James Hong facts for kids

Quick facts for kids James Hong
Hong in 2011
Born	(1929-02-22) February 22, 1929 (age 96) Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.
Alma mater	University of Southern California (BS)
Occupation	Actor producer director
Years active	1954–present
Spouse(s)	Pearl Huang ​ ​ (m. 1967; div. 1973)​ Susan Tong ​ (m. 1977)​
Children	3
Military service
Service	Minnesota Army National Guard
Years of service	1952–1953
Rank	Staff Sergeant
Unit	Armed Forces Radio Service
Awards	Good Conduct Medal
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese	吳漢章
Simplified Chinese	吴汉章
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Wú Hànzhāng Yue: Cantonese Jyutping Ng4 Hon3zoeng1

James Hong (born February 22, 1929) is an American actor, producer, and director. He is known for being one of the busiest actors ever, appearing in hundreds of movies and TV shows since the 1950s. In 2022, he received a special star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his amazing work in film and television.

Early in his career, James Hong helped start East West Players. This was the first Asian American theater group and is still running today. It helped create more roles for Asian American actors. Hong became famous for his role in the detective series The New Adventures of Charlie Chan (1957–1958). He also appeared in many popular TV shows like Hawaii Five-O, Bonanza, Perry Mason, and Kung Fu. You might also remember him as Bruce, the restaurant host, in the Seinfeld episode "The Chinese Restaurant".

James Hong has been in many films, playing both funny and serious characters. Some of his movies include Chinatown, Airplane!, Blade Runner, and Big Trouble in Little China. More recently, he gained a lot of praise for his role as Gong Gong, the elderly grandfather, in the Oscar-winning movie Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022). For this role, he won a Screen Actors Guild Award.

As a voice actor, James Hong has brought many characters to life. He voiced Chi-Fu in Disney's Mulan (1998). He was also Daolon Wong in Jackie Chan Adventures and Professor Chang in Teen Titans. Kids especially know him as Mr. Ping in the Kung Fu Panda movies and TV shows. He also voiced Mr. Gao in Turning Red (2022).

Early Life and Education

James Hong was born on February 22, 1929, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. His parents were Chinese immigrants. His father came from Hong Kong and owned a restaurant in Minneapolis.

For a while, James lived in Hong Kong when he was young. He returned to the United States at age 10. Growing up, he was often the only Asian student in his class. He faced challenges because he was seen as different and didn't speak English well at first. He graduated from Minneapolis Central High School. He first became interested in acting after watching Peking opera performers at his father's restaurant.

Hong studied civil engineering at the University of Minnesota. While there, he joined the Minnesota Army National Guard. His studies were paused when his National Guard unit was called up during the Korean War.

After the war, Hong moved to Los Angeles in 1953. He finished his degree at the University of Southern California. He worked as a road engineer for Los Angeles County during the day. At night and on weekends, he acted. After five and a half years, he decided to become a full-time actor.

Military Service

James Hong served in the Minnesota Army National Guard from 1952 to 1953. He trained in Alabama with the Special Services. After his daily training, he would entertain other soldiers. A general saw his talent and asked him to manage the camp's live shows. This meant he didn't have to go overseas.

Acting Career Highlights

Starting Out in the 1950s

James Hong has played over 600 roles in TV and movies! His career began in the 1950s. He started by adding new voices to Asian films. For example, he voiced characters in the 1956 movie Godzilla, King of the Monsters!.

In 1954, Hong appeared on the game show You Bet Your Life with Groucho Marx. He did funny impressions and won some money. The next year, he acted with Clarke Gable in the war film Soldier of Fortune. He also appeared in Western TV shows like Sky King.

From 1957 to 1958, he played Barry Chan in The New Adventures of Charlie Chan. He faced some difficult experiences on set during this time. In 1959, he appeared as a prince in the Walt Disney series Zorro.

From the 1960s to the 1970s

In 1961, James Hong played a restaurant host in the musical film Flower Drum Song. He appeared on Perry Mason in 1962. In 1963, he played a spy in The Outer Limits.

In 1965, Hong was one of the people who started East West Players. This group helped Asian American actors get more roles. In 1966, he played a bar owner in The Sand Pebbles. He also appeared in several episodes of Hawaii Five-O.

Hong often played restaurant hosts. He was a host in a Chinese restaurant in a 1975 episode of All In the Family. He was also a frequent guest star on the TV series Kung Fu from 1972 to 1975.

Famous Roles in the 1980s and 1990s

Hong with fans at Monsterpalooza in 2011

James Hong played the spooky ghost sorcerer Lo Pan in the movie Big Trouble in Little China (1986). He was also Chew, an eye maker, in Blade Runner. He played a loyal butler in Chinatown and its sequel The Two Jakes.

In 1991, he had a very memorable role as Bruce, the Chinese restaurant host, in the Seinfeld episode "The Chinese Restaurant". He also played Jeff Wong, a martial arts expert, in Wayne's World 2 (1993). In 1994, he appeared in a documentary about mountain biking with his wife and daughter.

Hong also did a lot of voice acting during this time. He voiced Daolon Wong, an evil wizard, in Jackie Chan Adventures. He was also the voice of Chi-Fu in Disney's Mulan (1998).

Work in the 2000s and 2010s

Hong appeared in shows like The Big Bang Theory and The X-Files. He played the Chinese Ambassador to the United States in two episodes of The West Wing. He was also Mr. Soo, an Asian restaurant owner, on The King of Queens. He even played a boxing coach on Friends.

Hong in 2012

He voiced characters like Mandarin in Super Robot Monkey Team Hyperforce Go! and Professor Chang in Teen Titans. In 2006, he voiced Mayor Tong in Avatar: The Last Airbender.

One of his most famous voice roles began in 2008 as Mr. Ping, Po's adoptive father, in Kung Fu Panda. He was nominated for an Annie Award for this role and won one for the Kung Fu Panda Holiday Special. He has continued to voice Mr. Ping in all the Kung Fu Panda movies and TV shows. He also voiced characters in video games like Diablo III and World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria.

In 2015, he guest-starred in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. as the father of Melinda May, played by Ming-Na Wen. They had also worked together in Mulan. In 2018, it was announced he was producing a movie called Patsy Lee & the Keepers of the 5 Kingdoms.

Recent Work: 2020s to Today

James Hong appeared in the movie Everything Everywhere All at Once, which came out in 2022. He won a Screen Actors Guild Award with the rest of the cast for their amazing performances. He even wore a bow tie with googly eyes to the 2023 Academy Awards!

He also voiced Grandpa Wing in the animated series Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai, released in 2023.

Personal Life

James Hong lives in Los Angeles, California, with his wife Susan Tong. They got married in 1977 and have three daughters and eight grandchildren.

He is a Presbyterian and attended church with his family when he was a child.

In 2020, actor Daniel Dae Kim started a fundraising campaign to get James Hong a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He received his star in 2022, becoming the oldest person to get this honor at age 93!

Selected Filmography

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: James Hong para niños