Janel Parrish is giving fans a sun-soaked glimpse of her trip to Hawaii, showing off vibrant bikini looks and fun moments back home.
The Hallmark actress, who was born in Kāne’ohe, Honolulu, Hawaii, is best known for starring as genealogist Sophie McClaren in the 2023 mystery “Family History Mysteries: Buried Past,” along with several other Hallmark projects like “Right in Front of Me,” and “Coyote Creek Christmas” from 2021, “Sugarplummed” from 2024, and most recently, “Two for Tee,” which premiered on March 21.
Parrish Shares Photos of Her Sunny Trip Back Home With Fans
“Mahalo nui loa 🤙🏼” Parrish wrote in the caption of her April 1 Instagram post. This phrase means “thank you very much,” according to Maoli.
“You look so beautiful 😍 thank you for sharing a bit of home with us. I’d love to visit one day. Hawaii looks absolutely gorgeous! 💛✨️” one fan wrote in the comments.
Another added, “I didn’t know you was one local girl! Hope you had an amazing time with da Ohana!❤️”
Parrish Discusses the Importance of Representation
“I loved this character,” Parrish said of her titular character in “Two for Tee” in an exclusive interview with Pop Culturalist from March 2026. “They wrote so much of it on the page for me as an actor to take in and interpret.”
She continued in her interview, “I love that they have her exploring her culture in such an authentic way. That felt really relatable to me as somebody who is half Chinese and half White, and the pride that I feel in my Chinese side, as well as the curiosity to learn more about it.”
“I grew up in a very, very Chinese household, even though I’m half. So seeing that representation really resonated with me,” Parrish explained. “I was very honored that Hallmark let me tell that story. It feels very similar to mine. I feel like they gave me a character who already felt like me, and all I had to do was step into her shoes. That felt really, really nice, because everything felt so authentic—you can just play on top of that.”
Later in the interview, Parrish revealed that the first time she saw herself represented on screen was the 1993 movie “The Joy Luck Club.”
“Then, twenty-five years later, I got to be part of ‘To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before.’ I remember during press for that, a lot of people were saying it was the first time since ‘The Joy Luck Club’ that an American film featured an Asian cast in a way that felt normalized,” Parrish said.
She added, “Growing up, I didn’t see a lot of it. So anytime I get to do what I love and also be part of that representation for others, I feel very lucky and grateful.”
