 |
|
|
Lugar y fecha de nacimiento. James Hong (1929 - ) Actor Also: Producer Born: February 22, 1929, Minneapolis, MN Education: USC (engineering) Extremely prolific American actor of Hong Kong extraction, Hong has been often cast as heavies but in every kind of role and every type of film and TV series imaginable for over 40 years. Born in the Chinatown section of Minneapolis, Hong was sent to his family's native Hong Kong for his earliest education, but returned to the US at age 10 and later studied engineering at USC. An interest in acting led to study with famed teacher Jeff Corey, and in the early 1950s Hong began appearing on such celebrated TV anthologies as CBS Playhouse y Playhouse 90. His earliest feature appearances include Henry King's sudsy interracial romance, LOVE IS A MANY SPLENDORED THING (1955). From then on, whenever a film or TV show required a large number of Asian or Pacific Islander small-part players, one could safely bet the rent that Hong would be among them. Slender and long-faced, of modest height and most typically clean-shaven, Hong has conveyed an ascetic, perennially middle-aged image which led to his being cast as vicious ganglords, quiet servants and other stereotyped roles including a Japanese general in ¿DONDE ESTA EL PILOTO? 1 (1980), Charlie Chan's number one son on the syndicated TV series, The New Adventures of Charlie Chan (1957-58), and Wang the bar cook on the sleuth show Switch (CBS, 1975-78). Hong, though, has always brought not only a relaxed conviction to such roles but also a dignity and presence that frequently makes them memorable, as with his role as Faye Dunaway's butler in BARRIO CHINO (1974) and the sequel, BARRIO CHINO II (1990), or one of his best-remembered parts in the sci-fi epic BLADE RUNNER (1982). As Asians became increasingly visible in American culture in the 80's and 90's, Hong only seemed to get busier: three different guest roles on both Tour of Duty and MacGyver, among dozens of other TV assignments; six feature films in 1992 alone (a number of them martial arts extravaganzas); and even a shot at directing with EL VIÑEDO (1990). High-profile Hollywood films which used him in the '90s were typically of a somewhat cartoonish nature: EL MUNDO SEGUN WAYNE 2 (1993), LA SOMBRA (THE SHADOW) (1994), LA GUERRERA (TANK GIRL) (1995).
|
|
|
