Get to know Minneapolis native James Hong, in town for Comic Con

Article by Rachel Kahn, MCT Contributor

James Hong is a true testament to the power of following dreams.  His heart of gold shines through his voice and, oh my goodness, he is funny. And guess what? He is returning to his hometown of Minneapolis to reconnect with his roots and make us all laugh at Comic Con, taking place May 2nd - 4th at the Convention Center.

You know James! He entertained you in Kung Fu Panda, Balls of Fury, Big Trouble in Little China, Blade Runner, Mulan, Seinfeld, and hundreds of others television and movie credits. Check out this impressive list.

Additionally, as one of the founding members of the East West Players, an organization created to lend a voice to Asian actors, he describes the vital goal of casting empowered roles to the American Asian acting community. James speaks with a kind humbleness when describing his dedication to the work and the steps yet to be taken.

The son of Chinese immigrants, James was born in Minneapolis in 1929 and describes growing up on 3rd Avenue in the then Chinatown of the Twin Cities. The area he remembers of his youth is long since gone, replaced by high-rise buildings and a parking ramp, yet his Minnesota spirit remains proudly in tact. James told me stories of the laundry men of his era that would join his family in camaraderie each weekend; allowing for connection in a native language far removed from their original homes.

James and his family attended Westminster Presbyterian, a stunning cathedral that still stands today on Marquette and 12^th. He speaks with gratitude about the lovely members of his childhood church. James’ parents built a proud life for their seven children, promoting education and hard work. One of his first jobs was as the self–proclaimed ‘pastry boy’ at the Minneapolis landmark Nankin. Or as I would suggest, pie and pastry cutter extraordinaire? He laughingly tells me about the crabby chefs. Of course, I ask him if that was inspiration for his many roles over the years. He cheerfully agrees and describes his fun with the director and cast when playing Bruce the maître d' on Seinfeld’s Chinese restaurant episode.

As life is full of the many turns that create our journey, James was attending the University of Minnesota studying Civil Engineering when he was called to serve in the Korean War. After returning to Minnesota, he resumed school and quite outside his “good boy engineer” reputation began taking steps towards his secret dream of becoming an actor and comedian. He joined forces with his long time friend Don Parker and named their new duo act, Hong and Parker. James and Don set out on a true adventure of driving to San Francisco and Los Angeles knocking on every door.  James’ dedication paid off and he landed his first job on the Groucho Marx show in 1954. He finished his education at USC and speaks a bit mournfully of having to not only transfer all his credits, but also having to give up the 50 yard line University of Minnesota seats given to Seniors during that time.

We, of course, before concluding had to speak of food! What would a Mill City Times LoveSelf article be without making mention of health and culinary delights? My, Minnesota obvious, first question was to ask James if he had tried Lutefisk. He had not! Although, the topic inspired the best Swedish accent I have ever heard and quite a story about the Minnesota version of Chow Mein. I laughed until tears ran down my face. For those heritage Minnesotans if you are going to convince James to try this Minnesota famous food, be sure to lower the salt for the healthy guy. And because James is a brilliant man after my own heart, he takes great care of himself. No MSG for us, we happily mention when chatting about future dinner options. 

James is continuing an adventure started many years ago; reaching new heights with his next film Kung Fu Panda III, a Big Trouble in Little China comic book, and several incredible new movie scripts (stay tuned!). I speak on behalf of Minnesota, when we warmly welcome this gentle scholar with a huge personality. Welcome Home James! We are happy to see you. 

You can find James on Facebook or at http://www.jameshongfilms.com/.

James Hong in Kung Foo Panda:

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You can reach Rachel at rachel@loveself.org, www.loveselfmagazine.com