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Linda Wang

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Linda Wang
Born
Linda Hsien Wang
王憲苓

October 10, 19??
EducationNew York University
OccupationActor
Years active1982–present
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese王憲苓
Simplified Chinese王宪苓
Hanyu PinyinWáng Xiànlíng

Linda Hsien Wang (born 19??) is an American actress. Also known as Wáng Xiànlíng (王憲苓), she was raised in Queens, New York and has[1] been profiled in Chinese-language media in the United States[2]

Early life and education

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At seven years old, Linda Wang began modeling for Kodak film.[3] During her first year of high school, she auditioned for the part of Field Reporter in Pushing Hands but director Ang Lee told her she was just too young for the part. They spent half an hour talking about Wang's pen and ink artwork, titled "Repeating," which at the time was being exhibited at the New York Transit Museum. Wang stated Lee also gave her valuable advice on where to study and how to continue to pursue her acting career.[4] Three months later, Wang auditioned and was accepted to study for two years in the HB Studio's teen program in Greenwich Village. She then went on to New York University and the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute.

Wang can trace her ancestry back to Shanghai and Shandong.[1]

Career

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Television

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Wang worked as a Chinese script translator for David Milch on several episodes of his HBO television show Deadwood. She has since expressed regret for not standing up for her right to be credited.[citation needed] Milch later recommended her to one of the casting directors for Tropic Thunder;[5] she was tried as the Chinese script translator to aid writers Justin Theroux and Etan Cohen during pre-production. When asked to return,[clarification needed] she said she would only do so on the condition that she received screen credit for her work. Producer Eric McLeod agreed and Wang went on to work as the on-set script translator for director Ben Stiller and Chinese dialogue coach for actors including Robert Downey, Jr., Reggie Lee and Brandon Soo Hoo.[5]

As an actress, Wang appeared in Deadwood,[6] House M.D.,[7] 8 Simple Rules, Guiding Light, and Sports Show with Norm Macdonald. She worked on several sketch comedy skits on NBC's Late Night with Conan O'Brien,[8] most notably as Masturbating Bear's girlfriend. Wang also appeared alongside Will Ferrell and Chris Kattan as the three Nagano Geishas on Saturday Night Live[9] and with Tracy Morgan and Jimmy Kimmel on Jimmy Kimmel Live!

Film

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Wang appeared as Contessa Dell'Oro, leader of an army of commandos who plot to destroy all human life on earth, in Blonde Squad.[10][unreliable source?] She acted in Low Down with John Hawkes, who she worked with on Deadwood between 2004 and 2005.[11] Wang appeared in the 2018 film Birds of Passage, where she played the role of Fu Ling opposite Stacy Keach.[12][13] The film was blocked from filming in certain locations in China due to the One-Child Policy storyline. It was instead filmed in the Philippines and on the South China Sea. She also starred with actor Ernie Rivera in Allena Rennee's Red Betta. Wang played Mrs. Wan in Martin Scorsese's Revenge of the Green Dragons. The film, based on a true story, was shot in Elmhurst, Queens.[14] Wang attended elementary school with the real-life victims and gang members; Tina Sham, one of the murder victims, was one of her best friends.[15][16][14] Other credits include The Violent Kind, Scarred City, Dead Air, Dark City and Brett Ratner's What Ever Happened to Mason Reese? More recently, she was in My Favorite Five and Kodak's Girls on Film.

Other work

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Wang has provided extensive Chinese Mandarin voice-overs in a number of advertisements, including for Standard Federal Bank, Hepatitis B Foundation, Anti-Smoking USA, AT&T, MasterCard,[citation needed] Magellan,[17] Citibank, IDT Corporation, Colgate, HOLDCOM, AIG, Honey Bunches of Oats, Ford Motor Company, USPS, Smirnoff, Western Union, San Manuel Indian Bingo and Casino, Red Rock Casino and Honda Accord.[9] She voiced Sexy Bathhouse Girl in the 2004 video game GoldenEye: Rogue Agent.[citation needed] Wang is a former Miss Teen Pola Asia,[citation needed] Pantene Pro-V hair model,[18][19] and as the first female hand model for Scrabble. She also designed several items under the Linda Wang line as a spokesperson for Soho Sportswear. She also appeared in commercials for T-Mobile with Burt Reynolds and Paris Hilton and for Costco.[citation needed]

Since March 1997, Wang has promoted Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation's Kids 4 Kids program.[20] She participated in the VERB campaign, a program designed to encourage children to take the hour gained from the fall time change to be more active physically, for both Disney and Nickelodeon. She also participates in various animal protection organizations' charitable events.[21]

Wang has performed in several stage productions, including as Rose Choy in Jerome Coopersmith's Serenade in Blue and Pocahontas in a AEA stage production of Disney Friends around the World.[citation needed] In 2007, she appeared in the music video "Home" for the Irish pop group Westlife.[22]

Personal life

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In the summer of 2005, Wang began distributing bags called "A Bag of Smile" for the homeless in Los Angeles and Orange County as an independent outreach program. In the first 12 years of the program, more than 10,000 people have received these bags, compiled monthly. They contain a bottle of water, pair of socks, banana, nut mix, sunscreen, and toothpaste. Wang currently resides in the Los Angeles area.[citation needed]

Selected filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1989 Full Moon in New York High school student
1989 The Last Aristocrats Waitress
1990 Dark City Julie Honda
1994 Dead Air Cindy
2001 Birds of Passage Fu
2007 Fist of the Warrior LAPD officer
2010 Back Nine Asia
2014 Low Down Chinese woman
2014 Revenge of the Green Dragons Mrs. Wan
2014 Blonde Squad Contessa Dell'Oro
2016 Papa Library woman
2021 Bliss Streetwalker #4

Television

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Year(s) Title Role Notes
1982 Sesame Street Mr. Hooper's Little Helper
1992 Mathnet Lucy Chin
1995 Loving Alden's nurse
1997-1999 As the World Turns Sandra Wong
1998-1999 Another World Lisa Woo
2002 Sagwa, the Chinese Siamese Cat Ming (voice)
2005 House Jen Ling
2008 Secretos Officer Maria Lee

References

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  1. ^ a b Adam Sheik - Celerity Design. "Chinese Word Detail - CantoDict". Cantonese.sheik.co.uk. Retrieved 2008-12-26.
  2. ^ "Singtaousa News". Singtaousa.com. Archived from the original on 2008-11-19. Retrieved 2008-12-26.
  3. ^ "Linda Wang 1983 Kodak Kodacolor 2 Color Negative film Vintage ad". imdb.com. Retrieved 2016-02-12.
  4. ^ "nt2099 Entertainment: Dennis A. Amith interviews Linda Wang". Nt2099.com. Retrieved 2008-12-26.
  5. ^ a b "Eric McLeod Meets a Chinese Leprechaun - Linda Wang". Asia Trend Magazine. Archived from the original on 2008-12-27. Retrieved 2008-12-26.
  6. ^ "Queens Tribune". Queenstribune.com. Archived from the original on 2008-10-08. Retrieved 2008-12-26.
  7. ^ "Queens Tribune". Queenstribune.com. Archived from the original on 2007-10-11. Retrieved 2008-12-26.
  8. ^ "Asian American actress Linda Wang to Appear on NBC - News - Muzi.com". Lateline.muzi.net. Archived from the original on 2011-07-23. Retrieved 2008-12-26.
  9. ^ a b "Linda Wang - voice over actress of The Great Voice Company". Greatvoiceco.com. Retrieved 2008-12-26.
  10. ^ "Blonde Squad, Brings Out Hot, Big, Guns! Exclusive, Sexy, Action Pictures! starring Asian American actress Linda Wang - News -Danny (Templegod) Shamon". Dan's Movie Report. 21 October 2013. Retrieved 2014-02-02.
  11. ^ "Low Down's Elle Fanning Wins Best Actress Award at Karlovy Vary Fest - News -Low Down". Indiewire. Retrieved 2014-04-14.[irrelevant citation]
  12. ^ "Birds of Passage - starring Asian American actress Linda Wang - News - Muzi.com". Lateline.muzi.net. Archived from the original on 2011-07-23. Retrieved 2008-12-26.
  13. ^ Marie, Karen (2000-05-29). "Linda Wang Interview with HairBoutique.com". Hairboutique.com. Retrieved 2008-12-26.
  14. ^ a b "Andrew Lau's Revenge of the Green Dragons - Linda Wang - News - usalifeonline.com". usalifeonline.com. Retrieved 2013-12-21.
  15. ^ "Asian Street Gangs Emerging as New Underworld - Tina Sham and Tommy Mach- News". The New York Times. 1992-04-01. Retrieved 2016-03-03.
  16. ^ "Actress Linda Wang gives the lowdown on her role in the biopic drama 'Low Down' and her Life."[publisher missing]
  17. ^ "王憲苓 (新聞) _ 木子明星 - Muzi.com". Gallery.muzi.com. Archived from the original on 2006-09-25. Retrieved 2008-12-26.
  18. ^ "nt2099 - Got Rice? with Linda Wang". Nt2099.com. Retrieved 2008-12-26.
  19. ^ Marie, Karen (2006-07-24). "Linda Wang: Beautiful Asian American Hair Celebrity - Latest Scoops". Hairboutique.com. Retrieved 2008-12-26.
  20. ^ "Actress Linda Wang Proudly Represents Chinese-americans For The 56th Annual Comp by Rosy Juarez, Compton City Administrative Analyst". 1888pressrelease.com. Archived from the original on 2008-12-07. Retrieved 2008-12-26.
  21. ^ Hall, Beryl. "Wow! Women on Writing - An eZine for women writers, authors, editors, agents, publishers, and readers". Wow-womenonwriting.com. Retrieved 2008-12-26.
  22. ^ "We are TheCommitted... Committed to Westlife". Thecommitted.com. Retrieved 2008-12-26.
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