Episode 69 – Remembering Anna May Wong Hollywood’s First Chinese American Movie Star - Part 1

On this episode of Hollywood Obsessed, host Tony Miros speaks with Anna Wong -- the niece of legendary movie star Anna May Wong.

During their fascinating conversation, Anna tells Tony about how when she was a child she would ask see photos of her aunt around her house and became fascinated with her career, the event that the U.S. Mint recently had to celebrate the release of the Anna May Wong Quarter at Paramount Studios in Hollywood, her aunt’s amazing career as the first Chinese American Hollywood movie star to gain national and international recognition, how difficult it was for a young girl like her to break into movies during silent film era of the 1920s, how her aunt starred in films such as “The Toll of the Sea” - one of the first films made in color - and Douglas Fairbanks' “The Thief of Bagdad”, her aunt’s frustration by the stereotypical supporting roles she reluctantly played in Hollywood, the inter-racial laws that would not allow her to appear as a romantic lead in films with top leading me at the time, how young audiences today don’t understand why “yellowface” was allowed during that era, how she became a bigger star when she moved to Europe to work and she eventually became a fashion icon, how her aunt held her own next to movie star Marlene Dietrich in the classic film “Shanghai Express”, how proud she is of her aunt’s lasting legacy for Asian American women in the entertainment industry.

ANNA WONG

Anna Wong grew up mere miles from Hollywood where her Aunt, iconic Asian American film star Anna May Wong, left an indelible mark on cinematic history. While Anna never had any desire to pursue a career in front of the camera, she has always been drawn to the cultural impact and inclusiveness that her namesake strove to achieve. Whether she’s repping artists, planning events, producing and developing film & tv projects or engaging in philanthropic endeavors Anna’s mission is to increase awareness of Asian American issues and further the effort for equality.

ANNA MAY WONG

Anna May Wong was born in 1905 near Los Angeles’ Chinatown to Chinese American parents. At 14, Wong had her first break when she was cast as an extra in the 1919 film The Red Lantern. Soon after, despite the disapproval of her family, she quit school to pursue acting full time. 

In an era, during the Chinese Exclusion Act, when Chinese characters in Hollywood films were typically played by white actors in yellowface, she was the first woman to buck this trend. She starred in classics like The Toll of the Sea (1922) & Douglas Fairbanks’ The Thief of Bagdad (1924). Despite her popularity, however, she continued to be cast in supporting roles as  anti-miscegenation laws, prevented her from sharing an on-screen kiss with any person of another race. Moreover, because of pervasive racism, these roles tended to depict Chinese Americans in a stereotypical and discriminatory light, as either tragic or evil characters. 

Fed up with the typecasting, in 1928 she left for Europe, where she acted in English, German, & French films, including the British film Piccadilly (1929). After returning to the US, she was widely lauded for her supporting role in the film Shanghai Express (1932), where she performed alongside film superstar Marlene Dietrich. Wong’s successful career earned her widespread celebrity, and she became known not just for her acting but also for her impeccable fashion sense.

Despite her status as the premier Chinese American actress, she was passed over for the lead role in an adaption of Pearl Buck’s novel, The Good Earth (1936). The director opted instead for a white actress in yellowface. In response to this slight, she spent 1936 traveling China & filming a documentary about her experience. In the 1950s & 60s, she acted in various TV series such as The Gallery of Madame Liu-Tsong. 

Wong was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960. She died on February 3, 1961, at the age of 56 of a heart attack.