James Hong is the hardest-working and longest-standing of Asian American actors. With a career spanning over six decades, he has nearly 500 credits in film and television. But being Asian, he’s not as recognized in Hollywood for his tremendous body of work as he should be. Hong is known as "the Man of a Thousand Faces," but he’s also "the Man of a Thousand Voices" because he’s done a tremendous amount of work as a voice actor. In 2008, Hong was the voice actor for Mr. Ping, Po’s noodle-slinging adoptive Goose papa, in Kung Fu Panda. The film franchise finally earned him some overdue accolades with several nominations and two major wins in the animated awards: an Annie in 2011 and a Behind the Voice award in 2012. Kung Fu Panda 3 was a global blockbuster when released theatrically in January 2016, earning over half a billion worldwide. We caught up with Mr. Hong as Kung Fu Panda 3 comes to home entertainment on Blu-Ray™ + DVD + Digital HD.

JH: What is your last name, Gene?

GC: My last name is Ching. We met fourteen years ago, when you were Master of Ceremonies for our 10 Year Anniversary of Kungfu Qigong Magazine Gala Benefit.

JH: Oh, okay. It’s been a long time.

James Hong Master of Ceremonies for our 10 Year Anniversary of Kungfu Qigong Magazine Gala Benefit

 

GC: Next year is our 25th. Maybe we’ll have you out again…if we can still afford you.

But to Kung Fu Panda 3, Mr. Ping has got to be one of your most endearing roles. What inspires that character?

JH: Oh, let me see. One second now. Have a sip of tea there, green tea, of course. It is one of the most endearing roles I’ve ever had because the character suites me very well. My father was a restaurant owner and I worked in his restaurant for many, many years growing up. Working in the kitchen and as a waiter, I worked my way through part of college. My father was a wonderful cook. So I’m very close to Mr. Ping, knowing the restaurant business.

Of course, being a father of my own family, I know what that’s like. I know what Mr. Ping’s feelings are like, except that he’s really a single father. He adopted Po but he never told him. That has always been one of the most enduring moments when I tell Po that he’s adopted, or was about to tell him he was adopted. Or at least, Po thought that I was going to tell him that he was adopted. When the people in the village was running away, and I stopped him and I say, ‘There’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you for a long time.’ And he thought I was going to say he was adopted, but I told him the secret ingredient and the secret ingredient is nothing.

So anyway, that’s the story as far as taking on the role of Mr. Ping.

GC: Back when Kung Fu Panda started in 2008, did you have any idea it would be as huge as it has become?

JH: Certainly not. I thought it was different enough. And when I saw the drawings I thought, "This is really something." And then I saw the other characters and so forth, and I thought this is going to have a lot of sequels. And this is going to be very popular. And it turned out to be so. Not only with the American audience, but certainly China’s audience got blown away by Po and Mr. Ping and the other martial arts animals.

GC: I wanted to ask you about China. You’ve been in the business for over sixty years. How do you feel about what’s happening with China and the film industry?

JH: Good question. Well, obviously I like what they’re doing. They’re getting very creative and they’re catching up with the special effects. And putting more feelings into their films versus before which was very superficial. They are trying to get deeper into the values of film. Emotionally, they kind of stay away from so-called "true feelings" of a person. They went into the folklore. But now they are dealing more with the real feelings of the people and I think that’s really good for the country. They are discovering themselves through film.

To me, that’s why I’m here, you know? I make films because I want to portray the real feelings of the human being and let other people enjoy and identify with that. China, yes, they’re coming fast. But somehow I wish they would integrate the movies more with the American Chinese actors because we’ve been here in Los Angeles and we’ve seen none of the action as far as employment or incorporating what we have to offer here. Versus the money aspect of it, buying theaters, buying studios. They care less about what the American Chinese actors are doing. To me, that’s kind of sad because we are part of them and they are part of us. And they should pay more attention to their children around the world.

GC: I have to ask you about whitewashing. When Tilda Swinton got the part of the Ancient One in Doctor Strange, my first thought was, that was a perfect James Hong role.

JH: Which part? What movie?

GC: The Ancient One is a Himalayan sorcerer in Doctor Strange. It’s coming out this year.

JH: I’m not familiar with that. That sounds like a very cliché…

GC: It’s a Marvel thing, a comic book movie. But it’s another example of a white actor being cast in an Asian role.

JH: There’s been a couple animation movies like that. They’re using a lot of Caucasians. Well, there’s a lot to be said about that because we are still not being considered as a principle people of the world in the movie industry. We are still in the minority roles, which is bad because they should put us into the doctor and the lawyer roles, rich persons, businessmen of the United States, you know? We hardly ever get those roles. Those roles are still going to either the whites, and now the blacks are making a lot of headway so they get the roles. But the Asian Americans are still left by the side, which is very sad. That’s where China is not really helping us any. The Chinese Americans are still a minority, a gimmick of the United States. They’re not thought of as the principle walk of life in American society.

As far as diversity goes, it was non-existent in the last Academy Awards. There were no Asian American actors in the awards. So where are we? Totally invisible. The blacks have made wonderful headway. They were protesting. But the Asian Americans, where were they? What does the word diversity mean? Kind of lopsided.

Bryan Cranston, Dusten Hoffman and James Hong at the premiere of KUNG FU PANDA 3.

 

 

GC: What is the secret to your longevity? Do you still practice Tai Chi and Qigong?

JH: Yea, I do whatever exercise I can, you know? It keeps me very limber. It makes me able to do breakdancing. My joints are very loose and I’m very flexible. I’m keeping a very strict diet. Well, maybe not according to my wife, but you know, a lot of vegetables, not too much rice, just healthy foods. I can play a little basketball. I’m very thankful that I can run around and take on the roles that give me some action.

And I’m about to make my own films. To me that is the answer for the Asian American actors and filmmakers. You have to go after it yourself. Nobody is going to hand you anything. Nobody is really going to say, ‘Oh, here’s a role for you." Even though you may fit the role, you may qualify, you may be very talented, but somehow in America, you have to be an entrepreneur. You have to go after things. It’s up to the actors now to fight that trend of not getting recognized. It makes you stronger. I’ve fought all the years I did work, from the beginning in 1953, all through the years up until now. I’m still fighting. As Lo Pan would say, "I’m not about to wait another thousand years." You can’t wait a thousand years. You have to get out there now. You have to train yourself to play all the different kinds of roles, which I’ve done in my 500 in-front-of-camera credits and voice overs. Like you say, I’m still not being being fully recognized for the roles that I can play. How much more do I have to do in order for them to recognize me as another person that can do all the roles out there instead of just forgetting me. That makes me very sad. My voice in Kung Fu Panda, every role I’ve done, I’ve done my best. Blade Runner, Big Trouble in Little China, comedy, drama, I’ve done it all, but I’m not really given the rewards that I deserve for those roles.

GC: What would your dream role be? You’ve done everything. What’s left?

JH: I think I would like to be a big businessman of some kind.

GC: One that’s not a Chinese gangster leader…

JH: Yeah, right. Someone who owns something, like Microsoft. That kind of a big businessman, that has a family. A doctor role. Lawyers are very intriguing to me. Where are those roles? All Asian Americans are not recognized for those roles. And I’ve fought for that with the East West Players, and originally two or three other organizations, for Chinese and Asian American rights. But it hasn’t done that much good.

GC: Many martial arts people are aspiring actors. Any advice?

JH: I certainly admire the martial arts people for their dedication, which makes us all stronger. I think you have to keep your head above the water. If you go under, you may go deeper. In this industry, in the motion pictures, you have to keep your head above the water. If you go down, you better come up fast because otherwise you’re going to go off the deep end and you’re going to lose everything. And it’s easy because it’s that kind of emotional career where everything goes up and down, and you get very discouraged when there’s not enough roles and you can’t quite make a living. That’s true for most of the actors. I think you have to keep a level head and work on the spiritual side and the meaning of life. If you can do that, you’re a better person.

GC: What do you see as the future of Kung Fu Panda?

JH: I don’t know. I would think with the success – economically – with number three, we will probably have another – Kung Fu Panda 4 – I haven’t heard of anything. I’m not waiting. There are other roles out there.