Lucille Soong facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lucille Soong
Soong in 2016
Born	(1935-09-05) September 5, 1935 (age 89) Tianjin, Republic of China
Other names	Song Jingxiu (birth name) Soong Ling (stage name)
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1959–present

Lucille Soong (born September 5, 1935) is a talented Chinese-American actress. She is widely recognized for her role as Jenny Huang in the popular TV series Fresh Off the Boat (2015–2020). Lucille Soong has been acting in movies and TV shows since 1959. She also wrote a book about her life called Wild Orchid: From Beijing to La-La Land.

Early Life and Moving to Hong Kong

Lucille Soong was born into a wealthy family in Tianjin, China. Her family faced challenges due to big political changes in China after the Chinese Communist Revolution. When she was 21, she found a chance to move to Hong Kong. This happened during a short time when border rules were relaxed.

Lucille Soong's Acting Journey

Starting in Hong Kong and England

In Hong Kong, Lucille Soong was discovered by Shaw Brothers Studio while she was out shopping. They saw her talent and classic Chinese beauty. She signed an acting contract with them. However, she later convinced Run Run Shaw, the studio head, to let her out of the agreement. This was because she met producers for a British film called Ferry to Hong Kong (1959). Even though her role in that movie was not credited, it helped her get more international acting jobs.

In 1962, she moved to England. Before that, she spent a few months in Jamaica running a gift shop for tourists. In London, she took modeling classes and started meeting film producers and directors. Just two months later, an agent saw her on the street and asked her to be in the movie 55 Days at Peking. This film was shot in Madrid, Spain. In the movie, she played a lady-in-waiting to the Empress Dowager Cixi.

Lucille Soong in Look magazine, January 29, 1963, modeling Dynasty of Hong Kong fashions on the Madrid set of 55 Days at Peking (credited as Soong Ling).

Modeling and British Roles

To promote 55 Days at Peking, Lucille Soong was featured in Look magazine. She modeled clothes from Dynasty of Hong Kong on the movie set. She also won a "Miss Oriental Contest" for Chinese women in Spain, earning the title "Señorita Oriente".

When she returned to London in 1963, she became the first Chinese model listed in the English Models Directory. She continued to work in both modeling and acting. She had small roles in British films like Darling and The Mini-Affair. She also appeared in international movies such as Marco the Magnificent and Genghis Khan. Her modeling work took her to places like Greece and the Canary Islands.

Lucille Soong also appeared in many British TV series. These included single episodes of shows like The Avengers and The Prisoner. In 1969, she had a recurring role in the soap opera Coronation Street. She played Jasmine Chong, a rich young woman from Singapore.

Between 1962 and 1973, while living in London, she acted in 27 movies and TV shows. For some roles, she used the stage name "Soong Ling." But over time, she was more often credited as "Lucille Soong." This was the name she used when she was seen socializing with famous people in London during the 1960s.

Moving to Hollywood

In 1973, Lucille Soong moved to the United States. It took her 19 years to truly start her acting career in Hollywood. During this time, she used money from her properties in London. She also opened a clothing store, worked as a realtor, and became a sculptor. Her sculptures were shown and sold in New York and California. In the last six of those years, she found an agent, studied acting, and worked hard to get back into the field.

Her American acting career began with a small part in an AT&T commercial in 1991. Then, in 1993, she got the role of Popo in the movie The Joy Luck Club. She felt she needed more training to play an older woman. So, she worked with three acting coaches. This helped her start a new career playing older female characters.

For several years, she found it hard to get more roles. Casting directors often expected older Asian immigrant women to look a certain way. Lucille Soong changed her hair, makeup, and clothing to fit these expectations. Soon, she won a role as a funny character in the independent film Nora's Hair Salon.

Finding Her Niche in Comedy

After this breakthrough, Lucille Soong found her place in comedy. She appeared in episodes of popular sitcoms like Dharma & Greg, According to Jim, and The King of Queens. In 2003, she was in the movie Freaky Friday with Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan. She also branched out into action movies, appearing in Mission: Impossible III in 2006. She had a recurring role in the drama series Huff.

She became more recognized in public and fans would ask for autographs and photos. This recognition grew even more after she was cast as Yao Lin. This was the housekeeper for Eva Longoria's character in several episodes of Desperate Housewives.

Lucille Soong continued to work regularly. She played her character Ming again in Nora's Hair Salon 2: A Cut Above in 2008. She also played Nhung Chan in Nine Dead in 2009. Her biggest role came when she was cast as the sarcastic grandmother Jenny Huang in Fresh Off The Boat from 2015 to 2020. This show was different because it did not limit actors based on old stereotypes.

In 2024, she was in the Hallmark TV miniseries Holidazed. It was also announced that she would be returning for Freakier Friday, a sequel to Freaky Friday, which is expected to be released in August 2025.

Her autobiography, Wild Orchid: From Beijing to La-La Land, was published on May 1, 2024.

Lucille Soong's Film and TV Roles

Movies

Television Shows

See also

In Spanish: Lucille Soong para niños