Philip Ahn
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- Mar 29, 1905
- Died
- Feb 28, 1978 (aged 72)
- Place of birth
- Highland Park, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Credits
- 161
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Philip Ahn (born Pil Lip Ahn (안필립), March 29, 1905 – February 28, 1978) was a Korean American actor. He was the first Korean American film actor to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Ahn's first film was A Scream in the Night in 1935. He appeared in the Bing Crosby film Anything Goes, though director Lewis Milestone had initially rejected him because his English was too good for the part. His first credited roles came in 1936 in The General Died at Dawn and Stowaway, opposite Shirley Temple. He starred opposite Anna May Wong in Daughter of Shanghai (1937) and King of Chinatown (1937).
During World War II, Ahn often played Japanese villains in war films. Mistakenly thought to be Japanese, he received several death threats. He enlisted in the United States Army, having served in the Special Services as an entertainer. He was discharged early because of an injured ankle and returned to making films.
Ahn appeared in Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing, Around the World in Eighty Days, Thoroughly Modern Millie and Paradise, Hawaiian Style, with Elvis Presley. He got to play Korean characters in Korean War movies such as Battle Circus (1953) and Battle Hymn (1956). In 1952, Ahn made his television debut on the Schlitz Playhouse, a series he would make three additional appearances on. Ahn would also be cast in four episodes of ABC's Adventures in Paradise, four episodes of the ABC/Warner Brothers crime drama Hawaiian Eye, and the CBS crime drama Hawaii Five-O. He made three appearances each on Crossroads, Bonanza, and M*A*S*H. He would also appear in two television movies.
Ahn's most notable television role was as "Master Kan" on the television series Kung Fu. A Presbyterian, Ahn felt that the Taoist homilies his character quoted did not contradict his own religious faith.
Known for
M*A*S*H
1972TV
The Father, Korean Grandfather
Around the World in 80 Days
1956Movie
Hong Kong Citizen (uncredited)
Wonder Woman
1975TV
Colonel Minh
Bonanza
1959TV
Mr. Lee Chang, Dr. Kam Lee
Mission: Impossible
1966TV
Dr. Liu
Shock Corridor
1963Movie
Dr. Fong
Filmography
Kung Fu: The Movie
1986Movie
Master Kan
The Killer Who Wouldn't Die
1976Movie
Soong
Wonder Woman
1975TV
Colonel Minh
Switch
1975TV
Charlie Kuang
Police Woman
1974TV
Judgment: The Court Martial of the Tiger of Malaya — General Yamashita
1974Movie
General Yamashita
Jonathan Livingston Seagull
1973Movie
Chang (voice)
The Magician
1973TV
Chao Liu
The World's Greatest Athlete
1973Movie
Old Chinaman
Kung Fu
1972TV
Master Kan
The Streets of San Francisco
1972TV
Mr. Wu
M*A*S*H
1972TV
The Father, Korean Grandfather
Anna and the King
1972TV
Astrologist
Kung Fu: The Way of the Tiger, the Sign of the Dragon
1972Movie
Master Kan
Sanford and Son
1972TV
The Sex Serum of Dr. Blake
1970Movie
Mao Tse Tung (uncredited)
Love, American Style
1969TV
Chow Lee
Hawaii Five-O
1969TV
Attorney General, Quon Li, Lin Mai-Lu
Cocoon
1968Movie
Attorney General
It Takes a Thief
1968TV
Owner
Mannix
1967TV
The Karate Killers
1967Movie
Sazami Kyushu
Ironside
1967TV
Thoroughly Modern Millie
1967Movie
Tea
Mission: Impossible
1966TV
Dr. Liu
The Girl from U.N.C.L.E.
1966TV
Wu
The Time Tunnel
1966TV
Dr. Nakamura
Paradise, Hawaiian Style
1966Movie
Moki Kaimana
The F.B.I.
1965TV
Police Chief Henry Nakamura
The Wild Wild West
1965TV
Laredo
1965TV
The Big Valley
1965TV
Chen Yu
The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
1964TV
Dr. Sazami Kyushu, High Lama of Ghupat
Shock Corridor
1963Movie
Dr. Fong
A Girl Named Tamiko
1962Movie
Akiba
Diamond Head
1962Movie
Mr. Immacona
Stoney Burke
1962TV
Ensign O'Toole
1962TV
Low Kong
Confessions of an Opium Eater
1962Movie
Ching Foon
Kraft Mystery Theatre
1961TV
One-Eyed Jacks
1961Movie
Uncle
Dragon by the Tail
1961Movie
Lee Chin
The Great Impostor
1960Movie
Capt. Hun Kim
The Islanders
1960TV
Governor Galli
My Three Sons
1960TV
George Wong
Pete and Gladys
1960TV
The Barbara Stanwyck Show
1960TV
Lee Chin
Checkmate
1960TV
Mr. Lu
Johnny Midnight
1960TV
Never So Few
1959Movie
Nautaung, leader of the Kachin
Hawaiian Eye
1959TV
Mr. Kwong, Florist
Adventures in Paradise
1959TV
Ling, Reverend Yen, Mr. Chee
The Rebel
1959TV
Quong Lee
The Third Man
1959TV
Bonanza
1959TV
Mr. Lee Chang, Dr. Kam Lee
Yesterday's Enemy
1959Movie
Yamazuki
Tightrope
1959TV
One Step Beyond
1959TV
Song
Lawman
1958TV
Wong
Hong Kong Confidential
1958Movie
Tan Chung
Wanted: Dead or Alive
1958TV
Tom Wing
Jefferson Drum
1958TV
Charles Wong
Perry Mason
1957TV
James Wong
Have Gun, Will Travel
1957TV
W. Chung
Richard Diamond, Private Detective
1957TV
Ho-Lung
The Way to the Gold
1957Movie
Mr. Ding - cafe owner
Battle Hymn
1957Movie
Old Man
Around the World in 80 Days
1956Movie
Hong Kong Citizen (uncredited)
Hey, Jeannie!
1956TV
Wong
Telephone Time
1956TV
Crossroads
1955TV
Sun Yal, Lung Chan, Ah Hiu
Jungle Jim
1955TV
Navy Log
1955TV
The Left Hand of God
1955Movie
Jan Teng
Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing
1955Movie
Third Uncle
Jump Into Hell
1955Movie
Chinese POW Lieutenant
The Shanghai Story
1954Movie
Major Ling Wu
Hell's Half Acre
1954Movie
Roger Kong
His Majesty O'Keefe
1954Movie
Sien Tang, Dentist
China Venture
1953Movie
Adm. Amara
Target Hong Kong
1953Movie
Sin How
General Electric Theater
1953TV
Rahm Sing
Fair Wind to Java
1953Movie
Gusti
Battle Zone
1952Movie
South Korean Guerrilla Leader
Four Star Playhouse
1952TV
Chang, Capt. Shu Gat
Red Snow
1952Movie
Taglu, a spy
Macao
1952Movie
Itzumi
Japanese War Bride
1952Movie
Eitaro Shimizu
Dragnet
1951TV
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
1951TV
Secrets of Monte Carlo
1951Movie
Wong
China Corsair
1951Movie
Wong San
The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok
1951TV
I Was an American Spy
1951Movie
Capt. Arito
Halls of Montezuma
1951Movie
Maj. Kenji Matsuoda (aka "Nomura")
The Big Hangover
1950Movie
Dr. Lee
The Sickle or the Cross
1949Movie
Chinese Official
Impact
1949Movie
Ah Sing
Boston Blackie's Chinese Venture
1949Movie
Wong Chung Shee
State Department: File 649
1949Movie
Col. Aram
Rogues' Regiment
1948Movie
Tran Duy Gian
The Creeper
1948Movie
Ah Wong - Restaurant Owner
The Cobra Strikes
1948Movie
Kasim--Houseboy
The Miracle of the Bells
1948Movie
Ming Gow
Women in the Night
1948Movie
Professor Kunioshi
Intrigue
1947Movie
Louie Chin
The Chinese Ring
1947Movie
Captain Kong
Saigon
1947Movie
Boss Merchant (uncredited)
Singapore
1947Movie
Jimmy - Bartender (uncredited)
They Were Expendable
1945Movie
Army Orderly (uncredited)
Back to Bataan
1945Movie
Col. Coroki
China's Little Devils
1945Movie
Farmer
China Sky
1945Movie
Dr. Kim
Blood on the Sun
1945Movie
Secret Police Capt. Yomamoto (uncredited)
Betrayal from the East
1945Movie
Kato
God Is My Co-Pilot
1945Movie
Hong Kong Radio Announcer (uncredited)
Forever Yours
1945Movie
Chinese Man (uncredited)
The Keys of the Kingdom
1944Movie
Mr. Pao, Envoy for Mr. Chia
Dragon Seed
1944Movie
Leader of City People (uncredited)
The Story of Dr. Wassell
1944Movie
Ping
The Purple Heart
1944Movie
Saburo Goto (uncredited)
Around the World
1943Movie
Foo
The Man from Down Under
1943Movie
English-Speaking Japanese Aviator (uncredited)
Behind the Rising Sun
1943Movie
Japanese Officer Murdering Takahashi
China
1943Movie
Lin Cho
Don Winslow of the Coast Guard
1943Movie
Hirota
December 7th
1943Movie
Shinto Priest (uncredited)
The Amazing Mrs. Holliday
1943Movie
The Adventures of Smilin' Jack
1943Movie
Wu Tan
China Girl
1942Movie
Kai Young
Across the Pacific
1942Movie
Man in Theatre (uncredited)
Submarine Raider
1942Movie
First Officer Kawakami
Let's Get Tough
1942Movie
Joe Matsui
The Tuttles of Tahiti
1942Movie
Emily's Servant (uncredited)
Ship Ahoy
1942Movie
Koro Sumo
A Yank on the Burma Road
1942Movie
Franklin Ling
They Met in Bombay
1941Movie
Japanese officer (uncredited)
Drums of Fu Manchu
1940Movie
Dr. Chang
The Shadow
1940Movie
Wu Yung
Barricade
1939Movie
Col. Wai Kang
Disputed Passage
1939Movie
Dr. Fung
Island of Lost Men
1939Movie
Panama Patrol
1939Movie
Sun
King of Chinatown
1939Movie
Robert 'Bob' Li
North of Shanghai
1939Movie
Chinese Doctor
Charlie Chan in Honolulu
1938Movie
Wing Foo
Red Barry
1938Movie
Hong Kong Cholly
Hawaii Calls
1938Movie
Julius
Thank You, Mr. Moto
1937Movie
Prince Chung
Daughter of Shanghai
1937Movie
Kim Lee
Tex Rides with the Boy Scouts
1937Movie
Sing Fung, Laundry Man
Something to Sing About
1937Movie
Ito
Roaring Timber
1937Movie
Crooner
The Good Earth
1937Movie
Captain (uncredited)
China Passage
1937Movie
Fang Tu
Stowaway
1936Movie
Sun Lo
The General Died at Dawn
1936Movie
Oxford
Klondike Annie
1936Movie
A Scream in the Night
1935Movie
Wu Ting (as Philip Ann)
Shanghai
1935Movie
Servant
Desirable
1934Movie
Chinese Waiter