Aki Aleong facts for kids
Assing Leonard Gonzales "Aki" Aleong (December 19, 1934 – June 22, 2025) was a talented actor and singer from Trinidad. He had a very long career in television and movies, appearing in over 130 different projects from 1956 until 2025. He also worked as an important executive in the music industry during the 1960s and 1970s.
Quick facts for kids
Aki Aleong
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
Assing Leonard Gonzales Aleong
December 19, 1934 Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago
|
| Died | June 22, 2025 (aged 90) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
|
| Occupation |
|
| Years active | 1956–2025 |
Contents
Early Life and First Steps
Aki Aleong was born in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. His father, Henry Leong (Aleong), was a cook from Hong Kong. His mother, Agnes Vera Gonsalves, was from Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
When Aki was about 14 years old, his parents divorced. He and his mother then moved to Brooklyn, New York in 1949. He went to Brooklyn College and worked part-time at a hardware store. One day, he saw an advertisement for actors for a Broadway play called The Teahouse of the August Moon. He tried out and got the part of "Goat Boy." This was the start of his long acting career.
Career Highlights
Acting Roles
Aki Aleong's first big movie role was in the 1957 film No Down Payment. He is perhaps best known for playing Senator Hidoshi in the first season of the TV show Babylon 5. He also played Mr. Chiang, an assistant to Nathan Bates, in the weekly TV series V: The Series. Another notable role was Colonel Mitamura in the movie Farewell to the King.
Aki Aleong was also involved in helping Asian Americans in media. He was a member of the Media Action Network for Asian Americans (MANAA). He also served as the executive director for a group called Asians in Media.
He appeared in a YouTube short film by Wong Fu Productions called Agents of Secret Stuff, playing "Agent X." He also had guest roles on popular TV shows like Hazel and The Virginian. In 2001, he played a Japanese restaurant manager in an episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm.
Music Industry Work
Besides acting, Aki Aleong also had a career in music. In 1958, he helped write and produce a song called Shombalor for Vee-Jay records.
His own song, "Trade Winds, Trade Winds," became popular in November 1961. It reached number 101 on the Billboard "Bubbling Under the Hot 100" charts. The song was very popular in Los Angeles, reaching number 10 on KDAY and number 11 on KRLA, which were big radio stations there.
During the 1960s and 1970s, Aleong held several important jobs in the music business. He was a sales and promotion manager for Capitol Records. He also worked as an assistant vice president for promotion at Polydor Records. Later, he was an assistant vice president of sales for Liberty Records. He even became the president of Pan World Records. Aleong worked with famous music groups and artists like The 5th Dimension, The Ojays, and Bobby Womack. He also produced albums for musicians such as Roy Ayers and Norman Connors.
In 1983, Aki Aleong decided to leave the music industry. He wanted to focus completely on his acting career.
Later Life and Passing
Aki Aleong passed away on June 22, 2025, in Los Angeles. He was 90 years old. He died due to complications from dementia.
See also
In Spanish: Aki Aleong para niños
