Lola Tung Parents: Meet Her Mother and Father
Lola Tung’s parents are her mother, Pia Tung, and her father, whose name has not been reliably established in public reporting. Both have artistic backgrounds: her mother explored acting in her twenties, while her father previously played in a band. Their shared interest in music and theater helped shape Lola’s childhood in New York City.
The actress has spoken about her family’s encouragement in several interviews, sharing memories of Broadway performances, school productions, and the support she received before landing her breakthrough role in The Summer I Turned Pretty.
| Family Detail | What Is Publicly Known |
|---|---|
| Mother’s name | Pia Tung |
| Father’s name | Not reliably established publicly |
| Mother’s ethnicity | Chinese and Swedish |
| Father’s ethnicity | Eastern European |
| Mother’s background | Explored acting in her twenties |
| Father’s background | Former band member who sings and plays guitar |
| Siblings | Lola has publicly mentioned a sister |
| Family upbringing | Raised in New York City |
| Public family photograph | Lola and Pia Tung photographed together in June 2022 |
Lola Tung Parents: Who Are Her Mother and Father?
Lola Tung was raised in New York City by parents who shared an interest in creative activities. Her mother, Pia Tung, has appeared alongside her at a public entertainment event, while her father is known mainly through details Lola has shared during interviews.
According to a February 2025 Polyester interview, both parents had artistic interests. Her father previously belonged to a band, and her mother had explored acting during her twenties. They also introduced their daughter to Broadway performances when she was young.
These early experiences became part of Lola Tung’s biography, connecting her family upbringing with her eventual interest in professional acting. Although Tung has shared several personal memories involving her parents, their current occupations and many other private details have not been reliably documented.
Who Is Lola Tung’s Mother, Pia Tung?
Pia Tung is Lola Tung’s mother and an important figure in her early performing arts experiences. Her identity is confirmed by a Getty Images photograph taken on June 16, 2022, during a New York event celebrating the launch of The Summer I Turned Pretty.
According to Polyester, Pia explored acting in her twenties, although the publication does not establish a professional acting career or provide verified screen credits. Her interest in performance offers context for the creative environment Lola experienced while growing up.
In a June 2022 Glamour interview, Lola explained that her mother recognized how happy acting made her. Pia encouraged her to approach auditions with confidence and concentrate on doing her best, regardless of whether she received a particular role.
Pia Tung’s Influence on Lola’s Personal Style
Pia Tung’s influence extended beyond acting and theater. Lola has also credited her mother with encouraging her to express herself through fashion, especially while developing her individual style during her teenage years.
In a June 2023 Fashionista interview, Lola recalled looking at photographs of her mother when she was younger. Pia had saved clothing from earlier years and later passed some of those pieces down to Lola and her sister.
Tung explained that her mother encouraged her to wear clothes that reflected her personality rather than simply following trends. This family influence is one documented example of how Pia supported her daughter’s creative expression outside of acting.
What Do We Know About Lola Tung’s Dad?
Lola Tung’s father has Eastern European ancestry and a background in music. His name and current profession have not been reliably established in the original interviews reviewed, but the actress has shared memories that offer insight into their relationship.
Polyester reported in February 2025 that her father had previously been in a band. In a separate interview with ELLE, Tung confirmed that he sings and plays guitar, showing that music is an interest they share.
Although some online biographies describe Lola’s dad simply as a professional musician, the available original reporting establishes his former band involvement and musical abilities rather than a verified present-day occupation.
Lola Tung’s Memorable Hadestown Experience With Her Father
One of Lola Tung’s most personal public memories of her father involves seeing the Broadway musical Hadestown together in early 2020. The experience became especially meaningful after Tung joined the production as Eurydice for her Broadway debut in February 2024.
In a February 9, 2024 ELLE interview, she recalled watching her father become emotional near the end of the performance. His interest in singing and guitar helped him appreciate the production’s music, making the occasion memorable for both of them.
Tung revisited the experience in a March 2024 The Newsette interview, describing how they had both been moved by the musical. Their shared experience offers a documented example of their connection through theater, rather than assumptions about their private family life.
What Is Lola Tung’s Parents’ Ethnicity?
Lola Tung’s mother is of Chinese and Swedish descent, while her father has Eastern European ancestry. This makes her family background a mixture of Asian and European heritage, although Tung herself was born and raised in the United States.
A July 2023 Harper’s Bazaar profile and the 2025 Polyester interview both describe her parents’ ancestral backgrounds. These details explain the family origins discussed more extensively in the article about Lola Tung’s ethnicity.
Her Swedish ancestry is also supported by Tung’s own comments. During a July 2025 MovieZine interview, she explained that her maternal grandmother came from Sweden and that her mother speaks Swedish fluently.
The available interviews do not establish a complete family genealogy or identify the particular Eastern European country connected to her father’s ancestry. These broader descriptions should not be converted into unsupported nationality claims or precise ethnicity percentages.
How Did Lola Tung’s Parents Support Her Acting Career?
Lola Tung’s parents helped introduce her to theater long before she began working professionally. Growing up in New York City allowed her to experience Broadway productions during childhood, with music and live performances becoming familiar parts of her family activities.
In her Polyester interview, Tung remembered attending an early Broadway show with her parents at around five years old, recalling either The Lion King or Mary Poppins. She also discussed seeing these productions in her March 2024 interview with The Newsette, although her recollections differed slightly on the timing.
These experiences introduced her to stage performance before she became comfortable acting herself. She later attended Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, followed by Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Drama.
Her Mother’s Support During The Wizard of Oz
Lola Tung began developing confidence in acting during middle school, when she auditioned for a production of The Wizard of Oz. She was cast as the Tin Man, a role that helped her discover how much she enjoyed performing before an audience.
In the Polyester interview, Tung recalled wearing a silver jacket that her mother had found at a thrift store, along with silver rain boots. Pia’s contribution to the costume was a practical example of her involvement in Lola’s early theater experiences.
The school production marked an important moment in Tung’s growing interest in acting. She later developed her performance skills through formal drama education before receiving an opportunity to audition for professional television.
How Her Parents Reacted to The Summer I Turned Pretty
While studying at Carnegie Mellon University, Lola Tung auditioned for the leading role of Isabel “Belly” Conklin in The Summer I Turned Pretty. The process involved self-recorded audition tapes, virtual callbacks, and meetings with the series’ creative team.
During her Glamour interview, Tung recalled that her mother had always encouraged her to give auditions her best effort without placing unnecessary pressure on the outcome. That advice remained relevant when she began auditioning for professional roles.
After learning that she had been cast as Belly, Tung called both of her parents and her college roommates. In a separate L’Odet interview, she specifically remembered calling her mother while crying with excitement, and the two shared an emotional conversation.
The series became Tung’s breakthrough television role and opened the door to additional acting opportunities. Her later screen projects and Broadway appearances are covered in Lola Tung’s movies and TV shows, while these early interviews show how her parents supported her before that success.
Does Lola Tung Have Any Siblings?
Yes, Lola Tung has publicly mentioned a sister in several interviews. However, reliable original reporting does not establish her sister’s name, age, profession, or other identifying details with sufficient confidence.
During her June 2023 Fashionista interview, Tung explained that her mother had saved clothing from her younger years and passed some items down to both Lola and her sister. This firsthand statement directly confirms the sibling relationship.
In her 2022 L’Odet interview, Tung also explained that her mother and sister had watched some early footage from The Summer I Turned Pretty before the series was completed. She added that her father had not yet watched the episodes at the time of that conversation.
Tung mentioned her sister again in a later ELLE fashion interview, discussing their shared preference for Adidas sneakers. These repeated references establish that she has a sister, but they do not justify assigning her an unverified name or publishing additional private information.
Are There Public Photos of Lola Tung’s Parents?
There is a professionally documented photograph of Lola Tung with her mother, Pia Tung, taken during an entertainment event in New York City on June 16, 2022. The occasion celebrated the upcoming premiere of The Summer I Turned Pretty on Prime Video.
The Getty Images record credits photographer Sean Zanni and identifies Lola and Pia together in its caption. This provides a reliable reference for readers searching for Lola Tung’s mother or public family photographs.
However, the photograph is rights-managed, meaning it cannot automatically be reused without appropriate permission or licensing. An image appearing in an editorial archive does not make it freely available for other websites to republish.
A similarly well-documented public photograph identifying Lola Tung’s father was not established in the original sources reviewed. Since her father’s identity remains less publicly documented, unidentified men appearing beside Tung at entertainment events should not be described as her dad without reliable supporting evidence.
