Actor James Hong, 94, Has No Plans Of Retiring After Having ‘The Busiest Year’ Of His Career

Mar 06, 2023

Minnesota-born actor James Hong is still booking a lot of acting jobs at 94 years old and does not have any plans of quitting despite his age. After seven decades in show business and nearly 700 films and TV credits, the prolific actor is having the time of his life in what he called "the busiest year I’ve ever had.”

Hong, born to Chinese parents who moved from Hong Kong to the U.S., always loved the performing arts as a child. But he couldn't pursue acting just yet because his parents didn't see this as a profession so he studied Civil Engineering at the University of Minnesota. 

His college years were cut short by the Korean War in the 1950s, as he was drafted into the U.S. Army. Hong used to entertain soldiers at Camp Rucker in Alabama, where he trained before his deployment. The camp general loved his performance so much that he was asked to stay put instead of going to Korea.

After his military stint, Hong moved to Los Angeles, finished his degree and found work as a road engineer for L.A. County. But the acting bug bit him hard so he quit his job after nearly six years to become a full-time actor. 

Hong started out as a voice actor for redubbed Asian film soundtracks. By 1954, he got his break in the "You Bet Your Life" television game show with Groucho Marx. That first TV appearance scored him an agent who helped kickstart his Hollywood career. With the longest list of TV and movie jobs in the U.S., he made history in May 2022 as the oldest actor to accept a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Many Asian actors look up to Hong as a mentor and an inspiration as he’s the one guy who busted open the door for them. He's also instrumental in helping Asians in show business by becoming the co-founder of East West Players, America's largest Asian theater group.

However, it has taken Hong most of his career to get greater recognition for his work as an actor because of the limited offers for Asian roles. He told CNN in a 2020 interview that he tried to overcome the Asian stereotypes and put "real feelings" into his roles even if he was playing the villain. 

Nonetheless, he's quite excited about the honors for his latest work, "Everything Everywhere All at Once," an award-season favorite for 2023. Speaking with KTLA, Hong said he has been given front-row seats at the 95th Academy Awards ceremony after 70 years in the business. 

“Everything’s happening! I just can’t believe that it took this long. This is the busiest year I’ve ever had.”

After the awards season, Hong will be seen in "Patsy Lee & the Keepers of the Five Kingdoms.” He's also going to work on the fourth iteration of "Kung Fu Panda" and will star in a new Disney+ TV series "American Born Chinese” with Michelle Yeoh. 

Hong also told CNN that he could retire and enjoy his pension to tour places in Europe or visit India but there is still a longing inside of him to keep doing what he loves. 

"I’m going to do other movies until I can’t walk anymore and can’t talk anymore. Then, I’ll take that tour."

No doubt you've likely seen James Hong in a movie or TV show. Can you name some of them? What can you say about his longevity in the business? Pass this story along to someone who could be inspired by the actor's story!