He might turn 94 in a few days, but James Hong shows no sign of stopping. The acting legend has joined his Everything Everywhere All at Once co-stars in Disney Plus' upcoming series American Born Chinese.
Disney Plus' American Born Chinese is an adaptation of Gene Luen Kuang's comic book of the same name, published in 2006. The story follows Jin Wang, a young foreign exchange student who struggles to adapt to his new life in the United States while somehow getting caught up in a battle between several deities from Chinese mythology. Hong played Evelyn's unnamed father, Gong Gong (Cantonese for maternal grandpa), in EEAO, where he doubles as a sweet old-fashioned grandfather and his ruthless Alphaverse variant.
Now, according to The A.V. Club, Hong has been cast in an unnamed role that will see him join many of his EEAO colleagues in American Born Chinese. EEAO's leading trio of Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan, and Stephanie Hsu had already been announced for the series. Hong is not the only new addition to the series’ mostly Asian cast, as Ronny Chieng (The Daily Show and M3GAN), Jimmy O. Yang (80 For Brady), Leonard Wu (Alita: Battle Angel), Lisa Lu (Crazy Rich Asians), and Rosalie Chiang (Turning Red) will also appear in American Born Chinese.
For anyone doubting Hong's work rate, the actor's recent credits include voice acting parts in Turning Red and the upcoming HBO Max series Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai. Hong received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2020 as recognition for his long career. His previous credits include Blade Runner, Big Trouble in Little China, Wayne's World 2, Mulan, and several video game voice roles.
Hong, along with Yeoh, Quan, Hsu, Jamie Lee Curtis, Harry Shum Jr., and Jenny Slate, is nominated for the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast, meaning American Born Chinese will be able to call upon the same magic that made Daniels' hit movie so good. Regardless, Disney Plus' action comedy will need to get the best out of its young stars, led by Ben Wang. After all, American Born Chinese is a coming-of-age story.
Disney made sure to include American Born Chinese in its 2023 preview. With Everything Everywhere All at Once's stars cleaning up most of Hollywood's awards ceremonies, the show is bound to draw some interest from its cast alone.
American Born Chinese will be released exclusively on Disney Plus in 2023.
Source: The A.V. Club