Anna May Wong

Birthday: 1905-01-03
Deathday: 1961-02-02
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, USA
Gender: Female
Owned By: Unowned

Wong Liu Tsong (January 3, 1905 – February 3, 1961), known professionally as Anna May Wong, was an American actress whose long career spanned both silent and sound films, television, stage, and radio. Apart from being recognized as the the first Chinese-American movie star, as well as the first Asian-American to become an international star, she was also seen as an acclaimed fashion icon due to her being the one of the early stars to embrace the flapper look.

Born near the Chinatown neighborhood of Los Angeles to second-generation Chinese-American parents, Wong became infatuated with the movies at an early age and quit education to focus on beginning an acting career. After landing parts as uncredited extras in silent films, she had her first leading role in The Toll of the Sea (1922), one of the first movies made in color. Her role in Douglas Fairbanks' The Thief of Bagdad (1924) helped her achieve international stardom. Tired of being offered stereotypical supporting roles, she left Hollywood for Europe in the late 1920s, where she starred in several plays alongside notable names like Laurence Olivier. She made her final silent film in Britain titled Piccadilly (1929), which earned her wide praise. Her first talkie, The Flame of Love (1930), was recorded in three languages: English, French and German. She spent the first half of the 1930s traveling between the United States and Europe for film and stage work. Wong was featured in films of the early sound era, such as Daughter of the Dragon (1931) and Daughter of Shanghai (1937), and with Marlene Dietrich in Josef von Sternberg's Shanghai Express (1932). These films brought her more and more fame, which she used to express her staunch political views. Although she advocated for Chinese-American causes and criticized the stereotypical roles she played, Chinese press and critics continued to view her as a disgrace to the country. After experiencing the most severe disappointment of her career, when Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer refused to consider her for the leading Chinese role in the film The Good Earth (1937), and instead chose a white German actress in yellowface, Wong spent the a year touring China, visiting her family's ancestral village, and studying Chinese culture. Returning to Hollywood, she starred in several B movies that portrayed Chinese-Americans in a positive light in the late-1930s.

As World War II rolled around, she focused less on her film career and decided to devote her time and money in helping the Chinese against Japanese invasions. Returning to the public eye in the 1950s with several television appearances, she started her own detective mystery television show titled The Gallery of Madame Liu-Tsong (1951), the first U.S. television show starring an Asian-American. She was scheduled to return to film in Flower Drum Song (1961) but she died of a heart attack.

For decades after her death, Wong was remembered mostly for the stereotypical roles she was given although critics have begun to reevaluate her life and career. In 2022, Wong became the first Asian-American to be depicted on American coinage when the quarters with her image on them went into circulation. In 2023, Mattel released a Barbie doll modeled on Wong in honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.

Credits

Year Title Character
1960-07-27 Portrait in Black Tawny
1960-07-01 Just Joe Peach Blossom
1960-03-20 The Savage Innocents Hiku
1949-03-20 Impact Su Lin
1942-12-21 Lady from Chungking Kwan Mei
1942-06-05 Bombs Over Burma Lin Ying
1941-03-24 Ellery Queen's Penthouse Mystery Lois Ling
1939-08-16 Island of Lost Men Kim Ling
1939-03-17 King of Chinatown Dr. Mary Ling
1938-06-18 When Were You Born Mei Lei Ming
1938-03-11 Dangerous to Know Madame Lan Ying
1937-12-17 Daughter of Shanghai Lan Ying Lin
1934-12-11 Limehouse Blues Tu Tuan
1934-09-01 Tiger Bay Lui Chang
1934-07-31 Java Head Princess Taou Yuen
1934-05-01 Chu Chin Chow Zahrat
1933-05-14 A Study in Scarlet Mrs. Pyke
1932-02-12 Shanghai Express Hui Fei
1931-09-24 Daughter of the Dragon Ling Moy
1930-09-19 Flame of Love
1930-03-07 The Flame of Love Hai Tang
1930-02-26 The Road to Dishonour Hai-Tang
1929-04-09 Pavement Butterfly Hai-Tang
1929-02-01 Piccadilly Shosho
1928-08-21 Song Song
1928-04-15 Chinatown Charlie Mandarin's Sweetheart
1928-04-07 Across to Singapore Singapore Saloon Girl (uncredited)
1928-04-07 The Crimson City Su
1928-02-15 Souvenirs The Captain's Chinese Love
1927-12-15 Streets of Shanghai Su Quan
1927-11-03 The Devil Dancer Sada
1927-10-23 The Chinese Parrot Nautch Dancer
1927-09-04 Old San Francisco A Flower of the Orient
1927-07-17 Why Girls Love Sailors Delamar (scenes deleted)
1927-04-24 The Honorable Mr. Buggs Baroness Stoloff
1927-03-26 Mr. Wu Loo Song
1927-01-15 Driven from Home
1926-11-14 The Desert's Toll Oneta
1926-06-25 The Silk Bouquet Dragon Horse
1926-06-06 A Trip to Chinatown Ohati
1926-01-24 Fifth Avenue Nan Lo
1925-04-12 His Supreme Moment Harem Girl in Play (uncredited)
1925-02-02 Forty Winks Annabelle Wu
1924-12-29 Peter Pan Tiger Lily
1924-09-14 The Alaskan Keok
1924-05-25 The Fortieth Door Zira
1924-03-18 The Thief of Bagdad The Mongol Slave
1924-02-29 Lilies of the Field
1923-11-05 Thundering Dawn Honky-Tonk Girl
1923-08-26 Drifting Rose Li
1923-05-27 Mary of the Movies Anna May Wong (uncredited)
1923-01-22 The Toll of the Sea Lotus Flower
1921-11-06 The White Mouse
1921-09-26 Bits of Life Toy Sing, Chin Chow's Wife
1921-07-31 Shame Lotus Blossom
1921-03-13 A Tale of Two Worlds
1921-01-30 The First Born
1921-01-06 Outside the Law Chinese Girl (uncredited)
1920-11-21 Dinty Half Moon
1919-05-04 The Red Lantern Eurasian woman (uncredited)