Kim Chan
Kim Chan (December 28, 1917 – October 5, 2008) 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.
Kim Chan | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 28, 1917 |
| Died | October 5, 2008 (aged 90) Brooklyn, New York, United States |
| Years active | 1951–2007 |
Early life
Kim Shung Chan was born in Guangdong, 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]
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1957 | A Face in the Crowd | Commercial Spokesperson | No Dialogue / Uncredited |
| 1970 | The Owl and the Pussycat | Theatre Cashier | |
| 1979 | Squadra antigangsters | Chan Chu Kai | Uncredited |
| 1982 | Soup for One | Harold The Cook | |
| 1983 | The King of Comedy | Jonno | |
| 1984 | Over the Brooklyn Bridge | Japanese Buyer #2 | |
| 1984 | Moscow on the Hudson | Chinese Customer | |
| 1984 | The Cotton Club | Ling | |
| 1985 | Desperately Seeking Susan | Park Bum | |
| 1985 | Streetwalkin' | Desk Clerk | |
| 1986 | 9½ Weeks | Chinatown Butcher | |
| 1986 | Gung Ho | Member of Board | |
| 1986 | Jumpin' Jack Flash | Korean Flower Vendor | |
| 1986 | No Mercy | Old Asian Man | |
| 1987 | Fatal Attraction | Party Guest | Uncredited |
| 1989 | Cookie | Hong Kong Tailor | |
| 1989 | Second Sight | Chinese Store Owner | |
| 1990 | Cadillac Man | Dim Sum Cook | |
| 1990 | Alice | Dr. Yang's Patient | |
| 1991 | Thousand Pieces of Gold | Li Ping | |
| 1991 | American Shaolin | Master Kwan | |
| 1993 | Who's the Man? | Fuji | |
| 1994 | Robot in the Family | Massage Parlor Patron #1 | |
| 1996 | Breathing Room | Meditation Teacher | |
| 1997 | Private Parts | Waiter | |
| 1997 | The Fifth Element | Mr. Kim | |
| 1997 | The Devil's Advocate | Chinese Man | |
| 1997 | Kundun | Second Chinese General | |
| 1998 | Lethal Weapon 4 | Benny 'Uncle Benny' Chan | |
| 1999 | A Fish in the Bathtub | Medicine Shop Owner | |
| 1999 | The Corruptor | Benny 'Uncle Benny' Wong | |
| 1999 | On the Q.T. | Asian Busker | |
| 2002 | High Times' Potluck | Saki | |
| 2003 | Shanghai Knights | Chon Wang's Father | |
| 2004 | Zen Noir | The Master | |
| 2005 | The Honeymooners | Quinn | |
| 2006 | 16 Blocks | Sam |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Outlaws | Mr. Luk | |
| 1990 | Law & Order | Juror | |
| 1993-1997 | Kung Fu: The Legend Continues | Lo Si (The Ancient) / Ping Hai | |
| 1999-2000 | Now and Again | The Eggman | |
| 2004 | Law & Order: SVU | Mr. Zhang |
References
- Kim Chan Biography (1917-2008)
- 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. Archived from the original on 17 January 2014. Retrieved 16 January 2014.
- "RIIFF Awards". Press Release. Retrieved 16 January 2014.
- Levine, Jeffrey. "The Gerontologist". Photo. Oxford Journals. Archived from the original on 16 January 2014. Retrieved 16 January 2014.
External links
- Kim Chan at IMDb
- Kim Chan's obituary (in Chinese)
- The Low Rent Kim Chan Fan Club
- Sole, Magdalena. "A Zen Tale". TransImage. Retrieved 7 September 2013.
- Lin, Thomas (19 June 2007). "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. Archived from the original on 10 September 2013. Retrieved 14 September 2013.