Sydney Taylor and Ben Wang Dating Onscreen Though Their Offscreen Relationship Is Unknown

Despite not knowing each other before, Sydney Taylor and Ben Wang formed an instant connection upon meeting on the "American Born Chinese" set for the first time. Their onscreen romance has sparked intrigue among fans, who now eagerly wonder about the dynamics of their offscreen relationship.

Rising stars Sydney Taylor and Ben Wang recently catapulted to worldwide fame for their starring roles in Disney's new fantasy series "American Born Chinese." However, the two are relatively new to the film and T.V. industry.

The actress's first onscreen credit is a brief role that dates back to 2010, where she voiced Possums in "My Friends Tigger & Pooh." She took a hiatus until 2017, when she landed a small part as an 8th Grade Girl in the acclaimed music series, "Nashville."

Taylor appeared in another show, "Splitting Up Together," for two episodes between 2018 and 2019. She shared the screen with "The Office" alum Jenna Fischer, Oliver Hudson, and Bobby Lee. In 2020, she was cast as Lexi Hamilton in the comedy-drama, "Just Add Magic: Mystery City."

It was her first leading role, though it seems to have ended in 2020, as no new episodes have been released. Three years later, she joined Wang in "American Born Chinese," which premiered in May 2023.

Wang's first onscreen appearance was in 2021, playing Eli Brown in a single episode of "MacGyver." He took small parts in other T.V. shows, including "Launchpad," "The Last O.G.," starring Tracy Morgan and co-created by Jordan Peele, and "Search Party."

Between 2022 and 2023, Wang starred in three films: "Sex Appeal," with Mika Abdalla and Paris Jackson, "Good Egg" and "Chang Can Dunk." Since he and Taylor led "American Born Chinese" this year, the stars' personal lives have been questioned.

Sydney Taylor and Ben Wang Are an Onscreen Couple

In "American Born Chinese," Wang plays 15-year-old high schooler Jin whose life abruptly changes when he finds himself embroiled in a mythological battle. Jin is your average American teenager who wants all the glories that high school has to offer; becoming an athletic prodigy, being famous, and "getting the girl."

But, much to his initial dismay, his destiny lies in saving the world. Still, that task doesn't wane all of his desires because Jin has a crush; his classmate, Amelia. From the story's beginning, it becomes clear that Amelia, portrayed by Taylor, is the object of Jin's deepest desires.

The two strike a friendship, and although the audience is first introduced to Amelia from Jin's perspective, her character develops more as the series progresses. Taylor emphasized that her character's flaws and internal struggles surface as she and Jin become closer.

She shared more about what she observed and learned from Amelia, noting, "Apparently she didn't have an awkward day, which was infuriating. But I learned a ton from her. She's a very healthy person. She discusses her feelings. She is communicative, open, kind."

Wang added that his onscreen love interest was everything he "aspired to be." The young actor also reflected on Jin's growth throughout "American Born Chinese," and how his relationship with Amelia contributed to it.

"There are POV shots, right in the first episode, where Jin's looking over at Amelia from across the room, and she just feels like this attainable thing," Wang mused. He empathized with Jin because the teen was under the impression that "you ask the girl out, and then something happens."

Wang held back from revealing the plot but added that as the story progresses, Jin and Amelia "genuinely become friends with each other, and they spend good quality time with each other. They get to know each other as people."

To which Taylor jokingly replied, "he finds out, 'Ah, she's a person.'" Wang stressed that while it may be evident to the viewers, seeing a love interest as a whole person than a thing to be attained is an essential lesson for teens. "I think it's a really healthy thing to show," he remarked.

And while Taylor and Wang have spoken extensively about their onscreen relationship, little is known about how they bond offscreen. So far, the most they've shared of each other on social media are work-related posts featuring their co-stars Ke Huy Quan and Michelle Yeoh.

In May 2023, Wang posted a long thread of photos from red-carpet appearances with Taylor and much of the "American Born Chinese" team. He even included a photo of President Joe Biden posing next to the show's cover art from their visit to the White House.

Taylor posted a similar thread the day before Wang shared his. In June 2022, she shared a string of black-and-white images with her main castmates, including Wang, all dressed in smart casual attire.

Most pictures showed them in silly poses, indicating a sweet and close bond among the young actors. "My lovely little family 🥰 jimmy may be mid-sneeze in one shot (sic)," Taylor captioned the post.

In May 2023, she and Wang appeared on "Young Hollywood" and played a whiteboard game to test how well they knew each other. Before it started, the pair confirmed they hadn't known each other before working on "American Born Chinese."

However, they clicked "really quickly" when they met. Before being cast, Wang had been working on a movie while Taylor was a Target employee and had to quit her job once she got the role. Despite knowing little about each other, as the game revealed, it was clear that, much like Jin and Amelia, they had developed a genuine friendship.