Calvin Jung
Encyclopedia
Calvin Jung is an American actor.
Graduating from high school in New York, Jung attended Massanutten Military Academy in Virginia
. He attended Hillsdale College
in Michigan
, and left his senior year to pursue acting back in New York. His first professional acting job was a commercial in Canada
in 1970. His New York debut was off-Broadway
at the American Place theater (The Chickencoop Chinaman
) in 1971. In 1974 he appeared as Mr. Lee in the long-running "ancient Chinese secret" commercial for Calgon
water softener, a role of which he says, "The fact that you had an Asian couple speak without accents was advanced for that time. Forget about stereotypes, just having Asians speak without accents was a major breakthrough."
In 1976 his Broadway debut was with The Phoenix Repertory Theater in the dramas "Memory of Two Mondays" and "They Knew What They Wanted". He notes that he was the first "cross-casted" actor in the company. Also on Broadway he worked with George C. Scott
and Hector Elizondo
in "Sly Fox". Among his many New York theater gigs were those at the Brooklyn Academy ("Dawn Song"), at the New York Public Theatre ("FOB"); he also helped found an Asian/Asian American repertory company and helped get it into the La Mama Experimental Theatre, where he was a resident member (1970–1972).
In the 1980s, Jung started to assume supporting parts in major movie productions such as RoboCop
in 1987, wherein he played Steve Minh, a member of a vicious gang of cocaine dealers and bank robbers that brutally slays a police man who afterwards is turned into the revengeful cyborg-protagonist of the movie. Other movies that Jung appeared in were The Formula (with Marlon Brando
), The Challenge
(with Toshirō Mifune
), Lethal Weapon 4
(with Mel Gibson
), and The Day After
(with Jason Robards
).
On television Jung frequently took over guest parts in TV series such as Murder, She Wrote
, Cheers
, Trapper John M.D., and Babylon 5
.
Jung has stated that he is proud to have played many good Asian American roles, especially roles that don't require accents, as well as many roles that were not originally written for Asian Americans at all.
Graduating from high school in New York, Jung attended Massanutten Military Academy in Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
. He attended Hillsdale College
Hillsdale College
Hillsdale College in Hillsdale, Michigan, United States, is a co-educational liberal arts college known for being the first American college to prohibit in its charter all discrimination based on race, religion, or sex; its refusal of government funding; and its monthly publication, Imprimis...
in Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, and left his senior year to pursue acting back in New York. His first professional acting job was a commercial in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
in 1970. His New York debut was off-Broadway
Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway theater is a term for a professional venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, and for a specific production of a play, musical or revue that appears in such a venue, and which adheres to related trade union and other contracts...
at the American Place theater (The Chickencoop Chinaman
The Chickencoop Chinaman
The Chickencoop Chinaman is a 1972 play by Frank Chin. It was the first play by an Asian American to have a major New York production.-Story:...
) in 1971. In 1974 he appeared as Mr. Lee in the long-running "ancient Chinese secret" commercial for Calgon
Calgon
Calgon is a brand registered trademark of different corporations. The original product consisted of powdered sodium hexametaphosphate , which in water would complex with ambient calcium ion and certain other cations, preventing formation of unwanted salts and interference by those cations with the...
water softener, a role of which he says, "The fact that you had an Asian couple speak without accents was advanced for that time. Forget about stereotypes, just having Asians speak without accents was a major breakthrough."
In 1976 his Broadway debut was with The Phoenix Repertory Theater in the dramas "Memory of Two Mondays" and "They Knew What They Wanted". He notes that he was the first "cross-casted" actor in the company. Also on Broadway he worked with George C. Scott
George C. Scott
George Campbell Scott was an American stage and film actor, director and producer. He was best known for his stage work, as well as his portrayal of General George S. Patton in the film Patton, and as General Buck Turgidson in Stanley Kubrick's Dr...
and Hector Elizondo
Hector Elizondo
Héctor Elizondo is an American actor. Elizondo's first major role was that of "God" in the play Steambath, for which he won an Obie Award...
in "Sly Fox". Among his many New York theater gigs were those at the Brooklyn Academy ("Dawn Song"), at the New York Public Theatre ("FOB"); he also helped found an Asian/Asian American repertory company and helped get it into the La Mama Experimental Theatre, where he was a resident member (1970–1972).
In the 1980s, Jung started to assume supporting parts in major movie productions such as RoboCop
RoboCop
RoboCop is a 1987 American science fiction-action film directed by Paul Verhoeven. Set in a crime-ridden Detroit, Michigan in the near future, RoboCop centers on a police officer who is brutally murdered and subsequently re-created as a super-human cyborg known as "RoboCop"...
in 1987, wherein he played Steve Minh, a member of a vicious gang of cocaine dealers and bank robbers that brutally slays a police man who afterwards is turned into the revengeful cyborg-protagonist of the movie. Other movies that Jung appeared in were The Formula (with Marlon Brando
Marlon Brando
Marlon Brando, Jr. was an American movie star and political activist. "Unchallenged as the most important actor in modern American Cinema" according to the St...
), The Challenge
The Challenge (1982 film)
The Challenge is a 1982 American action film directed by John Frankenheimer and co-written by John Sayles. The film stars Scott Glenn and Toshirō Mifune.-Plot:...
(with Toshirō Mifune
Toshiro Mifune
Toshirō Mifune was a Japanese actor who appeared in almost 170 feature films. He is best known for his 16-film collaboration with filmmaker Akira Kurosawa, from 1948 to 1965, in works such as Rashomon, Seven Samurai, Throne of Blood, and Yojimbo...
), Lethal Weapon 4
Lethal Weapon 4
Lethal Weapon 4 is a 1998 American action film directed by Richard Donner, starring Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Joe Pesci, Rene Russo, Chris Rock and Jet Li. It is the third sequel in the Lethal Weapon series of films. -Plot:...
(with Mel Gibson
Mel Gibson
Mel Colm-Cille Gerard Gibson, AO is an American actor, film director, producer and screenwriter. Born in Peekskill, New York, Gibson moved with his parents to Sydney, Australia when he was 12 years old and later studied acting at the Australian National Institute of Dramatic Art.After appearing in...
), and The Day After
The Day After
The Day After is a 1983 American television movie which aired on November 20, 1983, on the ABC television network. It was seen by more than 100 million people during its initial broadcast....
(with Jason Robards
Jason Robards
Jason Nelson Robards, Jr. was an American actor on stage, and in film and television, and a winner of the Tony Award , two Academy Awards and the Emmy Award...
).
On television Jung frequently took over guest parts in TV series such as Murder, She Wrote
Murder, She Wrote
Murder, She Wrote is an American television mystery series starring Angela Lansbury as mystery writer and amateur detective Jessica Fletcher. The series aired for 12 seasons from 1984 to 1996 on the CBS network, with 264 episodes transmitted. It was followed by four TV films and a spin-off series,...
, Cheers
Cheers
Cheers is an American situation comedy television series that ran for 11 seasons from 1982 to 1993. It was produced by Charles/Burrows/Charles Productions, in association with Paramount Network Television for NBC, and was created by the team of James Burrows, Glen Charles, and Les Charles...
, Trapper John M.D., and Babylon 5
Babylon 5
Babylon 5 is an American science fiction television series created, produced and largely written by J. Michael Straczynski. The show centers on a space station named Babylon 5: a focal point for politics, diplomacy, and conflict during the years 2257–2262...
.
Jung has stated that he is proud to have played many good Asian American roles, especially roles that don't require accents, as well as many roles that were not originally written for Asian Americans at all.