Kim Chan
| Kim Chan | |
|---|---|
| Born |
December 28, 1917 (date used on passport; no birth certificate exists) Guangdong, Republic of China |
| Died |
October 5, 2008 (aged 90) Brooklyn, New York, United States |
| Years active | 1951–2007 |
Kim Chan (December 28, 1917 – October 5, 2008), also known as Kim S. Chan, was a Chinese-American actor and producer. He was most notable for his roles as Lo Si, a.k.a. The Ancient, in Kung Fu: The Legend Continues and Mr. Kim in The Fifth Element.
Early life
Kim Shung Chan was born in Guangdong Province, then under the government of the Republic of China. His father was a restaurant owner, and he emigrated to the United States in 1928.[1] An early role that brought him notice was in the Martin Scorsese classic The King of Comedy with Robert De Niro and Jerry Lewis, in which he played Lewis' butler.[2]
Career
He was a familiar veteran character actor in roles that included Chon Wang's (Jackie Chan) father in Shanghai Knights, [2] Fuji in Who's the Man? Saki in High Times' Potluck, Benny Wong in The Corruptor, "Uncle Benny" Chan in Lethal Weapon 4, The Master in Zen Noir, and Mr. Kim in The Fifth Element. He also played the recurring villain "The Eggman" in the cult science fiction series Now and Again, and a cameo waiter in Private Parts. Kim also played the character Lo Si aka: "The Ancient" in 52 episodes of "Kung Fu: The Legend Continues" from 1993 thru 1997. Kung Fu: The legend Continues was a revised version of the original 1973 classic, Kung Fu with both series starring David Carradine.
In November 1999, Screen Actors Guild presented Chan with an award for lifetime achievement. [3]
Chan received another award for lifetime achievement in August 2004, at the Rhode Island International Film Festival. [4]
In October 2009, a year after his death, Chan appeared on the cover of The Gerontologist.[5]
References
- ↑ Kim Chan Biography (1917-2008)
- 1 2 Grimes, William, 10-09-2008. Kim Chan, Who Had Roles in TV and ‘King of Comedy,’ Is Dead, "The New York Times".
- ↑ Millis, Mike (5 November 1999). "SAG to Honor Veteran Actor Kim Chan". Back Stage. Retrieved 16 January 2014.
- ↑ "RIIFF Awards". Press Release. Retrieved 16 January 2014.
- ↑ Levine, Jeffrey. "The Gerontologist". Photo. Oxford Journals. Retrieved 16 January 2014.
External links
- Kim Chan at the Internet Movie Database
- Kim Chan's obituary (Chinese)
- The Low Rent Kim Chan Fan Club
- Sole, Magdalena. "A Zen Tale". TransImage. Retrieved 7 September 2013.
- Lin, Thomas. "A Tough Act I, but the Second Has Some Funny Bits". Newspaper Article. The New York Times. Retrieved 8 September 2013.
- Lin, Thomas. "Kim Chan: The Zen of Comedy". Video. The New York Times. Retrieved 8 September 2013.
- Lennon, Sheila. "Time Lapse Blog". Blog. Providence Journal. Retrieved 14 September 2013.