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Talented and handsome Asian-American performer of New York and L.A. theater and quirky character actor of film and TV. Wong is best known for his acclaimed performance as Song Liling in his Broadway debut, "M. Butterfly" (1988), as a male Chinese spy who successfully poses as a woman in a 25-year relationship with a French diplomat. His mesmerizing performance won an array of richly deserved awards including the 1988 Tony Award for Best Featured Actor, the Drama Desk Award, Clarence Derwent Award, and Theater World Award. Wong's subsequent film and TV roles have been much less challenging and distinguished, sometimes just barely transcending stereotypes through the sheer force of his engaging personality and impeccable craft.Wong has played a genetic engineering entrepreneur, an East Asian gangster, a loyal assistant, and a fey caterer's helper variously in Sidney Lumet's "Family Business" (1989), "The Freshman" (1990), "Mystery Date" and "Father of the Bride" (both 1991). Wong also appeared fleetingly as biogeneticist Dr. Wu in Steven Spielberg's sci-fi epic "Jurassic Park" (1993). He fared better in a memorable guest appearance on John Sayles' short-lived TV series, "Shannon's Deal" (NBC, 1991)....
Talented and handsome Asian-American performer of New York and L.A. theater and quirky character actor of film and TV. Wong is best known for his acclaimed performance as Song Liling in his Broadway debut, "M. Butterfly" (1988), as a male Chinese spy who successfully poses as a woman in a 25-year relationship with a French diplomat. His mesmerizing performance won an array of richly deserved awards including the 1988 Tony Award for Best Featured Actor, the Drama Desk Award, Clarence Derwent Award, and Theater World Award. Wong's subsequent film and TV roles have been much less challenging and distinguished, sometimes just barely transcending stereotypes through the sheer force of his engaging personality and impeccable craft.
Wong has played a genetic engineering entrepreneur, an East Asian gangster, a loyal assistant, and a fey caterer's helper variously in Sidney Lumet's "Family Business" (1989), "The Freshman" (1990), "Mystery Date" and "Father of the Bride" (both 1991). Wong also appeared fleetingly as biogeneticist Dr. Wu in Steven Spielberg's sci-fi epic "Jurassic Park" (1993). He fared better in a memorable guest appearance on John Sayles' short-lived TV series, "Shannon's Deal" (NBC, 1991). Wong also registered as the lover of Sir Ian McKellen in the acclaimed TV adaptation of "And the Band Played On" (HBO, 1993).
Wong proved himself more than capable to the task of joining a TV comedy ensemble with "All-American Girl" (ABC, 1994-95), the first sitcom to deal with the Asian-American experience. As the relatively mild-mannered, accommodating older brother of the pugnaciously assimilated Margaret Cho, his character was the favorite child of their traditional Korean mother.
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Notes
"'When I grew up and watched TV, I saw no Asians,' says Wong. 'When I got older, I hated being Asian-American and wished I could change until I finally realized that it was one of the best things I could have. I could embrace it and use it in my work. It's much more of a blessing than a curse." --From "Actors' Chance to Part a Racial and Cultural Curtain," by Jefferson Graham in USA Today, September 13, 1994.
"For Wong, so dazzling on stage in "M. Butterfly", to accept a supporting-actor role on a network sitcom, says something about the lack of stellar parts for Asians in any performance medium...." -- From "'All-American Girl' A Premise with Promise" by David Bianchulli in Daily News, September 14, 1994.
"For inspiration for his role, Wong did not have to look further than his own Chinese-American family; his elder brother is a highly successful doctor who exhibits many of the 'perfect' qualities possessed by Stuart."
"'He is very loving, like Stuart,' says Wong, 'but his academic and intellectual abilities were intimidating. Also, unlike me and my younger brother, he grew up near Chinatown in San Francisco, and his upbringing was a little closer to the root culture than ours. Before our family moved, he was able to go to Chinese school and learn Chinese, but my younger brother and I were not, much to our regret." --From press release material for "All-American Girl"
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