Kim Chan
{{for|the Korean footballer|Kim Chan (footballer)}}
{{short description|Chinese actor}}
{{more citations needed|date=December 2009}}
{{Infobox person
|name = Kim Chan
|image =
|caption =
|birth_date = December 28, 1917
|birth_place = Guangdong, Republic of China
|death_date = {{death date and age|2008|10|5|1917|12|28}}
|death_place = Brooklyn, New York, United States
|yearsactive = 1951–2007
}}
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.
Early life, family and education
Kim Shung Chan was born in Guangdong, then under the government of the Republic of China. His father was a restaurant owner. Kim Chan emigrated to the US in 1928.{{cite web | url=http://www.filmreference.com/film/62/Kim-Chan.html | title= Kim Chan Biography (1917-2008)| website= filmreference.com| date =| accessdate =}}
Career
Chan was a familiar character actor, especially when he was elderly. 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.{{cite news | last= Grimes| first= William| date= 2008-10-09| url= https://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/10/arts/television/10chan.html| title = Kim Chan, Who Had Roles in TV and ‘King of Comedy,’ Is Dead| work =The New York Times| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20180105121536/https://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/10/arts/television/10chan.html| archivedate = 2018-01-05| accessdate = 2024-05-31}}
He played the character Lo Si a.k.a. The Ancient in 52 episodes of Kung Fu: The Legend Continues from 1993 thru 1997. He also played the villainous monk Ping Hai on the TV series. The series was a revised version of the original 1973 classic, Kung Fu with both series starring David Carradine. He played the recurring villain The Eggman in four episodes of the science fiction TV series Now and Again. He appeared in many guest roles in series, including Mad About You (1998), Law & Order: Criminal Intent (2002), and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (2004).
Other film roles include Uncle Benny Chan in Lethal Weapon 4(1998), the father of Chon Wang (Jackie Chan) in Shanghai Knights(2003), Mr. Kim in The Fifth Element (1997), Fuji in Who's the Man? (1993), Benny Wong in The Corruptor(1999), The Master in Zen Noir (2004), and a cameo appearance as a waiter in Private Parts (1997). He was also a producer on Zen Noir.
He was featured in a photography exhibit when he was in his 90s. In October 2009, a year after his death, Chan appeared on the cover of the journal The Gerontologist beside his photography portrait.{{cite web|last= Levine|first=Jeffrey| work=The Gerontologist| url=http://gerontologist.oxfordjournals.org/content/49/5.cover-expansion| title= Cover Photo|publisher=Oxford Journals|accessdate=16 January 2014|url-status=dead|archiveurl= https://archive.today/20140116215636/http://gerontologist.oxfordjournals.org/content/49/5.cover-expansion|archivedate= 16 January 2014}}
Honors and awards
In November 1999, the Screen Actors Guild presented Chan with an award for lifetime achievement.{{cite news|last=Millis|first=Mike|title=SAG to Honor Veteran Actor Kim Chan|url=http://business.highbeam.com/3907/article-1G1-57764422/sag-honor-veteran-actor-kim-chan|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140117155719/http://business.highbeam.com/3907/article-1G1-57764422/sag-honor-veteran-actor-kim-chan|url-status=dead|archive-date=17 January 2014|accessdate=16 January 2014|newspaper=Back Stage|date=5 November 1999}} He received another award for lifetime achievement in August 2004 at the Rhode Island International Film Festival.{{cite press release |title= RIIFF Awards|url=http://www.film-festival.org/awardswin04.php|work= film-festival.org |accessdate=16 January 2014}}
Filmography
=Film=
class="wikitable sortable"
|+ {{Screen reader-only| Kim Chan film credits}} | |||
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1957
| Commercial Spokesperson | No Dialogue / Uncredited | |||
1970
| Theatre Cashier | | |||
1979
| Squadra antigangsters | Chan Chu Kai | Uncredited | |||
1982
| Harold The Cook | | |||
1983
| Jonno | | |||
1984
| Japanese Buyer #2 | | |||
1984
| Chinese Customer | | |||
1984
| Ling | | |||
1985
| Park Bum | | |||
1985
| Desk Clerk | | |||
1986
| 9½ Weeks | Chinatown Butcher | | |||
1986
| Gung Ho | Member of Board | | |||
1986
| Korean Flower Vendor | | |||
1986
| No Mercy | Old Asian Man | | |||
1987
| Party Guest | Uncredited | |||
1989
| Cookie | Hong Kong Tailor | | |||
1989
| Chinese Store Owner | | |||
1990
| Dim Sum Cook | | |||
1990
| Alice | Dr. Yang's Patient | | |||
1991
| Li Ping | | |||
1991
| Master Kwan | | |||
1993
| Fuji | | |||
1994
| Robot in the Family | Massage Parlor Patron #1 | | |||
1996
| Breathing Room | Meditation Teacher | | |||
1997
| Waiter | | |||
1997
| Mr. Kim | | |||
1997
| Chinese Man | | |||
1997
| Kundun | Second Chinese General | | |||
1998
| Benny 'Uncle Benny' Chan | | |||
1999
| Medicine Shop Owner | | |||
1999
| Benny 'Uncle Benny' Wong | | |||
1999
| On the Q.T. | Asian Busker | | |||
2002
| Saki | | |||
2003
| Chon Wang's Father | | |||
2004
| Zen Noir | The Master | | |||
2005
| Quinn | | |||
2006
| Sam | |
=Television=
{{incomplete list|date=April 2025}}
class="wikitable sortable"
|+ {{Screen reader-only| Kim Chan television credits}} | |||
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1985 | The Equalizer | Man Sitting on Steps (uncredited) | Episode: "China Rain" |
1986
| Outlaws | Mr. Luk | {{Citation needed|date=April 2025|reason=Kim Chan not found in Outlaws (1986 TV series) article, nor at IMDb}} | |||
1990
| Juror (uncredited) | Episode: "Indifference" | |||
1991
| Law & Order | Restaurant Manager | Episode: "Heaven" | |||
1993–1997
| Kung Fu: The Legend Continues | Lo Si (The Ancient) / Ping Hai | 54 episodes | |||
1999–2000
| The Eggman | 4 episodes | |||
2002
| Law & Order: Criminal Intent | Mr. Hsu | Episode: "Chinoiserie" | |||
2004
| Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Mr. Zhang | Episode: "Debt" |
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|0150976}}
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20081015070417/http://estate.chinanews.com.cn/hr/hrgs/news/2008/10-09/1406133.shtml Kim Chan's obituary] {{in lang|zh}}
- [https://archive.today/20130907171313/http://movies.groups.yahoo.com/group/thelowrentkimchanfanclub/ The Low Rent Kim Chan Fan Club]
- {{cite web|last=Sole|first=Magdalena|title=A Zen Tale|url=http://vimeo.com/40475871|publisher=TransImage|accessdate=7 September 2013}}
- {{cite news|last=Lin|first=Thomas|title=A Tough Act I, but the Second Has Some Funny Bits|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/19/nyregion/19ink.html?_r=0|work=Newspaper Article|date=19 June 2007 |publisher=The New York Times|accessdate=8 September 2013}}
- {{cite web |last=Grimes |first=William |title=Kim Chan, Who Had Roles in TV and ‘King of Comedy,’ Is Dead |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/10/arts/television/10chan.html |work=Nytimes.com |publisher=The New York Times |accessdate=2024-07-18}}
- {{cite web|last=Lennon|first=Sheila|title=Time Lapse Blog|url=http://blogs.providencejournal.com/arts-entertainment/lifestyles/time-lapse/2013/02/providence-journal-photo.html|work=Blog|publisher=Providence Journal|accessdate=14 September 2013|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130910162049/http://blogs.providencejournal.com/arts-entertainment/lifestyles/time-lapse/2013/02/providence-journal-photo.html|archivedate=10 September 2013}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chan, Kim}}
Category:American male film actors
Category:Chinese emigrants to the United States
Category:Male actors from Guangdong