Let's take his very first scene. "The gender roles are switched," Kent Ono and Vincent Pham write in their book, Asian Americans And The Media. He sang folk songs by Bob Dylan and hoped to become part of a rock and roll band. It is, however, known that he was born to a Japanese American family, and his mother had been interned in world war II as a seamstress at the Utah tailoring company. Thank you again, Gedde! After graduating from high school, Watanabe moved from Odgen to San Francisco, where he hoped to make a living as a street musician while improving his histrionic skills. Last edited on 19 February 2023, at 06:28, The Wacky Adventures of Ronald McDonald: The Visitors from Outer Space, Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, "Long Duk Dong: Last of the Hollywood Stereotypes? He is an actor, known for Mulan (1998), Sixteen Candles (1984) and Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990). The Donger loved everything about America: the fun, the girls, the cars. Gedde Watanabe (born Gary Watanabe) is an American actor. He . According to our Database, He has no children. Understudy: Gedde Watanabe [Tamate] MusicalComedy DramaOriginal. Gedde Watanabe and with his co-star from sixteen candles. He earns around 15 thousand dollars per episode in television series and 52 thousand dollars per year as an actor. During the nineties, Watanabe studied acting at Theater Theater in Hollywood, California, with Chris Aable, who introduced him to fellow actors Jon Cedar and Steve Burton. Gedde Watanabe is a Japanese-American actor popular as a voice actor for the character of Ling in animated film Mulan (1998) and its sequel Mulan II (2004). He has eight or nine kids, I would imagine. Watanabe is known for his acting style as well as his singing skills. Clippers.". Watanabe appeared on Sesame Street from 1988 to 1991 as Hiroshi and had a recurring role as gay nurse Yoshi Takata on the television drama ER from 1997 to 2003. Gedde Watanabe was born Gary Watanabe in Utah, USA, on 26 June 1955 in a Japanese-American family. In 1976, Watanabes first role was as a member of the original Broadway castofPacific Overtures. Some of his favorite subjects include sci-fi, history, and obscure facts about 90's television. "Asian Americans who grew up in the second half of the 1980s complained that they were called 'Donkers' in junior and high schools," Grace Ji-Sun Kim, a researcher at Georgetown University, wrote in the book Theological Reflections on 'Gangnam Style.' Nick is a Senior Staff Writer for Ned Hardy. He is perhaps best known for voicing the character of Ling in the 1998 animated film Mulan and its 2004 sequel, Mulan II as well as playing Long Duk Dong in the 1984 film Sixteen Candles. Gary "Gedde" Watanabe (born June 26, 1955) is an American actor and comedian. Gedde Watanabe has already spent over four decades in the entertainment industry. Its subtle, but if you watch the movie now you can tell that some of us like Debbie and Michael [Schoeffling, who played Jake Ryan] were older than the Cusacks and Molly and Andy. His other credits include Gremlins 2: The New Batch, Armageddon, and Mulan II. 26 June 1955. And for someone who fell so in love with America, hes probably changed his name. "These were people who recognized that the paths they had chosen for themselves when they were just kids out of school were not going to pan out." "They needed new dreams, new careers, new lives. However, Watanabe justified his role stating that he was only making people laugh. Finally I had to admit I was lying. Which wasnt a very smart idea because I was basically lying and would have to tell them at some point that I only spoke English and was from Ogden, Utah. Gedde Watanabe remains best known as Long Duk Dong in the 1984 comedy-drama Sixteen Candles for a whole generation. We don't have much information about He's past relationship and any previous engaged. I think I found my new crush. He would take the vegetables thrown at him home and make a meal out of them. N/A. His tenure on ER would space 58 episodes from 1997 to 2003. Some of his kids are in the arts, one in a rock band probably, some are teachers, a few doctors. Additionally, he hosts The Randy Report p Instinct Magazine 2023 - All Rights Reserved. They are all not in the arts. He is a member of famous Actor with the age 67 years old group. Gedde Watanabes early career combined acting jobs to hone his skills while working as a street musician to pay the bills. In the years since, it seems like criticism has grown less pointed toward Watanabe for the part and more at the more significant time for which the role was one of the few ways an Asian actor could get work. I also had really good friends through theater and was able to blend in thanks to them. Netflix Anthology Series Social Distance Reviews: Stream It Or Skip It! I think he owns restaurants. These were people in their late 40s and early 50s, all of them feeling hopeless about how their lives had turned out., At the same time, we had friends at whom we marveled, added Burns. Continue with Recommended Cookies. Born in Utah, Watanabe grew up in Chinatown, San Francisco, California. He voiced various Japanese characters on the animated television comedy The Simpsons. The series explores a pivotal issue people face as they navigate their 50s: What do you do when you realize that time is running short, the road behind you is longer than the road ahead, and your job, your marriage, your relationship with your kids, your life has not turned out at all the way you had hoped and planned when you were young? Upload media. Nationality. By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. In my late 30s I became a makeup artist and met my future husband, In my late 40s we were able to legally marry. The Crown Season 5: Release Date, Cast, Plot, Storyline, And More Update! He would reprise his Mulan role of Ling in a sequel and the video game Kingdom Hearts II. The Disappointments, from creator Rich Burns, is a new web series about three middle-aged gay best friends trying to figure out how to live their best lives. Laughing, Live In The Moment, Way To Live. (2022 Update), Whatever Happened To Leah Ayres? Actor Gedde Watanabe was born in 1955 in Ogden, UT, and he got bit by the acting bug as a teen. The role attracted hatred from some Asian American groups who called it "stereotypical, racist and part of a long history of Hollywood's offensive depictions of Asian men." Gedde Watanabe (Gary Watanabe) was born on 26 June, 1955 in Ogden, UT, is an Actor, Comedian. Most dates on his world tour have been canceled. After graduation, Watanabe left Ogden for San Francisco, where he hoped to make his living as a street musician while honing his acting skills. Top 10 Tricks to earn from Google AdSense. American actor and comedian. Additional episodes will be released each following Monday. I was mostly worried about hitting my marks and stuff like that. He would continue to act in theatrical projects through the early 1980s but would land a breakout film role in 1984. You actually say in the DVD extras that one of the special things about Sixteen Candles is the innocence of Molly wanting to find the right guy and me wanting to find the right America.My training and my teachers had taught me that getting a character is about going for the intention. Gary "Gedde" Watanabe is a Hollywood actor and comedian of Japanese American origin. 6 Copy quote. Watanabe was born and raised in Ogden, Utah in a Japanese-American family. He is perhaps best known for voicing the character of Ling in the 1998 animated film Mulan and its 2004 sequel, Mulan II as well as playing Long Duk Dong in the 1984 film Sixteen Candles, and as Nurse Yoshi Takata in the NBC medical drama ER from 1997 to 2003. Contents 1 Credits 1.1 Special guest voice 1.2 Also starring 1.3 Voice 2 External links Credits Dong's femininity makes him weak, and we're meant to laugh at this. 3 years later, I no longer wanted to be a teacher. And I did a lot of singing in piano bars that closed at 4 a.m.. He portrayed the character of Long Duk Dong in the 1984 film, Sixteen Candles. The whole show is in a silly, goofy mood. After graduation, Watanabe left Ogden for San Francisco, where he hoped to make his living as a street musician while honing his acting skills. Thats where I found my people and my closest friends. For Gedde Watanabe, life began in the rural town of Ogden, UT. The Sixteen Candles star's first sit-down interview since he was on Merv Griffin's show. He voiced the character, Ling, in the 1998 animated movie Mulan and its 2004 sequel, Mulan II. [Laughs.] Actually, he's probably been married a few times. I find that a really exemplary way to live. Zelda Rubenstein, who played the wedding organist, and I became friends years later. The story follows four German spies in WWII who become enamored with America. Gedde Watanabes income source is mostly from being a successful Actor. Explore Gedde Watanabe Wiki Age, Height, Biography as Wikipedia, Wife, Family relation. Gary "Gedde" Watanabe (born June 26, 1955 in Odgen, Utah) is a Japanese-American actor and comedian . [1] He is perhaps best known for voicing the character of Ling in the 1998 successful animated film Mulan and its 2004 sequel, Mulan II as well as playing Long Duk Dong in the 1984 film Sixteen Candles. He later reprised this role on the Weird Al Show. So that scene improved its way into the script. Long Duk Dong is an exchange student from an unspecified Asian country, temporarily living with the family of Molly Ringwald's downtrodden birthday girl Sam Baker. Required fields are marked *. Which Firefly Cast Member Had The Most Successful Career After The Show Ended? In the 1989 movie UHF starring "Weird Al" Yankovic, Watanabe co-starred as Kuni, a karate instructor and abusive host of a TV game show called Wheel of Fish. You want to try this? he was born on June 26, 1955, in Utah. I think he owns restaurants. Gedde Watanabe's age is 67. Watanabe played his first role in 1976as a member of the original Broadway cast of Pacific Overtures, originating in the roles of Priest, Girl, and The Boy. More from Nick, Star Trek Actor Reveals His Humiliating Experience Working With The Seinfeld Actors. She wanted me for the role and said, Dont tell John. So we kept it a secret until the table read in Chicago when I took him aside and said, John, I have to tell you something He said, Wheres your accent? I was just so nervous telling him that I was afraid Id get fired and aware of my own embarrassment that Id told a huge lie. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Your email address will not be published. As per some sources claim that he earns around $52 thousandper annum as a movie actor and$15 thousandto$25 thousand per episode from his television series. And hes about to make a bid for the L.A. Clippers. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. He portrayed the character of Long Duk Dong in the 1984 film, Sixteen Candles. Throughout his career he has mostly portrayed East Asian characters with heavy accents although he doesnt speak any Japanese. He was also an original cast member of the Stephen Sondheim musical Pacific Overtures. 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