Image: Wikimedia CommonsJohn Lone
American actor
- Born October 13, 1952
- 4 movies
John Lone is a Chinese-American actor, now retired, born Ng Kwok-leung in Hong Kong on 13 October 1952. Trained in Peking opera as a child, he moved to Los Angeles, studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and spent a decade with the Asian-American company East West Players. He is best known for playing Puyi, China's last emperor, in Bernardo Bertolucci's Oscar-winning The Last Emperor, which brought him a Golden Globe nomination. His other films include Year of the Dragon, M. Butterfly, The Shadow and Rush Hour 2, and he later worked in Chinese television.
John Lone appears in 4 films in The Rerun, from 1976 to 2001. Most of that work is in action, crime and comedy. Frequent collaborators in The Rerun: Victor Wong (2).
Known for
- The Last Emperor (1987), Puyi. His starring role earned a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor.
- Year of the Dragon (1985). One of his high-profile film roles of the 1980s.
- M. Butterfly. A screen role from the 1990s.
- The Moderns (1988). His performance earned an Independent Spirit Award nomination.
- Rush Hour 2 (2001). One of his later film credits.
Career
Hollywood offered few roles to East Asian actors when Lone started, and his early break came on stage: David Henry Hwang’s play FOB won him an Obie Award in 1981. On film he had the title role in Iceman before Michael Cimino cast him as the gang leader Joey Tai in Year of the Dragon (1985), a performance that brought a Golden Globe nomination for supporting actor. Cimino then recommended him to Bertolucci, who chose him for The Last Emperor (1987), in which he plays Puyi from youth to old age.
David Cronenberg cast him as the opera singer Song Liling in M. Butterfly (1993), where Lone did his own singing. He played the villain Shiwan Khan in The Shadow (1994) and the corrupt Hong Kong policeman Ricky Tan in Rush Hour 2 (2001), then turned to Chinese television, playing Qing emperors. His most recent film is War (2007) with Jet Li and Jason Statham.
Where to start
- The Last Emperor (1987): the role of his career, in a nine-time Oscar winner.
- Year of the Dragon (1985): a charismatic, Golden Globe-nominated villain.
- Rush Hour 2 (2001): his best-known later role, in a buddy-action hit.
Movies
Quick answers
- What movies and TV shows has John Lone been in?
- John Lone appears in Rush Hour 2 (2001), The Last Emperor (1987), Year of the Dragon (1985) and King Kong (1976) on The Remote.
- When was John Lone born?
- John Lone was born on 13 October 1952.
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