Beloved actor James Hong was honored at Hollywood’s TCL Chinese Theatre IMAX in commemoration with his 95th birthday Thursday.
Hong – who has amassed more than 600 credits over a seven-decade career in show business – was the latest celebrity to place their hand and footprints at the famed cinematic venue.
Hong was supported by a number of notable names he’s collaborated with at the daytime event in Southern California.
They included his Kung Fu Panda costar Lucy Liu, 55, and Academy Award-winning Everything Everywhere All at Once directors Daniel Kwan, 36, and Daniel Scheinert, 36.
Hong portrayed the role of Gong Gong, the father of Michelle Yeoh’s character Evelyn Quan Wang, in the lauded motion picture, which captured seven Oscars last year.
Beloved actor James Hong was honored at Hollywood’s TCL Chinese Theatre IMAX in commemoration with his 95th birthday Thursday
Hong and Liu have worked together on the Kung Fu Panda movie series, with the next release in the franchise, Kung Fu Panda 4, set to arrive in theaters March 8.
At the event, Hong was clad in an all-black ensemble of a jacket and slacks with a button-up patterned blue shirt.
Liu looked amazing in a shoulderless black gown with purple floral patterns, and her black locks parted to the side at the proceedings.
Hong, who was presented with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in May of 2022, has had an incredible career in both mediums of television and film.
His credits include appearances on iconic shows such as Bonanza, Perry Mason, Charlie’s Angels, The West Wing, Taxi, All in the Family and Seinfeld, among others.
He’s also racked up a comprehensive resume on the silver screen, acting in five films nominated for the Best Picture Oscar.
They include last year’s winning film Everything Everywhere All at Once as well as Chinatown, Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing, The Sand Pebbles and Bound for Glory.
Among the other motion pictures Hong had been in include Blade Runner, Airplane!, Mulan, Big Trouble in Little China, Flower Drum Song, Black Widow and Wayne’s World 2.
Hong was the latest celebrity to place their hand and footprints at the famed cinematic venue
Hong has amassed more than 600 credits over a seven-decade career in show business
Hong was supported by colleagues including his Kung Fu Panda costar Lucy Liu
Hong and Liu have worked together on the Kung Fu Panda movie series
The next release in the franchise, Kung Fu Panda 4, is set to arrive in theaters March 8.
Liu looked amazing in a shoulderless black gown with purple floral patterns, and her black locks parted to the side at the proceedings
Academy Award-winning Everything Everywhere All at Once directors Daniel Scheinert, 36, and Daniel Kwan, 36, were on hand to support the veteran actor
Hong has had an incredible career in both mediums of television and film
He’s also racked up a comprehensive resume on the silver screen, acting in five films nominated for the Best Picture Oscar
Hong, the son of Chinese immigrant parents, was born in Minneapolis on February 22, 1929.
After studying at the University of Minnesota, he signed up with the Minnesota Army National Guard, and sent to Camp Rucker in Alabama to train during the Korean War. Military officials were impressed by Hong’s improvisational skills and acting and requested he stay in camp to entertain the troops instead of a deployment to Korea.
Following the war, he relocated in 1953 to Los Angeles, where he graduated from the University of Southern California and began a career working as a road engineer for the county while honing his acting skills in his spare time.
He was able to get an agent after he appeared on the game show You Bet Your Life in 1954, impressing host Groucho Marx and fans, who penned letters hoping to see more of his work.
Hong was among the founding members of the East West Players, a staple in Asian American theater.
