Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, October 8, 1994 TAG: 9410150011
SECTION: SPECTATOR PAGE: S-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB THOMAS ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: LOS ANGELES LENGTH: Medium
``The fact that there wasn't a show like this one when I was a boy made it difficult for me to decide to become an actor,'' said Wong, the co-star of ABC's ``All American Girl.''
The Wednesday night series (airing at 8:30 on WSET-Channel 13) revolves around a Korean-American college student, played by stand-up comic Margaret Cho, who is at odds with her traditionalist mother, Jodi Long. Clyde Kusatsu is the peacemaking father, and Wong is the overachieving big brother, the paragon of the family.
``It is so natural for me to be in it and to be supportive of it and to love it, because it is a lot of the things that people in my community have always wanted to see,'' Wong said of the show.
When asked why he gave up films and play for a sitcom, he responds, ``There is something legitimate about this show, and I guess that's why I'm in it so unflinchingly. I don't think it's your average shallow television commitment. I really all my life hoped this was the kind of show I could be on.
``Ironically enough, a large part of the message of the show is that there is no message. There is a kind of misconception that Asian-Americans are not as American as European-Americans. The show itself dispels that myth, but not by spelling it out. It's about an Asian-American girl, and it's a fresh idea for some people.''
The actor wasn't always B.D. Wong. He has a real name, which he'd rather not reveal. When he was starring with John Lithgow in ``M. Butterfly'' on Broadway, his character's gender was a mystery. Rather than give the surprise away, he chose to bill himself with initials.
Wong won the Tony as best featured actor for his role, and movies followed: ``Jurassic Park,'' ``Father of the Bride,'' and ``The Ref,'' as well as ``And the Band Played On'' and ``Sesame Street'' for TV.
Wong has a compact, disciplined frame and an alert face that often brightens with a mischievous smile. He talks fondly of his San Francisco boyhood, and his love of family is apparent. He is a fourth-generation Californian, the family coming from Hong Kong.
Although his parents and older brother spoke Cantonese, Wong attended school in the Mission District, where he mixed with students of varied backgrounds and spoke English.
``I liked the fact that San Francisco had so many diverse cultures,'' he said.
Did he encounter prejudice along the way?
``I think it would be very surprising to ask a person of color that question and for him to say no,'' he responded. ``I don't think it's possible, even growing up in San Francisco, to not experience it or feel it or have a deep understanding of its existence.''
That extended to his career as an actor. ``I can't speak for the other actors on the show,'' he said, ``but I think that many of them would say that they felt like second-class artists in their careers. Because they don't get the challenging and interesting and attractive work. This show is like a gift for us.''
Wong grew up with an interest in creative things - art classes, singing in a choir, playing the violin.
``Then, in junior high school I discovered acting by being in a play,'' he recalled. ``At first, it was treated like an intense hobby. But as I got into it and did more and more plays, I realized this was something I loved and did well.''
Finally, he confronted his parents with his desire to seek the acting life. At first, they feared for him, but they consented, and he went off to New York.
``I was very poor, but I never starved,'' he said. ``I realized you would never starve if you were not really stupid. I had saved a lot of money working at Mrs. Fields' Chocolate Chip Cookies, ushering at the Golden Gate theater and doing odd jobs so I could live in New York for a few months. If it ran out, I would have to give up and go home. It turned out OK. I got my Equity card and started working.''
by CNB