‘The Golden Child’ And ‘Big Trouble In Little China’ Actor Was 73

Peter Kwong, a martial artist, dancer, activist against anti-Asian stereotyping in Hollywood, and actor who appeared in just shy of 90 film and television roles, according to his IMDb page, died overnight in his sleep on Tuesday. He was 73.

Born April 9, 1952, Peter Kwong debuted on television in 1976 with an appearance in the anthology drama Visions. Early guest roles included episodes of dramas Black Sheep Squadron, Wonder Woman, The Man From Atlantis, Sword of Justice, Bret Maverick, and Cagney & Lacey. His first film role was the drama Panic in Echo Park in 1977. And he was active in the 1980s with more TV guest spots in series including Little House on the Prairie, 227, Amazing Stories, MacGyver, St. Elsewhere, Dynasty, The A-Team, Scarecrow and Mrs. King, Full House and the war drama Tour of Duty.

In 1986 came the first of two movie roles that Kwong was immediately identified with: Tommy Tong in Eddie Murphy’s comedy-adventure The Golden Child. That same year, he appeared as Rain, an elemental master and expert martial artist with a sword, in the John Carpenter-directed fantasy action-comedy film Big Trouble in Little China.

There was no shortage of other TV guest spots for Kwong in the 1990s and beyond, both in drama and comedy, including Renegade, Malcolm & Eddie, The District, My Wife and Kids, JAG, and Curb Your Enthusiasm. His other film roles included The Presidio (1988), Gleaming the Cube (1989), I’ll Do Anything (1994), Paper Dragons (1996) and Cooties (2014).

Kwong was also an accomplished martial artist, working in Northern Shaolin kung fu, Chinese kata and with weapons including swords, staffs, spears and nunchaku. And he was a professional dancer, which included ballroom, martial arts fusion, disco and breaking.

Off camera, Kwong served on the SAG National Board of Directors for more than a decade and was on the AFTRA National Board of Directors. And he did a four-year stint on the Television Academy Board of Governors and was a member of the Actors Branch Executive Committee of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, among other roles.

Kwong’s final credited role was the voice of Mike in the 2023-24 comedy vignette web-series Pepito’s Mamadas.