Victor Wong

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For another actor of the same name, see Victor Wong (actor).

Victor Wong
Image:VictorWong.jpg
Birth name	Yee Keung Victor Wong
Born	July 30 1927(1927-07-30) San Francisco, California
Died	September 12 2001 (aged 74) Locke, California

Victor Wong (July 30, 1927 – September 12, 2001) (Chinese: 黃自強; pinyin: Huáng Zìqiáng) was an American character actor who appeared in supporting roles throughout the 1980s and 1990s.

He has no relation to the 1930s/forties actor Victor Wong, best remembered for supporting roles as Charlie the Chinese cook in King Kong and The Son of Kong, both from 1933.

1 Early life
2 Acting career
3 Death
4 Family
5 Filmography
6 External links

[edit] Early life

Wong, born Yee Keung Victor Wong, was a second-generation Chinese American, born in Chinatown, San Francisco, California to Chinese immigrant parents. Wong graduated from San Francisco's Lowell High School in 1945 and attended the University of California, Berkeley to study journalism. He later attended the University of Chicago Divinity School for theology and an MFA at the San Francisco Art Institute. Wong's first art exhibit as a painting student was hosted by his friend Lawrence Ferlinghetti, the owner of City Lights Bookstore in San Francisco. Wong was also friends with another prominent member of the Beat Generation, writer Jack Kerouac, who mentioned him in his novel Big Sur.

In 1968, Wong was working as a newscaster for KQED, but he was forced to change careers when his Bell's palsy caused drooping in the left side of his face. He worked for six years(1968-1974) for PBS station KQED channel 9 in San Francisco as a photojournalist. When he was in Chicago, he also joined the Second City improvisational group which was in its formative stages. Wong was asked to leave after only a short while because they felt he would not fit in, and they could not use him.

[edit] Acting career

After his news career ended, Wong turned to acting, starting in the local Asian American theatre and later landing larger roles on the stages 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.

His stage work led to television work and eventually, into movies. 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 in the popular 3 Ninjas franchise, and the cult-classics, Big Trouble in Little China and Tremors

Film director Wayne Wang called Victor Wong his role model for living life. Director Bernardo Bertolucci had trouble with Victor on the set of The Last Emperor (1987) amid arguments over historical authenticity and cut most of Wong's scenes in the film that won the Best Picture Oscar for 1987.

He retired from showbusiness in 1998 after suffering two strokes.

[edit] Death

Wong died of heart failure at the age of seventy-four years on September 12, 2001.

[edit] Family

Had two daughters: Emily and Heather.
Had three sons: Anton, Lyon, and Duncan
Was married four times, once to an African woman and, three times to different Caucasian women. His last wife was Dawn Rose with whom he was married until his death.
His son, Lyon, died in 1986 after fighting with another young man in Sacramento. This triggered his first of many strokes.
Brother of Zeppelin Wong.