
Anna May Wong
Personal Info
Known for
Acting
Gender
Female
Birthday
1905-01-03
Day of Death
1961-02-02 (56 years old)
Place of Birth
Los Angeles, California, USA
Anna May Wong
Biography
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.
Acting
(2019)
Yellowface: Asian Whitewashing and Racism in Hollywood
as (archive footage)
(2013)
Golden Gate Girls
as Self (archive footage)
(2007)
Anna May Wong - Frosted Yellow Willows: Her Life, Times and Legend
as Herself (archive footage)
(1960)
The Savage Innocents
as Hiku
(1960)
Portrait in Black
as Tawny
(1960)
Just Joe
as Peach Blossom
(1949)
Impact
as Su Lin
(1942)
Lady from Chungking
as Kwan Mei
(1942)
Bombs Over Burma
as Lin Ying
(1941)
Ellery Queen's Penthouse Mystery
as Lois Ling
(1939)
King of Chinatown
as Dr. Mary Ling
(1939)
Island of Lost Men
as Kim Ling
(1938)
When Were You Born
as Mei Lei Ming
(1938)
Dangerous to Know
as Madame Lan Ying
(1937)
Daughter of Shanghai
as Lan Ying Lin
(1937)
Hollywood Party
as Herself
(1936)
(1934)
Tiger Bay
as Lui Chang
(1934)
Limehouse Blues
as Tu Tuan
(1934)
Java Head
as Princess Taou Yuen
(1934)
Chu Chin Chow
as Zahrat
(1933)
A Study in Scarlet
as Mrs. Pyke
(1932)
Shanghai Express
as Hui Fei
(1932)
Hollywood on Parade
as Self
(1932)
Hollywood on Parade No. A-3
as Self
(1931)
Daughter of the Dragon
as Ling Moy
(1930)
Elstree Calling
as Herself / Katherina in Taming of the Shrew
(1930)
The Flame of Love
as Hai Tang
(1930)
(1930)
The Road to Dishonour
as Hai-Tang
(1929)
Piccadilly
as Shosho
(1929)
Pavement Butterfly
as Hai-Tang
(1928)
Across to Singapore
as Singapore Saloon Girl (uncredited)
(1928)
Song
as Song
(1928)
Chinatown Charlie
as Mandarin's Sweetheart
(1928)
The Crimson City
as Su
(1928)
Souvenirs
as The Captain's Chinese Love
(1927)
Mr. Wu
as Loo Song
(1927)
The Chinese Parrot
as Nautch Dancer
(1927)
The Devil Dancer
as Sada
(1927)
(1927)
Why Girls Love Sailors
as Delamar (scenes deleted)
(1927)
Old San Francisco
as A Flower of the Orient
(1927)
Streets of Shanghai
as Su Quan
(1927)
The Honorable Mr. Buggs
as Baroness Stoloff
(1926)
Fifth Avenue
as Nan Lo
(1926)
A Trip to Chinatown
as Ohati
(1926)
The Desert's Toll
as Oneta
(1926)
The Silk Bouquet
as Dragon Horse
(1925)
His Supreme Moment
as Harem Girl in Play (uncredited)
(1925)
Forty Winks
as Annabelle Wu
(1924)
The Thief of Bagdad
as The Mongol Slave
(1924)
Peter Pan
as Tiger Lily
(1924)
(1924)
The Alaskan
as Keok
(1924)
The Fortieth Door
as Zira
(1923)
Drifting
as Rose Li
(1923)
Mary of the Movies
as Anna May Wong (uncredited)
(1923)
The Toll of the Sea
as Lotus Flower
(1923)
Thundering Dawn
as Honky-Tonk Girl
(1921)
Shame
as Lotus Blossom
(1921)
(1921)
Outside the Law
as Chinese Girl (uncredited)
(1921)
Bits of Life
as Toy Sing, Chin Chow's Wife
(1921)
(1921)
(1920)
Dinty
as Half Moon
(1919)
The Red Lantern
as Eurasian woman (uncredited)