Jimmy Wong
Jimmy Wong | |
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![]() Wong in 2012 | |
Born | James Franklin Wong March 28, 1987[1] |
Nationality | American |
Alma mater | Middlebury College |
Occupations |
|
Years active | 2010–present |
Known for | Video Game High School |
Notable work | "Ching Chong: Asians in the Library Song" |
Relatives | Freddie Wong (brother) |
James Franklin Wong (born March 28, 1987) is an American actor and musician. He is best known for his 2011 music video, "Ching Chong: Asians in the Library Song" and for his role as Ted in the web series Video Game High School. In 2017, he and YouTuber Meghan Camarena co-hosted the video game themed variety show Polaris Primetime which was created as part of Disney's "D|XP" programming block on Disney XD.
Early life
Wong is the younger brother of filmmaker Freddie Wong,[2][3] and grew up in Seattle, Washington. He is of Chinese ancestry.[4] He received his B.A. in theater from Middlebury College in 2009.[5][6] After graduating, he moved to Los Angeles to become an actor.[6]
Career
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/02/Jimmy_Wong_Vlogbrothers_2016.jpg/173px-Jimmy_Wong_Vlogbrothers_2016.jpg)
Wong garnered national news coverage in March 2011, when he uploaded his music video, "Ching Chong: Asians in the Library Song" to YouTube. He created the video as a response to a UCLA student's vlog rant against Asian students using mobile phones in the UCLA library,[2][3] one which MSNBC qualified as "offensive."[7] NPR suggested that Wong's video response was one that "effectively turn[ed] the tables on the original rant," offering an alternative method of defense against cyberbullying.[8] Wong later said in an MSNBC interview that while he was initially frustrated by the video rant, he realized that humor offered a better response, as he hoped to "put a positive spin on all of it." Furthermore, he stated, an eye for an eye approach would only encourage "this behavior to continue."[7] "Ching Chong: Asians in the Library Song" went viral and was covered nationally by the American media.[7][8][9][10][11][12][13]
Wong later portrayed Ted in the Web series Video Game High School.[14] He was also invited by Lionsgate and Google to create the web series District Voices.[15] In 2014, Wong was ranked #73 on New Media Rockstars Top 100 Channels.[16]
In August of 2018, it was announced that Jimmy Wong had been cast as Ling in Disney's live action remake of the 1998 Mulan animate movie, set to be released in 2020.
Personal life
Wong is an avid player of Magic: The Gathering, specifically the Commander format. He hosts a podcast with co-host Josh Lee Kwai called The Command Zone, where he and Josh discuss their experiences playing the Commander format. Wong is referred to by his co-host as "Jimmy the Red" due to the fact that he often plays red decks when playing commander.[17] He has also been called upon by Wizards of the Coast to preview new sets at exhibitions and on their YouTube channel.[18]
Partial discography and filmography
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2010 | Secret Weapon | Robby | |
2011 | "Ching Chong: Asians in the Library Song" | Composer and singer | YouTube Music Video |
2012 | John Dies at the End | Fred Chu | feature film |
2012–2013 | MyMusic | Leader | web series |
2012–2014 | Video Game High School | Ted Wong | web series |
2014 | The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – District Voices | District 9 Voice | TV mini-series |
2016 | Edgar Allan Poe's Murder Mystery Dinner Party | Constable Jimmy | YouTube series, 4 episodes |
2017 | The Circle | Mitch | |
2017 | Polaris Primetime | Co-host | with Meghan Camarena, broadcast on Disney XD's "D|XP" block [19] |
2020 | Mulan | Ling | Filming[20] |
Awards
- 2015: Won: International Academy of Web Television Awards – Best Ensemble Performance/Comedy, Video Game High School (shared with other cast members)
- 2014: Won: Streamy Awards – Best Action or Sci-Fi Series, Video Game High School (shared with cast and crew members)
- 2014: Won: Streamy Awards – Best Ensemble Cast, Video Game High School (shared with other cast members)
- 2017: Won: Guinness World Records - Most Video Game Characters Named in 1 Minute
References
- ^ Jimmy Wong on Facebook
- ^ a b "Never stop working. If you're doing something you love, then it shouldn't be a problem". The Other Asians. July 7, 2011. Archived from the original on April 12, 2013. Retrieved May 18, 2013.
{{cite web}}
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suggested) (help) - ^ a b Roderick, Kevin (March 24, 2011). "Jimmy Wong as Internet savior". LA Observed. Retrieved May 9, 2012.
- ^ "Jimmy Wong". IMDb. Retrieved 2018-07-24.
- ^ "Interview with Jimmy Wong Of Alexandra Wallace Fame". Untemplater. 2011-05-05. Retrieved 2015-10-18.
- ^ a b Nguyen, Stacy (2011-04-07). "Hit singer Jimmy Wong on Alexandra Wallace and why angry responses are unproductive". Northwest Asian Weekly. Retrieved 17 April 2011.
- ^ a b c "Jimmy Wong makes 'ching chong' a love song". MSNBC. 2011-03-23. Retrieved 2015-10-18.
- ^ a b Pell, Dave (2011-03-21). "Jimmy Wong Saves The Internet". NPR. Retrieved 2015-10-18.
- ^ All Things Considered (2011-03-24). "A Racial Rant Inspires An Internet Balladeer". NPR. Retrieved 2015-10-18.
- ^ Chansanchai, Athima (2011-03-18). "UCLA student's 'Asians' rant ignites YouTube responses". Today (U.S. TV program). Retrieved 2015-10-18.
- ^ Samuel, Sharon (2011-03-17). "'Ching Chong' Shot Heard Around Social Media World". The New York Observer. Retrieved 2015-10-18.
- ^ Walker, Rob (2012-06-28). "On YouTube, Amateur Is the New Pro". New York Times. Retrieved 2015-10-18.
- ^ Austen, Ben (2011-12-16). "The YouTube Laugh Factory: A Studio System for Viral Video". Wired. Retrieved 2015-10-18.
- ^ Sun, Rebecca (2014-12-12). "THR's at-a-glance look at the week in representation news". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2015-10-18.
- ^ Vlessing, Etan (2014-10-20). "Jimmy Wong, Rob Czar and iJustine's Justine Ezarik made videos for Lionsgate and Google". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2015-10-18.
- ^ "The NMR Top 100 YouTube Channels: 75-51!". New Media Rockstars. Retrieved 6 January 2015.
- ^ "Podcasts - RocketJump". RocketJump. Retrieved 2016-02-04.
- ^ Magic: The Gathering (2016-06-20), Access Magic: Eldritch Moon, Episode 1, retrieved 2017-06-13
- ^ http://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/currency/disney-xd-set-launch-gamer-programming-block/166529
- ^ Disney’s ‘Mulan’ Casts Jimmy Wong & Doua Moua Deadline.com, Retrieved August 14, 2018
External links
- Jimmy Wong at IMDb
- Jimmy Wong's channel on YouTube
- Jimmy Wong on X
- Jimmy Wong on Facebook
- Living people
- American male film actors
- American male singers
- American musicians of Chinese descent
- American male actors of Chinese descent
- American YouTubers
- Musicians from Seattle
- Middlebury College alumni
- Male actors from Seattle
- Nonviolence advocates
- Gaming YouTubers
- Let's Players
- 21st-century American male actors
- 1987 births
- Singers from Washington (state)