Happy Birthday, James Hong!

James Hong turns 93 today. While he may have unsuccessfully auditioned for the part of Sulu on Star Trek in 1966, he went on to have an extensive acting career with over 600 credits to his name, including several that are in post-production as we speak. Whether you know him from Blade Runner, Revenge of the Nerds, or Gremlins, James remains a recognizable face (and voice).

James Hong was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. He studied civil engineering at the University of Minnesota, but at some point along the way became interested in acting. He graduated from the University of Southern California and practiced for 1½ years as a road engineer with the County of Los Angeles. He took sick leaves and vacation time to do films before finally quitting engineering to focus on acting full time.

He is one of the founders of the East-West Players, the oldest Asian American theater in Los Angeles. Furthermore, he served as president and charter member of the Association of Asian Pacific American Artists.

Hong is one of the most prolific and well-recognized Asian-American character actors of movies and television. He currently lives in Los Angeles and is planning to produce and direct his own films… read more >