My
advice to young people, young Asian Americans, that want to get
into the film industry
is to prove that you are worth it. I constantly get phone calls/faxes/letters
from
Asian American actors /filmmakers that want me to help them.
When I take a look at their films or things that they have written,
THEY ARE TERRIBLE!
First of all, you got to be GOOD. . . then you have a
chance to make it.
Terrance Chang (From "The Slanted Screen")
The
musical number with Virginia Wing was directed by Jorn H.
Winther, a five-time Emmy nominee for ABC TVs All My Children,
and director of the now legendary, original, David Frost--Richard
Nixon TV Interviews, in 1977, and choreographed by Wakefield
Poole, who began his career as a dancer on Broadway, became
Assistant Director/Choreographer to Tony and Emmy Award-winner
Joe Layton [No Strings on Broadway; The Barbara Streisand
Specials on TV] and subsequently went on to revolutionized
the adult film industry when he produced and directed the
landmark male-adult film Boys in the Sand [1970] and its
sequels. The song Gotta Dance! by Hugh Martin is from the
1948 Broadway musical Look Ma, I'm Dancin! [book by Jerome
Lawrence & Robert E. Lee]; I Wont Dance has music by
Jerome Kern and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, Jimmy McHugh,
Otto Harbach and Dorothy Fields.
PATRICK
ADIARTE - Filipino-born Mr. Adiarte began his career
on Broadway as a Royal Child in Richard Rogers and Oscar Hammerstein's
The King and I. He portrayed the Crown Prince Chulalohngkorn in
the 1958 film version of that show, starring Yul Brynner and Deborah
Kerr. That same year he returned to Broadway in Rodgers & Hammerstein's
next new musical, Flower Drum Song, as Wang San. He recreated the
role in the 1961 film version with the Gene Kelly choreographer.
Other film credits include Blake Edwards High Time starring Bing
Crosby and Tuesday Weld [1960], John Goldfarb, Please Come Home
starring Shirley MacLaine, and he starred in Step Out of Your Mind
[1966] which costarred a young Kelly [Carole] Bishop [A Chorus Line]
and Leland Palmer [All That Jazz]. On television, he was a regular
on Hullabaloo(Recorded three singles on the RSVP label that included Five
Different Girls and Herb Bernstein-produced We Gotta Stick It Out
that sounded similar to Herb's other project - Laura Nyro's original
of Wedding Bell Blues), he starred in Dancing: A Man's Game,
a landmark Omnibus episode [1958], The Enchanted Nutcracker [as
The Prince], and guest starred on series including It Takes a Thief,
Ironsides, Bonanza [as Swift Eagle a Native American in the Warbonnet
episode, 1971], The Brady Bunch, Hawaii Five-O, Kojak, and as Ho-Jon
on numerous episodes of M.A.S.H. In the late 70s, he retired from
performing to become a successful photographer.
NAVEEN ANDREWS - Naveen William Sidney Andrews
was born on the 17th of January, 1969, in London, England. At the
age of 16, Naveen attended London's Guildhall School of Music and
Drama at the same as Ewan McGregor and Davis Thewlis. Naveen's first
role was in Hanif Kureshi's film, "London Kills Me". In 1993, Naveen
was nominated by the Evening Standard Drama Awards as Most Promising
Newcomer for his part in "Wild West".For the BBC's "The Buddha of
Suburbia", he was nominated for Best Actor at the San Remo Film Festival.
This talented actor with the expressive eyes recently gained the role
of Sayid Jarrah in the popular television series "Lost".
PUN BANDHU - (also known as Pun Punyaratabandhu) this Thai-American is an
actor and Tony Award winning Broadway Producer. He graduated from
the Acting Program at The Yale School of Drama in 2001. Highlights
include the world premiere of AR Gurney's "Far East" (Williamstown
Theatre Festival), The world premiere of Len Jenkin's "The Birds"
(Yale Rep), the world premiere of John Pielmiere's "Voices in the
Dark" (George St. Playhouse), The world premiere of Theresa Rebeck's
"The Bells" (McCarter Theatre Center). TV credits include Law and
Order: Criminal Intent, SVU, All My Children, Sesame St. Guiding Light,
and currently, a recurring role as Albert Perry on "One Life to Live".
He formed a production company in 2004, ZenDog Productions, and received
a Tony for producing "Glengarry Glen Ross" on Broadway starring Alan
Alda and Liev Schreiber.
TYSON BECKFORD - actor and famous male model whose African/Asian appearance
(Father: Jamaican/Panamanian, Mother: Chinese/American) has drawn
considerable attention.
JACKIE CHAN - Worldwide Superstar
from Hong Kong. Jackie's charity, the Jackie Chan Foundation USA
- JC Foundation was founded in Hong Kong in 1987, an organization
which provides scholarships to young people for their education
and training in the arts, and it also funds a wide range of projects
including programs in hospitals. His
renown stunt team includes Brad Allan (Bradley James Allan),
Anthony Carpio, Chris Chan, Chan Man-ching, Chan Tat-kwong, Andy
Cheng, Johnny Cheung, Danny Chow, Joe Eigo, Fung Hak-o, Hon Chun,
Louis Keun, Benny Lai, Rocky Lai, Lai Sing-kwong, Ben Lam, Chris
Lee, Lee Chun-kit, Nicky Li, Ken Lo (also known for working as Chan's
personal bodyguard), Mars (Cheung wing-fat), Pang Hiu-sang, Poon
Bin-chung, Tai Bo, Bruce Tong, William Tuan, Wan Faat, Sam Wong
and Paul Wong He was also part of the "Seven
Little Fortunes that included Sammo Hung, Yuen Biao, Corey Yuen
and Yuen Wah. Whilst attending the opera school under the tutelage
of the Sifu Yu Jim Yuen, the students all adopted the name surname
Yuen. He received a star on the Hollywood
Walk of Fame in 2002. Click HERE
to read an interview. Jackie's future plans to start a stuntmen
school in China, supporting noteworthy charities,
making films, etc.
VIC CHAO - Upcoming actor seen in The Division,
Jag, Boston Legal, Monk, The Practice and in Ms. Congeniality 2
JOHN CHOO - He has appeared in Manzanar: An
American Story, Better Luck Tomorrow, Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle,
American Pie, Chris/Paul Weitz's See This Movie/In Good Company and
Margaret
Cho's Big Bam and Celeste - along with performing with his band
"Left of Zed."
WILLIE FUNG - Chinese character actor Willie
Fung spent his entire Hollywood career imprisoned by the Hollywood
Stereotype Syndrome. During the silent era, Fung was the personification
of the "Yellow Peril," never more fearsome than when he was threatening
Dolores Costello's virtue in Old San Francisco (1927). In talkies,
Fung was a buck-toothed, pigtailed, pidgin-English-spouting comedy
relief, usually cast as a cook or laundryman. He's worked with Hal
B. Wallis, Darryl F. Zanuck, Franz Waxman, Keye Luke, Richard Loo,
Barbara Stanwyck, Randolph Scott and Robert Young.
MARK-PAUL GOSSELAAR - Actor (whose mother is
Indonesian and father who is Dutch) is best known for playing "Zack
Morris" on the TV series Saved By the Bell - along with Hyperion Bay,
D.C. and N.Y.P.D. Blue. He's appeared in telefilms such as NBC's Princess
and the Marine, Dying to Belong, Born in Exile, Necessary Parties,
For the Love of Nancy, Wedding in Las Vegas, and She Cried No. His
featured film credits include Dead Man on Campus and the independent
film Sticks and Stones, Three Blind Mice, Specimen, Under a Killing
Moon, and White Wolves.
KEITH COOKE HIRABASHI - World Champion Martial
Artist and Actor (whose
mother is Japanese and father is of Scottish descent) has been
seen in National Security (2002), Lost Time (2001), Mortal Kombat
(1995), Mortal Kombat 2 (1997), Beverly Hills Ninja (1997), and King
of the Kickboxers (1991). Today he teaches at Los Angeles' Champions
Martial Arts.
JAMES HONG - Actor who has been in countless
films for many years.
TONY JAA - He
was born to elephant trainers in the northeast province of Surin.
His
second film is titled "The
Protector." Thailand's Tony
Jaa (Phanom
Yeerum) uses his daredevil energy, Muay Thai (ancient Siamese
boxing discipline) and grace to obliterate action-movie clichés in
the pummeling, exhilarating Ong-Bak:
The Thai
Warrior while continuing the tradition of Bruce Lee, Jet
Li and Jackie Chan. He's
a throwback to kung-fu film's early days, when stars and stunt men
alike took a licking and kept on kicking.
BEN KINGSLEY - This acclaim actor (whose
father is Indian and mother is British) starred in the role of
Mahatma Gandhi, gangster Meyer Lansky in Bugsy, Holocaust survivor
Itzhak Stern in Schindler's List, Feste in Twelfth Night - among numerous
other parts.
BURT KWOUK - funny version of Bruce Lee known
by his character "Cato Fong" in the Pink Panther movies
BRUCE LEE - A legend that didn't have a chance
to bloom!
WILL YUN LEE - seen in What's Cooking, Witchblad
and Die Another Day.
Telly
Leung Performing at FDS Tribute
TELLY
LEUNG - This Chinese American founding member (who
was named after Telly Savalas) of Jaradoa Theater is a dedicated,
discipline and talented
actor who has been in productions such as Rent, M. Butterfly,
Miss Saigon, Sweeney Todd, Wicked, Pacific Overture and Flower Drum
Song - among other credits. This Carnegie
Mellon University graduate understands the need to be trained
and to constantly hone one's craft by consistently studying to be
a successful "Gypsy." Telly was asked "What advice would you have
for someone seeking a career in your field?" His reply was "Never
stop training and working at your craft…" This actor separates
himself
from many of the other Asian American actors who understands the
responsibility of being trained, constantly training and working
with the media while surviving the unfortunate unprofessionalism
of others (as what happened during a recent touring Broadway production).
TONY LEUNG(aka
Asia's Clark Gable) - Leung
(His full name is Tony Leung Chiu Wai, and he's not to be confused
with Tony Leung Ka Fai, the actor who appeared in the 1992 film of
Marguerite Duras' novel "The Lover.") has been starring in Hong Kong
movies for close to 15 years and a muse
for Mr. Wong, appearing
in all but two of the brilliantly off-beat director's eight features
that has resulted in him being one of the biggest
stars in Asia.
LARRY LONG (AKA LARRY LEUNG) - He was the
youngest of six sons born to a Chinese Australian mother who just
happened to be in Hong Kong for his birth. This became a lucky factor
when he wanted to immigrate to America, as the quota for Chinese
admitted into the United States was greater from Hong Kong than
from Australia. In pre-war Australian vaudeville, Larry starred
as a tap-soloist with the Tivoli Circuit and Great North China Troupe.
After serving in the Australian Navy in WWII, he got himself to
America where he headlined at the Forbidden City Night Club in San
Francisco and The China Doll in NYC. In the 1950s, he put together
an act with his wife - Larry and Trudie Leung, in which they performed
at The Palace in NYC, in night clubs across the U.S., USO shows
and on the Ed Sullivan TV Variety Show. Larry was in the original
Broadway production of Flower Drum Song, Later touring in it as
the male lead and director. In the 1960s, he took out his own revue
- East Goes West. In the 1970s, he left show business to become
a PGA golf professional. He was the golf pro at Old Tappan Golf
Course in New Jersey and served as President of the New Jersey PGA
Seniors. He is survived by his second wife Minnie-Faye, children
Jodi & Larry Jr and his ex-wife Trudie.
KEYE LUKE - Pioneer seen in 100+ films and
30+ t.v. shows in the 1930's.
LEONARDO NAM - Upcoming actor featured in
the LA Times
REVIEW
- Lou Diamond Phillips brought a younger and more exciting
aura to his portrayal of "King Arthur" in the
national tour of the Glenn Casale-directed Lerner and Loewe's
Camelot. His skills as an actor made audiences to often
overlook the quality of his "talk-sing" quality
of his vocals, especially during his solos.
Since
Mr. Phillips had just recently joined the cast (replacement
for Michael York), it is hoped that Glenn Casale will fine-tune
scenes where his "talk-sing" doesn't seamlessly
meshed and successful - especially when he is singing with
his other cast members who have greater vocal skills. As
actors such as Richard Harris (in his portrayal of "King
Arthur") and others such as Rex Harrison (in "King
& I") - along with Mr. Phillips' success in "The
King & I" - the ability to "talk-sing"
can be effective. His strongest scenes were on display when
his undeniable charisma and ability to connect with the
other actors were utilized. It is this reviewer's hope that
with additional performances, he will have a better grasp
of how to balance the desire to bring a younger and more
exciting "King Arthur" while balancing it with
the necessary presence of authority, leadership and strength
for audiences to believe their "King Arthur" -
a strong, confident and compassionate leader. Does Lou Diamond
Phillips have this ability. The question is unanswered at
the present time. Does he have the ability to do it in the
future - yes.
MASI OKA - For actor Masi Oka, Hiro (in NBC's "Heroes)
is his biggest role yet - by 2007. He's appeared in movies ("Along
Came Polly") and on TV (most notably as the doormat lab tech, Franklyn,
in six episodes of "Scrubs"), but never quite to the acclaim he's
getting in "Heroes." The 31-year-old Oka is a fan of science fiction
and fantasy ("amazing" is how he describes the new season of "Battlestar
Galactica"), but he's also had experience working behind the scenes
on special effects-filled blockbusters, including the most recent
"Star Wars" trilogy and the first two "Pirates of Caribbean" movies.
After studying computer science and math at Brown University, Oka
graduated and went to work for George Lucas' Industrial Light & Magic.
He was raised by a single mother, and she felt the Japanese education
system, albeit wonderful, keeps you in a certain range. You have to
be better than this level but below this level. She saw I was quote-unquote
"gifted and talented" in science in particular, and she wanted to
come to America, where she felt that would be nurtured, rather than
stay in Japan where they'd be satisfied if I was above the mean.
JOONG-HOON
PARK - South Korean actor seen in Jonathan Demme's
"The Truth About Charlie
LOU DIAMOND PHILLIPS - This actor
(whose
mother is of Filipino/Hawaiian/Chinese/Spanish descent, while his
father is Scottish/White/Cherokee) gained fame with his portrayal
of '50s rocker Ritchie Valens in La Bamba . He has also appeared
in Stand and Deliver (1988) and received the Independent Spirit
Award for Best Supporting Actor and was nominated for a Golden Globe
Award for his performance. In 1988 and 1990, he co-starred with
Emilio Estevez and Kiefer Sutherland in Young Guns and Young Guns
II. In Courage Under Fire, Phillips received a Blockbuster Entertainment
Award for Supporting Actor and a Lone Star Film and Television Award.
He has also appeared on Broadway in an award-winning star turn in
"The King and I" (1996) while receiving receiving a Tony
Award nomination, New York Outer Critics Circle Award and a Theatre
World Award for his performance.
KEANU
REEVES - he can be seen in films such as Speed, Matrix,
Devil's Advocate and others.
NASEERUDDIN SHAH - New Indian Cinema Icon
who was part of Sean Connery's "League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
MARTIN SHEEN - Part Filipino a Hollywood celebrity
known as Martin Sheen, launched his career as the lead in the Broadway
play "The Subject Was Roses" and went on to receive a Golden Globe
nomination for his leading role in the film adaptation among his
many other roles.
ROBIN SHOU - stuntman and star of the "Mortal
Kombat" movies - along with producing the documentary on Hong Kong
stuntmen in the film "Red
Trousers."
JACK SOO - (aka Goro Suzuki / October 28,
1916 to January 11, 1979) wass a pioneering American Oakland native
entertainer who became the first Asian American to be cast in the
lead role in a regular television series Valentine’s Day (1963),
and later starred in the popular comedy show Barney Miller (1975-1978.
He started as a nightclub singer and comedian, appeared in television
shows such as The Jack Benny show, was an announces/stand-up comedian,
to his breakthrough role as Sammy Fong singing and dancing in Rogers
and Hammerstein’s Broadway play and film version of The Flower
Drum Song. This former former internee was forced to change his
name in the post WWII era, in order to perform in clubs in the mid-west.
Because of his experiences, throughout his career in films and television,
Soo refused to play roles that were demeaning to Asian Americans
and often spoke out against negative ethnic portrayals. He
is symbolic of an earlier
Hollywood where stars succeeded in a multitude of artistic mediums,
reminiscent of vaudevillian times. Soo
injected his life experience into what he called “verbal ethnicity”:
taking a perception about a person, in Soo’s case, his Japanese-American
ancestry, and standing it on its head. Soo never shied away from
his ethnicity and instead used it as fuel for his comedy. One of
his most famous scenes in Barney Miller illustrates this technique.
As Soo described it: “a fella says to me, ‘You shouldn’t
squint so.’ I say, “I’m not squinting.’
And, not moving a muscle, then I add, ‘This is a squint!’
In an interview
with TV Guide in 1977, Soo said that he refused roles of houseboys
and gardeners because he didn’t want to portray Asians only
in that way. As Soo explained, “I’m not putting down
domestics. If it hadn’t been for our first-generation Japanese
Americans, who were houseboys and gardeners, there could never have
been the second-generation doctors, architects --- and actors. I
just didn’t want to play domestics on a stage.”
- He was the first Asian American actor who refused to play stereotypical,
derogatory roles. He also spoke English with no accent. Opened
doors for lots of other Asian actors.
- He married an Eastern European model and has three kids, and
a granddaughter who lives in San Francisco.
- He was an awesome singer. One of his co-stars of Valentine's
Day equated his skillz to Frank Sinatra. In fact, he was recording
some super famous songs but ultimately they gave the gigs to people
like Stevie Wonder, possibly because that was more marketable.
- He died at the height of his career of cancer.
GEORGE TAKEI - Star Trek's Mr.
Sulu fights for equal rights for Asian Americans.
KEN WATANABE - he is the son of calligraphy
and general-education teachers, began his career on the stage, joining
a theater troupe after realizing he wasn't going to cut it as a
trumpet player ("I had no talent!"). He quickly transitioned into
television roles with the 1982 dramas "Michinaru Hanran" ("Unknown
Rebellion") and "Mibu no koiuta," his first samurai series, and
became a legitimate star following his role in the 1987 Japanese
50-episode serial drama "Dokuganryu Masamune" ("One-Eyed Dragon
Masamune"). It was during the production of (what else?) the samurai
epic "Ten to Chi to" ("Heaven and Earth") in 1989, however, that
Watanabe was diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia, and he took
time off for treatment. The cancer returned in 1994, but is now
in remission. He
won the official imprimatur of People magazine's "50 Most Beautiful
People" arbiters after he
grabbed Hollywood's attention with his Oscar-nominated performance
in 2003's "The Last Samurai." Watanabe
followed that two years later with the role of the Chairman in "Memoirs
of a Geisha," prompting one besotted critic to call him "a
majestic hunk." Watanabe married actress Kaho Minami a year
ago, and now his brood has expanded to include Minami's 7-year-old
son in addition to his daughter, An Watanabe, a 19-year-old model,
and actor son Shin Shinitiro, 22.
GEDDE WATANABE - Ogden native is a character
actor who has been in 16 Candles, ER (reoccurring role), Mulan 2,
Alfie, Mulan, Pacific Overture, Gung Ho and For the Money
RUSSELL WONG - This handsome and talented
actor is looking for more success.
SIMON YAM - Actor of 170 films last seen in
the last Laura Croft movie.
TERENCE YIN - Actor/Singer of 19 films and
2 TV dramas including the last Laura Croft movie.
CHOU YUN-FAT - Best known internationally
for his leading roles in John Woo's The Killer and Hard-Boiled,
Chow's first American movie is The Replacement Killers.
