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.
- Also Credited As:
Brad Wong, Bradd D. Wong, Bradd Wong, Bradley Darrell Wong
- Born:
October 24, 1960 in San Francisco, California, USA
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Job Titles:
Actor, Dancer, Singer
Family
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Son: Jackson Foo wong. born (by surrogate mother) May 19, 2000; used Wong s sperm and Sue Barez s egg (Barez is the sister to Wong s partner)
Significant Others
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Life partner: Richie Barez. relationship ended June 2004
Milestones
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1982 Professional stage debut, Androcles and the Lion , at Town Hall in NYC
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1986 Film debut (billed as Bradd Wong), The Karate Kid Part II
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1986 TV series debut (billed as Bradd Wong), Blacke s Magic
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1987 Appeared as Brad Wong on the syndicated series, Hard Copy
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1987 TV-movie debut (as Bradd D. Wong), Double Switch , on ABC s Disney Sunday Movie
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1988 Broadway debut, as Song Liling, in David Henry Hwang s M. Butterfly with John Lithgow; billed as B.D. Wong
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1988 First actor to be honored with the Tony, Drama Desk Award, an Outer Critics Circle Award, a Clarence Derwent Award and a Theater World Award for the same role in M. Butterfly
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1989 Appeared off-Broadway as Ariel in Shakespeare s The Tempest starring Frank Langella
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1989 First feature as B.D. Wong, Sidney Lumet s Family Business
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1990 TV-movie debut as B.D. Wong, Good Night, Sweet Wife: A Murder in Boston for CBS
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1994 Debut as a TV series regular, playing Stuart, the older brother of Margaret Cho, on ABC s All-American Girl
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1997 Had regular role of Father Ray Mukada, the prison chaplain, on the HBO series Oz
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1998 Voiced Captain Li Shang in the animated Disney feature Mulan
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1999 Played Linus in Broadway revival of You re a Good Man, Charlie Brown
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2002 Joined the cast of the NBC crime drama Law & Order: Special Victims Unit as Dr. George Huang
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2005 Cast opposite Ewan McGregor and Naomi Watts in the Marc Forster thriller Stay
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Appeared in an all Asian-American production of A Chorus Line at East/West Players in LA
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Moved to L.A. and did guest spots on TV and bit parts in features
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Raised in San Francisco