Victor Wong (actor, born 1927)
Victor Wong | |
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![]() Wong in 1983 | |
Born | Gee Keung Victor Wong July 30, 1927 San Francisco, California, U.S. |
Died | September 12, 2001 Locke, California, U.S. | (aged 74)
Occupation | Actor, journalist, artist |
Years active | 1984–1998 |
Spouse(s) | Olive Thurman Robin Goodfellow Carol Freeland Dawn Rose (m. 19??; his death) |
Children | 5 |
Gee Keung Victor Wong (traditional Chinese: 黃自強; simplified Chinese: 黄自強; pinyin: Huáng Zìqiáng; Jyutping: Wong4 Zi6koeng4; July 30, 1927 – September 12, 2001) was an American actor, artist, and journalist. A fourth-generation Chinese-American, he appeared in supporting roles throughout the 1980s and 1990s. He portrayed Chinese sorcerer Egg Shen in John Carpenter's 1986 cult film Big Trouble in Little China, royal adviser Chen Bao Shen in the Best Picture–winning The Last Emperor, rural storekeeper Walter Chang in the comedy horror film Tremors, and Grandpa Mori Tanaka in the 3 Ninjas tetralogy.
Early life and education[]
Wong was born in San Francisco and lived in Chinatown near the Stockton Street Tunnel to Chinese parents. His father, Sare King Wong, was born and raised in Guangdong province, and later moved to Shanghai as a news journalist. His mother was a devout Christian who took the family to the every week. Wong was the eldest of five; his siblings were Sara Wong Lum, Zeppelin Wong, Shirley Wong Frentzel, and Betty Wong Brown. He was fluent with both English and Cantonese, which helped lead his acting career to Hong Kong.[1]
Wong and his family moved to Courtland, California when he was two years old after his father took a job as teacher and principal at a school for the children of local Chinese laborers. The family would move back to Chinatown within three years and his father would be active in local politics. He would live in Sacramento, California for much of his adult life.[1]
Wong studied political science and journalism at the University of California, Berkeley and Theology at the University of Chicago under Paul Tillich, Reinhold Niebuhr and Martin Buber. In Chicago, Wong joined The Second City comedy troupe and stayed with Langston Hughes.[1] Wong returned to San Francisco for the summer, taking part in a theatre production and never returning to Chicago; he resumed his studies at the San Francisco Art Institute under Mark Rothko, earning a master's degree in 1962.[2]
Acting career[]
Although he had acted in and staged productions with his first wife, Olive, who he had met after his return from Chicago, Wong was inspired by the assassination of John F. Kennedy to pursue a career in journalism, landing an on-air role for KQED's Newsroom from 1968 until 1974, when he was stricken with Bell's palsy.[1] During his tenure on Newsroom, Wong is credited with inventing the photojournalistic essay, covering stories with his still camera and returning to narrate them in the studio.[2] The palsy would give him his later distinctive appearance, but at the time, he felt his roles had diminished because he wasn't "pretty looking".[1]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/62/Victor_Wong_and_Laureen_Chew_in_a_scene_from_the_1985_film_%22Dim_Sum%2C_a_Little_Bit_of_Heart%22.jpg/220px-Victor_Wong_and_Laureen_Chew_in_a_scene_from_the_1985_film_%22Dim_Sum%2C_a_Little_Bit_of_Heart%22.jpg)
After his news career ended, Wong turned to acting, starting in the local Asian American theatre and later landing larger roles on the stages of New York City. In October 1980, Wong made his Asian American Theater Company (AATC) debut in San Francisco by appearing in their production of Paper Angels by Genny Lim. He was on Social Security Disability Insurance at the time due to his palsy. In New York, he acted in the plays Family Devotions and Sound and Beauty, written by David Henry Hwang.[3]
His stage work led to television work and eventually, into movies; his film debut was in 1984's Dim Sum: A Little Bit of Heart, directed by Wayne Wang.[3] In between film roles, Wong lived in Sacramento, California, where he supported the local performing arts. In 1992, he acted in the Hong Kong film, Cageman (笼民). He later starred as the grandfather, Mori Tanaka (strangely changed to Mori Shintaro for 3 Ninjas Kick Back), in the popular 3 Ninjas franchise, and the cult-classics, Big Trouble in Little China and Tremors.
I felt that Victor was my alter ego for a few years ... Victor was very experimental and had this innocent child-like quality that is a part of me. I felt very close to him.
— Wayne Wang, quoted in Asian Week, 2001[2]
Film director Wayne Wang called Victor Wong his role model for living life.
Director Bernardo Bertolucci had trouble with Wong on the set of The Last Emperor amid arguments over historical authenticity and cut most of Wong's scenes in the film, which won the Best Picture Oscar for 1987.
He retired from acting in 1998 after suffering two strokes. Wong returned to art, and held a solo exhibition at the B. Sakata Garo gallery in Sacramento.[2]
Association with the Beat Generation[]
In the 1950s, while studying art under Mark Rothko, Victor Wong had his first art exhibition at the City Lights Bookstore. During this time, Wong befriended Lawrence Ferlinghetti.[2] He illustrated Oranges, Dick McBride's first collection of poetry, which was handset and printed at the in 1960.[4] He met Jack Kerouac in the early 1960s, who chronicled their meeting in his novel Big Sur (1962). In the novel, Wong is characterised as "Arthur Ma".[1]
Personal life[]
Wong was married four times: to Olive Thurman Wong (daughter of civil rights activist Howard Thurman), Carol Freeland, Robin Goodfellow, and Dawn Rose. He had two daughters, Emily and Heather, and three sons, Anton, Lyon, and Duncan. His children Emily and Anton were from his first marriage to Olive Thurman.[5] His son, Lyon Wong, died in 1986 after being attacked by a young man while walking home in Sacramento. Wong was asked to film the prologue scene for Big Trouble in Little China shortly after Lyon's wake; after shooting the scene, Wong suffered his first stroke.[1]
Upon learning of the events of September 11, 2001, Wong and his wife Rose spent the day trying to get news of Wong's sons, who lived in New York City (they were unharmed). After Rose went to sleep, Wong stayed up to continue following the news; he died of a heart attack at some point during the morning of September 12, 2001 at the age of 74.[1]
Filmography[]
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1982 | Nightsongs | ||
1985 | Dim Sum: A Little Bit of Heart | Uncle Tam | |
Year of the Dragon | Harry Yung | ||
1986 | Big Trouble in Little China | Egg Shen | |
Shanghai Surprise | Ho Chong | ||
The Golden Child | The Old Man | ||
1987 | The Last Emperor | Chen Pao Shen | |
Prince of Darkness | Prof. Howard Birack | ||
1989 | Eat a Bowl of Tea | Wah Gay | |
Life Is Cheap...But Toilet Paper Is Expensive | Blind Man | ||
Fatal Vacation | Grandpa | Alternative Title: An le zhan chang | |
1990 | Solo | Frank | Short |
Tremors | Walter Chang | ||
1991 | Mystery Date | Janitor | |
1992 | 3 Ninjas | Grandpa Mori Tanaka | |
Cageman | Sissy | Alternative title: Long min | |
The Ice Runner | Fyodor | ||
1993 | The Joy Luck Club | Old Chong the Piano Teacher | |
1994 | 3 Ninjas Kick Back | Grandpa Mori Shintaro | |
Ching hat yi! | Johnny | ||
1995 | 3 Ninjas Knuckle Up | Grandpa Mori Shintaro | Grandpa Mori Tanaka |
The Stars Fell on Henrietta | Henry Nakai | ||
Da mao xian jia | Uncle Nine | ||
Jade | Mr. Wong | ||
1996 | The Devil Takes a Holiday | Chi Chi | |
Paper Dragons | Master Chang | ||
1997 | Seven Years in Tibet | Chinese 'Amban' | |
Search | |||
My America ... or Honk if You Love Buddha | co-host | with Renee Tajima-Peña[6] | |
1998 | 3 Ninjas: High Noon at Mega Mountain | Grandpa Mori Tanaka | (final film role) |
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1975–1976 | Search for Tomorrow | ||
1985 | Nightsongs | Fung Leung | TV movie |
1988 | Beauty and the Beast | Dr. Wong | Episode: "China Moon" |
1989 | A Fine Romance | Lon Mo Wah | Episode: "The Tomas Crown Affair" |
1990 | Forbidden Nights | Ho | TV movie |
Legacy | Larry Chow | TV movie | |
Midnight Caller | Phil Wong | Episode: "Language Barrier" | |
1994 | Due South | Coo | Episode: "Chinatown" |
1996 | Poltergeist: The Legacy | Lee Tzin-Soong | Episode: "Fox Spirit" |
References[]
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h Pulley, Michael (October 18, 2001). "The last days of Victor Wong". Sacramento News & Review. Retrieved July 22, 2013.
- a "For much of the past two decades—in which he had appeared in nearly 30 Hollywood films—Wong had lived in Midtown Sacramento." — ¶ 3.
- b "Unlike most Hollywood actors, Wong eschewed the fast life and glamour of Los Angeles and continued to live humbly in his unassuming Midtown Sacramento residence where he could be close to his children. — ¶ 23.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d e Chang, Lia (October 5–11, 2001). "Remembering Our Merry Prankster". Asian Week. Archived from the original on June 9, 2013.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Victor Wong". Variety. October 2, 2001.
- ^ McBride, R: Oranges - Illustrated by Victor Wong (Handset and printed at the Bread & Wine Press, San Francisco by Wilder Bentley, 1960)
- ^ "Olive K. Wong Obituary". Legacy.com. May 6, 2012. Retrieved March 10, 2020.
- ^ Wang, Oliver (July 18–24, 1997). "On the Road Again". Asian Week. Archived from the original on September 6, 2001.
External links[]
- Victor Wong at IMDb
- Asian Week obituary
- McLellan, Dennis (September 26, 2001). "Victor Wong, 74; Artist Was Also Character Actor". Los Angeles Times.
- "Victor Wong; Character Actor, 74". The New York Times. Associated Press. September 29, 2001.
- Victor Wong at Find A Grave
- Sare Ging Wong in the 1940 Census
- 1927 births
- 2001 deaths
- American male film actors
- American male journalists
- American male television actors
- American journalists of Chinese descent
- American television journalists
- Beat Generation people
- Male actors from San Francisco
- University of Chicago Divinity School alumni
- University of California, Berkeley alumni
- American male actors of Chinese descent
- 20th-century American male actors
- 20th-century American journalists