of Sarah's roommates and the only of the three that has their life together in any shape or form. She's full of dry wit and an emotional blankness only seen in millennials who have accepted the looming nothingness that befalls employees under capitalism.
Anna Akana is a closeted cheerleader in Let It Snow
"Let It Snow" is a 2019 Netflix romantic comedy based on the YA novel of the same name written by Maureen Johnson, John Green (author of works such as "A Fault In Our Stars" and "Paper Town"), and Lauren Myracle. The story follows multiple groups of disconnected young adults struggling with relationships, the future, and the loss of family members. The conglomeration of shorts stars Isabela Merced, Shameik Moore, Odeya Rush, Liv Hewson, and many, many others.
Anna Akana portrays Kerry, a closeted cheerleader who has it bad for Dorrie (Hewson). She takes every chance she can to spend time with Dorrie in private but whenever they're in public, she mocks her would-be partner relentlessly in an effort to socially distance herself. In an interview with Elite Daily, Akana confided that she was able to relate to the role because of her personal experience as a bisexual who spent so long questioning her identity and denying a part of what made her a whole human being.
Anna Akana is more than a mean girl in Youth & Consequences
"Youth & Consequences" is a 2018 YouTube Red original series that follows Farah Cutney (Anna Akana), a high school student at the top of the social hierarchy who loses control of a rumor that threatens her public standing. The dramedy ran for a single season — a fairly standard benchmark for YouTube productions — before it was ultimately canceled. On her YouTube channel, Akana gathered the cast for a zoom table read of the first episode of what season would have been season 2.
Unlike Akana's other YouTube projects (not including the content directly uploaded to her personal channel), "Youth & Consequences" is media codified by a larger studio. In an interview with Teen Vogue, Akana praised YouTube for allowing a person of color to portray a role that would normally be visualized as a blonde-haired, blue-eyed, white woman. She was also vocally excited to play with a complex character that subverted the standard tropes.
Anna Akana is a magical assassin in Jupiter's Legacy
"Jupiter's Legacy" is a 2021 Netflix superhero series based on the comic series of the same name by Mark Millar and Frank Quitely that follows the Union Of Justice and their children as the world questions the necessity of rigid morality in the hands of super-powered beings. The show, which stars Josh Duhamel, Ben Daniels, Leslie Bibb, Andrew Horton, Elena Kampouris, Mike Wade, and Matt Lanter, was canceled only a month after it first aired, and therefore never received more than a single season of content.
Anna Akana portrays Raikou, the daughter of Walter Sampson (Daniels). She's a vigilante and assassin with super strength and telepathic abilities. She wears full body armor and wields dual blades. In the wake of the show's cancellation, Akana tweeted out a spoiler for her character's arc, saying that Raikou, who seemingly died in the show, would have been revealed as still alive by way of expositional super magic.
Although it would seem that a number of the projects that Akana is attached to don't make it as far as she might hope, she continues, undeterred. As of this writing, her IMDb page features — outside of her standard credits — seven projects that are either about to start or are wrapping up production.