Nathan Jung facts for kids

Nathan Jung was an American actor and stuntman. He was born on November 29, 1946, in Bakersfield, California. Nathan passed away on April 24, 2021, in Los Angeles. Because he was tall, Nathan often played strong characters or "tough guys" in movies and TV shows.

Nathan Jung's Acting Career

Nathan Jung had a long and interesting career in Hollywood. He appeared in many popular TV shows and movies. He was known for playing characters who were often strong or villains.

TV Show Appearances

Nathan Jung played the famous historical figure Genghis Khan in an episode of Star Trek: The Original Series called "The Savage Curtain" in 1969. He also appeared in the TV series Kung Fu as a villain named "The Dark Rider." In this role, he fought against the show's star, David Carradine.

One special moment in his career was acting alongside Bruce Lee in the TV show Here Come the Brides. Nathan played a "Tong Enforcer" in the episode "Marriage, Chinese Style" (1969). This was one of Bruce Lee's only acting roles where he didn't use martial arts. Nathan also appeared on Sanford and Son as Saburyo, Helen Funai's cousin.

He was also seen in many other well-known TV shows. These include General Hospital, Starsky and Hutch, and M*A*S*H. Later in his career, he had roles in Magnum P.I., The A-Team, and Hunter. He even appeared in two episodes of Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman.

Movie Roles

Nathan Jung also had many roles in movies. He played Manchu, the henchman for Leslie Nielsen, in the film Surf Ninjas. He was also Bulkus in a funny spoof movie called Kentucky Fried Movie.

Fans of action movies might remember him as The Wing Kong Hatchet Man in Big Trouble in Little China. He also appeared in Showdown in Little Tokyo as the Bonsai Club Manager. In this movie, he spoke Japanese to stars Dolph Lundgren and Brandon Lee. This made him one of the few actors to work with both Bruce Lee and his son, Brandon Lee.

Other movies he appeared in include Sam Raimi's Darkman, The Shadow, and American Yakuza. He also had a role in the comedy Beverly Hills Ninja.

Nathan Jung also acted in independent films. He was in Justin Lin's Finishing The Game and Juwan Chung's Baby.

Documentary About Nathan Jung

Nathan Jung also appeared as himself in a short documentary. It was called Nathan Jung v. Bruce Lee. In this film, he shared stories about meeting Bruce Lee for the first time in 1969. The documentary won awards at film festivals, including Best Original Script and Best Comedy at the 2018 Asians on Film Festival.