By ELLEN ENDO, Rafu Shimpo
Character actor James Hong received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Tuesday, but the trek toward Hollywood Boulevard began with a promise from a fellow actor.
Since the mid-1950s, Hong has appeared in almost 700 movies and television shows, and at age 93 is appearing in a new theatrical release, “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” and has three new film projects coming up.
While Hong had long thought it would be nice to be recognized on the Walk of Fame, it was producer/actor Daniel Dae Kim (“The Hot Zone: Anthrax,” “New Amsterdam”), who in August 2020 took action. Kim set out to raise the $50,000 fee required by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce and set up a GoFundMe campaign. Within four days, the campaign had amassed $55,307 from 1,700 donors, with most of the contributions ranging from $7 to $50.
Since 1960, when the Walk of Fame was established, over 2,700 stars have been imbedded in the sidewalk, yet only 19 have been designated for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders to date. The Hollywood Chamber has stepped up efforts to rectify the disparity by honoring three other AAPIs in the entertainment industry this year in addition to Hong — Ming-Na Wen, Jason Momoa, and Apl.de.ap (of the musical group Black-Eyed Peas).
Lucy Liu (“Elementary”), who received her star in 2019, posted on Facebook, “Long overdue, James Hong received his star in the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 93 years young! James, you are a man with unending passion, talent and energy — so well earned after 70 years in Hollywood! Welcome dear neighbor.”
Hong’s star is located at 693.”1 Hollywood Blvd., near the TCL Chinese Theater.
“(He) started at the bottom and worked his way up the ladder one rung at a time,” Kim said, noting that along the way, Hong has worked with A-list actors, from Keanu Reeves to Dustin Hoffman. “Today he takes his rightful place among them.”
He commended Hong for his body of work, the quality of his work, and his strength of character.
Rep. Judy Chu (D-Pasadena), chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, and Los Angeles City Councilmember Mitch O’Farrell were also on hand to present Hong with proclamations.
As friends and family gathered for the unveiling of the star, actor Jamie Lee Curtis gave voice to the moment: “It’s about f—ing time!”
A Career Spanning Decades
From 1954 to 2022, James Hong has been one of the most prolific Asian American actors with 452 television and film acting credits, according to the Internet Movie Database. The following is only a partial list.
Movies
“Soldier of Fortune” (1955)
“Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing” (1955)
“Flower Drum Song” (1961)
“The Satan Bug” (1965)
“The Sand Pebbles” (1966)
“The Hawaiians” (1970)
“Colossus: The Forbin Project” (1970)
“Chinatown” (1974)
“Bound for Glory” (1976)
“Airplane!” (1980)
“Blade Runner” (1982)
“Ninja III: The Domination” (1984)
“Big Trouble in Little China” (1986)
“The Golden Child” (1986)
“Revenge of the Nerds II: Nerds in Paradise” (1987)
“China Girl” (1987)
“Tango and Cash” (1989)
“The Two Jakes” (1990)
“The Perfect Weapon” (1991)
“Wayne’s World 2” (1993)
“Tank Girl” (1995)
“Mulan” (1998)
“Forbidden Warrior” (2005)
“Adventures of Johnny Tao” (2007)
“Shanghai Kiss” (2007)
“Balls of Fury” (2007)
“Kung Fu Panda” (2008)
“The Day the Earth Stood Still” (2008)
“R.I.P.D.” (2013)
“Sherlock Gnomes” (2018)
“Abominable” (2019)
“Turning Red” (2022)
TV Shows
“The Last Sharknado: It’s About Time” (2018)
“Hawaii Five-0” (2018)
“The Blacklist” (2016)
“Rush Hour” (2016)
“Elementary” (2016)
“Star Wars: Rebels” (2015-2016)
“Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” (2015)
“Drunk History” (2014)
“Keye and Peele” (2013)
“2 Broke Girls” (2012)
“The Big Bang Theory” (2007-2008)
“Chuck” (2007)
“Bones” (2007)
“Las Vegas” (2006)
“Avatar: The Last Airbender” (2005-2006)
“Law & Order: SVU” (2004)
“Malcolm in the Middle” (2004)
“Charmed” (2002)
“The Division” (2001-2002)
“The West Wing” (2000, 2002)
“Martial Law” (1999-2000)
“The Pretender” (1999)
“The Practice” (1998)
“Friends” (1997)
“Ellen” (1997)
“Murphy Brown” (1997)
“Sisters” (1996)
“Nash Bridges” (1996)
“The X-Files” (1996)
“Diagnosis: Murder” (1995)
“Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman” (1995)
“Kung Fu: The Legend Continues” (1994, 1996)
“Doogie Howser, M.D.” (1991-1992)
“Seinfeld” (1991)
“MacGyver” (1986-1991)
“China Beach” (1990)
“Jake and the Fatman” (1989)
“Beauty and the Beast” (1988)
“Miami Vice” (1987)
“Magnum, P.I.” (1987)
“Tour of Duty” (1987-1989)
“Hunter” (1985, 1988)
“Airwolf” (1985)
“American Playhouse: Paper Angels” (1985)
“Cagney and Lacey” (1985)
“The A-Team” (1984-1985)
“The Fall Guy” (1984)
“T.J. Hooker” (1983)
“Falcon Crest” (1983)
“Dynasty” (1983)
“St. Elsewhere” (1983)
“The Dukes of Hazzard” (1982)
“Dallas” (1981)
“Fantasy Island” (1980)
“Taxi” (1979)
“Charlie’s Angels” (1978)
“Wonder Woman” (1977)
“The Bionic Woman” (1977)
“Starsky and Hutch” (1977)
“Jigsaw John” (1976)
“The Streets of San Francisco” (1976)
“The Rockford Files” (1976)
“S.W.A.T.” (1976)
“Barnaby Jones” (1973)
“Ironside” (1973)
“Kung Fu” (1972-1975)
“The Bob Newhart Show” (1972)
“Mission: Impossible” (1971)
“All in the Family” (1971-1975)
“Here’s Lucy” (1970)
“Hawaii Five-0” (1969-1974)
“I Spy” (1965-1967)
“Gomer Pyle, USMC” (1967)
“The FBI” (1966)
“I Dream of Jeannie” (1966)
“The Man from U.N.C.L.E.” (1965-1966)
“The Fugitive” (1965)
“Ben Casey” (1965)
“The Outer Limits” (1963)
“Perry Mason” (1962-1963)
“Wagon Train” (1962)
“Have Gun, Will Travel” (1962)
“Hawaiian Eye” (1960-1961)
“Bonanza” (1960)
“One Step Beyond” (1960)
“Death Valley Days” (1959)
“Peter Gunn” (1959)
“The New Adventures of Charlie Chan” (1957-1958)
“Dragnet” (1959)
“You Bet Your Life” (1954)
