Biography
Soo Yong (also credited as Soo Yong Huang or Sod Yong) was a Chinese-American actress. Born in Wailuku, Hawaii, she graduated from the University of Hawaiʻi in 1925 and earned an M.A. in education from Teachers College, Columbia University in 1927. She began her career in stage work and as a cultural interpreter, notably explaining Peking opera performances by Mei Lanfang to American audiences in 1930, before transitioning to film.
She appeared in supporting roles in 23 Hollywood films, including China Seas (1935) as Yu-Lan, The Good Earth (1937) as Aunt, Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing (1955) as Nora Hung, Sayonara (1957) as Terukosan, and Flower Drum Song (1961) as Madame Yen Fong. She also had recurring television appearances, such as in Hawaii Five-O and Magnum, P.I.. Soo Yong was married to businessman C.K. Huang from 1941 until his death in 1980 and died in Honolulu in 1984.
