Victor Wong (actor born 1927)

Education

Victor 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. When he returned to San Francisco, Wong resumed his studies at the San Francisco Art Institute under Mark Rothko.

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, 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.

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, which also contributed to his death on September 12, 2001 from heart failure.

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. He illustrated Oranges, Dick McBride's first collection of poetry, which was handset and printed at the Bread and Wine Mission in 1960. 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".

Personal life

Wong's parents both came from China. 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. His siblings were Sara Wong Lum, Zeppelin Wong, Shirley Wong Frentzel, Betty Wong. He was fluent with both English and Cantonese, which helped lead his acting career to Hong Kong. Victor Wong lived in Sacramento, California.

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 son, Lyon Wong, died in 1986 after being attacked by a young man while walking home in Sacramento.

Death

On the morning of September 11, 2001 Wong had turned on the television to watch the news when he learned of the terrorist attacks on New York City and Washington, D.C.. He and his wife Rose spent all day watching the news and trying to discern the fate of Wong's sons, who lived in New York and, as they ultimately learned, were unharmed. Rose finally went to bed in the evening, but Wong stayed up and continued to follow the news. The resulting exhaustion and the two strokes he had suffered years earlier took their toll, and Wong died of a heart attack at some point during the morning of September 12. Wong was 74 years old.