Peter Kwong Dies: ‘The Golden Child' And ‘Big Trouble In Little China' Actor Was 73

Forbes

2 days ago

Peter Kwong, a martial artist, dancer and actor who appeared in just shy of 90 film and television roles, according to his IMDb page, died overnight in his sleep on Tuesday. He was 73.
Born April 9, 1952, Peter Kwong debuted on television in 1976 with an appearance in the anthology drama Visions. Early guest roles included episodes of Black Sheep Squadron, Wonder Woman, The Man From Atlantis, Sword of Justice, Bret Maverick, and Cagney & Lacey. His first film role was the drama Panic in Echo Park in 1977. And he was active in the 1980s with more TV guest spots in entries including Little House on the Prairie, 227, Amazing Stories, MacGyver, St. Elsewhere, Dynasty, The A-Team, Scarecrow and Mrs. King, Full House and the war drama Tour of Duty. But the first of two movie roles he was immediately identified with was Tommy Tong in Eddie Murphy's The Golden Child in 1986.
That same year, Known appeared as Rain, an elemental master and expert martial artist with a sword, in the fantasy action-comedy film Big Trouble in Little China.
There was no shortage of other TV guest spots for Kwong in the 1990s and beyond, both drama and comedy, including Renegade, Malcolm & Eddie, The District, My Wife and Kids, JAG, and Curb Your Enthusiasm. His other film roles included The Presidio (1988), Gleaming the Cube (1989), I'll Do Anything (1994), Paper Dragons (1996) and Cooties (2014). He was an accomplished martial artist, working in Northern Shaolin kung fu, Chinese kata and with weapons including swords, staffs, spears and nunchaku. And Kwong was a professional dancer, from ballroom and martial arts fusion to disco and breaking.
Off camera, Kwong served on the SAG National Board of Directors for more than a decade and was on the AFTRA National Board of Directors. He also did a four-year stint on the Television Academy Board of Governors and was a member of the Actors Branch Executive Committee of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, among other roles. And Kwong was an activist against anti-Asian stereotyping in Hollywood.
Kwong's final credited role was the voice of Mike in the 2023-24 comedy vignette web-series Pepito's Mamadas.