Peter Kwong, an actor best known for his roles in The Golden Child and Big Trouble in Little China, unexpectedly passed away in his sleep earlier this week. He was 73 years old.
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Kwong’s reps confirmed to Deadline that he died overnight on Tuesday, but did not reveal other details.
Born in 1952, Kwong’s onscreen career began in the mid-70s. He made guest appearances on various TV shows, including Wonder Woman, Little House on the Prairie, The A-Team and Dynasty.
Peter Kwong’s breakout moment occurred in 1986, when he was cast as Rain, one of the Three Storms, in John Carpenter’s action-packed adventure film, Big Trouble in Little China. The film also starred Kurt Russell and Kim Cattrall.
Kwong also landed the role of the henchman Tommy Tong in Eddie Murphy’s The Golden Child that same year.
Kwong later appeared in TV shows Full House, The Wayans Bros., King of the Hill, JAG, Drake & Josh, and Curb Your Enthusiasm. His last role was in Pepito’s Mamadas.
Kwong’s longtime friend, Peter R.J. Deyell, spoke to Deadline about the actor’s life and career. “He had such a wonderful life and career,” Deyelle said. “I watched him for things he believed in, and I championed him for that. At the TV Academy, we were both very active and sometimes joked about being in the Pin Club, as we always wore our pins. He was always a gentleman and willing to help.”
Peter Kwong Was Also An Activist Against Anti-Asian Stereotyping in Hollywood
Along with being an actor, Peter Kwong is known for being an activist against anti-Asian stereotyping in Hollywood. He was among the two dozen who signed a letter to AMPAS about jokes that were made at the expense of Asians during the 2016 Oscars.
He spoke out about the situation to Deadline at the time.
“I was there at the Academy Awards,” he confirmed. “I was shocked because [Academy President] Cheryl Boone-Isaacs went up and talked about diversity, and then right after that comes the jokes from Chris Rock and Sacha Baron Cohen.”
“Some people have the attitude, ‘Why can’t you have a sense of humor?’ And ‘In humor there are no boundaries,'” he continued. “It’s because it gives people permission to not only continue it but to escalate it as well.”
The Academy eventually issued a statement regarding the offensive jokes. “The Academy appreciates the concerns stated and regrets that any aspect of the Oscar telecast was offensive. We are committed to doing our best to ensure that material in future shows be more culturally sensitive.”
Others who signed the letter with Kwong were Sandra Oh, Nancy Kwan, and Jodi Long.