Results: Anna May Wong (Part 4 of 4)

In 1951, at 46, Wong broke another barrier by becoming the first Asian-American lead actor in a US TV series. The role was written specifically for her, and the title, "The Gallery of Madame Liu-Tsong" bore her real name at birth(Wong Liu-tsong). She played a dealer in Chinese art who owned an international chain of galleries, and dabbled in detective work and intrigue. There were 10 episodes, but the series was cancelled after 1 season, and there are no known copies of the show, scripts, or on-set photos. Are you familiar with this series?

In 1960 Wong was honored by receiving a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Would getting a Walk of Fame Star make you feel proud?

In 1961, Wong was on the brink of making a big-screen comeback in a musical adaptation of "Flower Drum Song", a film about a young woman who emigrates from China for an arranged marriage, and young lovers in San Francisco's Chinatown dealing with meddling family members. The movie featured performers like Miyoshi Umeki, Nancy Kwan, and James Shigeta in Hollywood's first film with an Asian-American cast. This was Wong's dream come to life! Sadly, Wong never got to participate as she died from a heart attack that year at just 56. Do you find this sad . . . or just frustrating?

Mattel created an Anna May Wong Barbie doll that was released in April of 2023. It was part of their "Inspiring Women" collection that features Maya Angelou, Eleanor Roosevelt, Frida Kahlo, and others. Anna Wong, named after her late aunt, worked alongside the designing team to develop the doll. What do you think of the Anna May Wong Barbie?

Despite the success of having appeared in over 60 films, on stage, and TV, do you think Wong's career could have soared even higher as Hollywood's first Asian-American star were it not for the Yellowface practice of casting white actors in leading roles for Asian characters?