BD Wong
BD Wong | |
|---|---|
 Wong in June 2008 | |
| Born | Bradley Darryl Wong October 24, 1960 San Francisco, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1983–present |
| Spouse |
Richert Schnorr (m. 2018) |
| Partner | Richie Jackson (1988–2004) |
| Children | 2 |
| BD Wong | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Traditional Chinese | 黃榮亮 | ||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 黄荣亮 | ||||||||||
| |||||||||||
Bradley Darryl "BD" Wong (born October 24, 1960) is an American actor. Wong won a Tony Award for his performance as Song Liling in M. Butterfly, becoming the only actor in Broadway history to receive the Tony Award, Drama Desk Award, Outer Critics Circle Award, Clarence Derwent Award, and Theatre World Award for the same role. He has since gained more notability for playing the roles Dr. George Huang on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Father Ray Mukada on Oz, Dr. John Lee on Awake, Dr. Henry Wu in the Jurassic Park franchise, and Ngapoi Ngawang Jigme in the film Seven Years in Tibet. As of August 13, 2017, Wong is the host of the new HLN medical documentary series Something's Killing Me with BD Wong. As of the season 3 premiere of USA Network's program Mr. Robot, Wong has been upgraded from recurring in seasons 1 and 2 to a series regular in season 3. He was nominated for a Critic's Choice Television Award for his role as Whiterose in Mr. Robot, also earning an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series.
Wong has also done extensive voice-over work and stage acting. The most well known of his voice acting roles is that of Captain Li Shang from the Disney animated film Mulan. He would later reprise this role twice, most notably for the video game Kingdom Hearts II. Beginning in 2016, Wong appeared in the TV series Gotham as Hugo Strange.
Early life
Bradley Darryl Wong was born and raised in San Francisco, California, the son of Roberta Christine (née Leong), a telephone company supervisor, and William D. Wong, a postal worker. He has one older brother and one younger brother[1] He is of Chinese descent, with family from Hong Kong.[2] Wong attended Lincoln High School, where he discovered his love of acting and starred as the lead in numerous school plays, before attending San Francisco State University.
Career
Wong gained wide attention as a result of his Broadway debut in M. Butterfly opposite John Lithgow. The play won multiple awards, including several for Wong, who at that time ceased using his full name in favor of his initials. He has since ceased the use of punctuation in his initials. He is notable as the only actor to be honored with the Tony Award, Drama Desk Award,[3] Outer Critics Circle Award, Clarence Derwent Award, and Theatre World Award for the same role.[4] In addition to his long-running stint on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit as FBI psychiatrist Dr. George Huang, he has had recurring roles in All American Girl and as a prison priest on Oz, with guest appearances on The X-Files and Sesame Street. On the big screen, he has appeared in The Freshman (1990), the 1991 remake of Father of the Bride and its 1995 sequel, Father of the Bride Part II, Jurassic Park (1993), Executive Decision (1996) and Slappy and the Stinkers (1997). He also provided the voice of Captain Shang in Disney's Mulan (1998), its direct-to-video sequel, and the video game Kingdom Hearts II. He returned to Broadway as Linus in a revival of You're a Good Man Charlie Brown, alongside Anthony Rapp, Roger Bart and Kristin Chenoweth, and the 2004 revival of Stephen Sondheim's Pacific Overtures.
In 2008, he starred in the one-man show Herringbone, in which he portrayed 12 roles, at McCarter Theatre at Princeton University. He brought the show to the La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego the following year. In 2012, Wong starred in Herringbone to benefit Dixon Place in New York for two performances. The production, recorded live for a 2014 CD release, was his first appearance in New York of the material, timed to coincide with the 30th anniversary of the original New York production.
In 2014, Wong starred in the U.S. premiere of James Fenton’s acclaimed adaptation of The Orphan of Zhao, a classic Chinese legend that has its roots in the fourth century BC, directed by Carey Perloff at American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.). The Orphan of Zhao is an epic story of self-sacrifice and revenge. In the aftermath of a political coup, a country doctor is forced to sacrifice his own son in order to save the last heir of a noble and massacred clan. The Orphan of Zhao was a co-production with La Jolla Playhouse.
Wong announced his departure from the cast of Law & Order: SVU in July 2011, to join another NBC police drama, Awake, in which he portrayed Dr. Johnathan Lee, a confrontational therapist of an LAPD detective (portrayed by Jason Isaacs) who lived in two realities.[5] Wong guest starred in a thirteenth season episode of Law & Order: SVU titled "Father Dearest" (which aired May 2, 2012).[6]
In 2015, he was named Artist-in-Residence at La Jolla Playhouse. Wong guest starred on a NCIS: New Orleans Episode 1.13 titled "The Walking Dead" (which aired February 3, 2015), where he portrayed Navy Lieutenant Commander Dr. Gabriel Lin.
Wong also guest-starred as the enigmatic Whiterose (who is head of The Dark Army) in Season 1's episodes 8 and 10 on USA Network's Mr. Robot. He also plays the dual role of Zhang, the Chinese Minister of State Security. He returned in recurring roles for the show's second season, but has been promoted to the main cast for the third season, which debuted October 11, 2017.
Beginning August 13, 2017, BD began hosting the new HLN series Something's Killing Me With BD Wong. The documentary explores strange and unexplainable, real medical ailments and attacks that may be gradual or descend rapidly. But in either case, if a cause and cure aren't found immediately, these real-life patients will die.
Charity work
Wong donates his time and resources to a number of LGBT and arts-related charities, such as the Ali Forney Center, Materials for the Arts,[7] and Rosie's Theater Kids.[citation needed]
Personal life
Wong is openly gay. He began a long-term relationship with talent agent Richie Jackson in 1988.[8] In 2000, the couple had twin sons – Boaz Dov, who died 90 minutes after birth, and Jackson Foo Wong – through a surrogate mother, using Wong's sperm and an egg donated by Jackson's sister. In 2003, Wong wrote a memoir about his experiences with surrogacy titled Following Foo: the Electronic Adventures of the Chestnut Man. Wong and Jackson ended their relationship in 2004.[8] Wong amicably co-parents his son with his ex-partner Jackson and Jackson's partner, Jordan Roth.[9] On October 7, 2018 he married Richert John Frederickson Schnorr, his partner of 8 years in Brooklyn, New York.[10]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | The Karate Kid Part II | Boy on Street | as Bradd Wong |
| 1989 | Family Business | Jimmy Chiu, Adam's MIT Prof | |
| 1990 | The Freshman | Edward | |
| 1991 | Mystery Date | James Lew | |
| Father of the Bride | Howard Weinstein | ||
| 1992 | The Lounge People | Billy | |
| 1993 | Jurassic Park | Dr. Henry Wu | |
| 1993 | And the Band Played On | Kico Govantes | |
| 1994 | The Ref | Dr. William Wong, Marriage Counselor | aka Hostile Hostages |
| Men of War | Po | ||
| 1995 | Kalamazoo | Justin | |
| Father of the Bride Part II | Howard Weinstein | ||
| 1996 | Executive Decision | Sergeant Louie Jung | |
| Joe's Apartment | Cockroach | Voice | |
| 1997 | Seven Years in Tibet | Ngawang Jigme | |
| 1998 | Slappy and the Stinkers | Morgan Brinway | |
| Mulan | Shang | Voice | |
| The Substitute 2: School's Out | Warren Drummond | Direct to video | |
| 2002 | The Salton Sea | Bubba | |
| 2004 | Mulan II | Shang | Straight-to-video Voice |
| 2005 | Stay | Dr. Edmund Ren | |
| 2006 | Ira & Abby | Party Guest | |
| 2012 | White Frog | Oliver Young | |
| 2015 | Focus | Liyuan Tse | |
| Jurassic World | Dr. Henry Wu[11] | ||
| 2017 | The Space Between Us | Tom Chen | |
| 2018 | Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom | Dr. Henry Wu[11] |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | No Big Deal | Miss Karnisian's Class | TV film as Bradd Wong |
| 1986 | Simon & Simon | Counterboy – Photo Shop Clerk | Episode: "Mobile Home of the Brave" |
| 1987 | Double Switch | Waiter | TV film |
| 1988 | Crash Course | Kichi | TV film as Bradd Wong aka Driving Academy |
| 1990 | Goodnight Sweet Wife: A Murder in Boston | Kim Tan | TV film aka The Charles Stuart Story |
| 1991 | Alive from Off Center | Actor | Episode: "Dances in Exile" |
| 1993 | And the Band Played On | Kico Govantes | HBO TV film |
| 1994–95 | All-American Girl | Dr. Stuart Kim | 18 episodes |
| 1994 | ABC Afterschool Specials | Johnny Angel | Episode: "Magical Make-Over" |
| 1995 | Dazzle | Teng | TV film |
| Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child | The Wolf Aladdin/The Genie |
Episodes: "Little Red Riding Hood" and "Aladdin" | |
| Bless This House | Johnny Chen | Episode: "Neither a Borrower Nor a Landlord Be" | |
| 1996 | The X-Files | Det. Glen Chao | Episode: "Hell Money" |
| 1997–2003 | Oz | Father Ray Mukada | 47 episodes |
| 1998 | Reflections on Ice: Michelle Kwan Skates to the Music of Disney's 'Mulan' | Captain Li Shang | TV film |
| 1999 | Chicago Hope | Dr. Kai Chang | Episode: "Upstairs, Downstairs" |
| 2000 | Welcome to New York | Dennis | Episode: "Jim Gets a Wig" |
| 2002 | Kim Possible | Agent Will Du | Voice Episode: "Number One" |
| 2001–15 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Dr. George Huang | 143 episodes, recurring cast seasons 2–3, Series regular, seasons 4–12, Guest star seasons 13-15 & 17 |
| 2004 | Century City | U.S. Attorney Matthew Chin | Episode: "Pilot" |
| 2007 | Marco Polo | Pedro | TV film |
| 2012 | Awake | Dr. John Lee | Series regular, 11 episodes |
| 2014 | The Normal Heart | Buzzy | HBO film |
| 2015 | NCIS: New Orleans | Navy Lieutenant Commander Dr. Gabriel Lin | Episode: "The Walking Dead" |
| 2015–Present | Madam Secretary | Brent Rosen | Episode: "The Kill List", "Refuge" |
| 2015 | Nurse Jackie | Doctor Wu | Episode: "Are You with Me, Doctor Wu?" |
| 2015–present | Mr. Robot | Whiterose/Minister Andrew Zhang | 16 episodes Recurring cast seasons 1–2; series regular season 3 Nominated—Critics' Choice Award for Best Guest Actor/Actress in a Drama Series Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series |
| 2016–18 | Gotham | Professor Hugo Strange[12] | 13 episodes |
| 2016 | Last Week Tonight with John Oliver | Scientist | Episode: "Scientific Studies" |
| 2017–present | Something's Killing Me With BD Wong | Host/Presenter | Episodes: 6 in 2017 |
| 2017 | DuckTales | Toad Liu Hai | Voice Episode: "The House of the Lucky Gander!" |
| 2018 | American Horror Story: Apocalypse | Baldwin | 2 episodes |
Video games
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Kingdom Hearts II | Captain Li Shang | English version |
| 2007 | Kingdom Hearts II: Final Mix+ | Captain Li Shang | English version |
| 2015 | Lego Jurassic World | Henry Wu | |
| 2018 | Jurassic World Evolution | Henry Wu |
Theater
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988–90 | M. Butterfly | Song Liling | Broadway debut Clarence Derwent Award for Most Promising Male Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Debut Performance Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play Theatre World Award Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play |
| 1999 | You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown | Linus | |
| 2004–05 | Pacific Overtures | Reciter | |
| 2012 | Herringbone | Various Characters | One-man show[13] |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Tony Award | Best Featured Actor in a Play | M. Butterfly | Won |
| Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play | Won | ||
| Outer Critics Circle Award | Outstanding Debut Performance | Won | ||
| Theatre World Award | Won | |||
| Clarence Derwent Award | Most Promising Male Performer | Won | ||
| 2003 | Outer Critics Circle Award | Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play | Shanghai Moon | Nominated |
| GLAAD Media Award | Davidson/Valentini Award | Won | ||
| 2013 | Best Shorts Competition | Voice-Over Talent | The No Name Painting Association | Won |
| 2016 | Critics' Choice Television Award | Best Guest Performer in a Drama Series | Mr. Robot | Nominated |
| 2017 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series | Nominated | |
References
- ^ "BD Wong returns to his hometown for Orphan of Zhao". sfgate. 2014. Retrieved July 19, 2014.
- ^ The Grand Rapids Press. "'Law and Order' actor BD Wong to speak at Fountain Street Church". MLive.com. Retrieved March 15, 2012.
- ^ "53rd Drama Desk Awards". Drama Desk. 2008. Archived from the original on July 4, 2008. Retrieved May 19, 2008.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|dead-url=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ "Theatre World Awards Recipients". Theatre World. 2008. Archived from the original on May 16, 2008. Retrieved May 19, 2008.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ Mitovich, Matt (July 17, 2011). "Fall TV Scoop: B.D. Wong Reveals His SVU Fate". TVLine. Mail.com Media. Retrieved July 17, 2011.
- ^ "(#1321) "FATHER DEAREST"". The Futon Critic. April 20, 2012. Retrieved April 21, 2012.
- ^ Adam Hetrick (October 29, 2009). "Wong Joins Adams, Burgess, Pazakis and More for A Very MARY Holiday". Playbill.com. Archived from the original on March 23, 2014. Retrieved November 1, 2012.
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ a b Christopher Stone (November 16, 2005). "B.D. Wong: Out Author, Actor and Parent". AfterElton. Archived from the original on April 19, 2008. Retrieved May 19, 2008.
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ Jackson Foo Wong
- ^ "BD Wong, Richert Schnorr". The New York Times. Retrieved October 7, 2018.
- ^ a b Chris Tilly (March 18, 2014). "Dr. Henry Wu Returns in Jurassic World". IGN.
- ^ Melrose, Kevin (October 30, 2015). "Jurassic World's BD Wong Joins Gotham As Hugo Strange". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved February 8, 2016.
- ^ Andrew Gans (May 21, 2012). "Herringbone, With Tony Winner BD Wong, Plays NYC May 21–22; Performances Will Be Recorded". PlayBill.
External links
- BD Wong at the Internet Broadway Database
- BD Wong at IMDb
- BD Wong at the Internet Off-Broadway Database
- 1960 births
- Living people
- American male film actors
- American male television actors
- American male voice actors
- American male video game actors
- American people of Chinese descent
- Male actors from California
- Clarence Derwent Award winners
- Drama Desk Award winners
- Gay actors
- Male actors from San Francisco
- San Francisco State University alumni
- Tony Award winners
- 20th-century American male actors
- 21st-century American male actors
- LGBT entertainers from the United States
- LGBT people from California
- American memoirists
- American writers of Chinese descent
- 21st-century American non-fiction writers
- American people of Hong Kong descent
- LGBT American people of Asian descent