Russell Wong

Infobox Chinese-language singer and actor
name = Russell Wong
tradchinesename = 王盛德
simpchinesename =
birthname = Russell Girard Wong
birthdate = birth date and age|1963|3|1
birthplace = Troy, New York
spouse = Flora Cheong
yearsactive = 1985 - present
academyawards= Best Actor
""

Russell Girard Wong (王盛德, pinyin: Wáng Shèngdé; born March 1, 1963) is an American actor and photographer, as well as the brother of actor/model Michael Wong.

Biography

The sixth of seven children, Wong was born in Troy, New York; the son of Chinese American restaurateur William Wong and an American artist of Dutch and French descent, Connie Van Yserloo. [http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-6324330_ITM] [http://www.filmreference.com/film/70/Russell-Wong.html] His family moved to Albany when he was a baby, where his father ran a restaurant. When Wong was seven years of age, his parents divorced, and he moved with his mother to California, settling near Yosemite. In 1981, Wong graduated from Mariposa County High School, and that fall enrolled at Santa Monica City College. Wong supported himself as a photographer and as a dancer (appearing in rock videos with David Bowie, Donna Summer, and Janet Jackson, among others) before scoring his first screen roles in 1985, appearing in a Hong Kong musical called "Ge wu sheng ping" (aka Musical Dancer) and in a screen adaptation of James Clavell's best-seller "Tai-Pan". A number of undistinguished television and film roles followed, but Wong began breaking into better roles in 1989, when he made a memorable guest appearance on the drama series "21 Jump Street" and won a leading role in Wayne Wang's acclaimed independent romantic comedy "Eat a Bowl of Tea". Supporting roles in "China Cry" and "New Jack City" were to follow, and Wong found himself working with Wayne Wang again when he was cast in a role in the film adaptation of Amy Tan's best-selling novel "The Joy Luck Club". Wong finally scored a high-profile breakthrough role in 1994, when he was cast in the leading role in the made-for-TV movie "Vanishing Son", in which he played a Chinese political activist exiled in America. The show was popular enough to spawn three sequels, and was later spun off into a syndicated TV series. People magazine named him one of fifty "Beautiful People" in 1995. After "Vanishing Son" ran its course, Wong moved on to more big-screen work, including major roles in "Prophesy II", "The Tracker", and "Romeo Must Die", as well as the made-for-TV epic "The Lost Empire". He is also married to former ballerina and Hong Kong based designer Flora Cheong-leen.

Filmography

*Unshakable (2009)
*Dim Sum Funeral (2008)
* "" (2008)
* "Undoing" (2007)
*"Honor" (2006)
*"Black Sash" (2003)
*"" (2003) (video game)
*"Romeo Must Die" (2000)
*"Takedown" (2000)
*"The Prophecy II" (1998)
*"Vanishing Son" (1994)
*"The Joy Luck Club" (1993)
*"New Jack City" (1991)
*""

References

External links

* [http://www.russellwong.com Russell Wong's official website]
* [http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Studio/2734/info.html Russell Wong's Info]
* [http://www.russellwongfan.com/ Meretean's Russell Wong Fansite]
* [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0111586/ Vanishing Son IMDB Page]
* [http://www.asiaarts.ucla.edu/article.asp?parentid=52373 UCLA Asia Pacific Arts Interview]
*
* [http://www.starpulse.com/Actors/Wong,_Russell/Biography/]