Nancy Kwan Photos
At just 18, Nancy Kwan was studying dance with England's Royal Ballet School when she was spotted by producer Ray Stark, who tested her and gave her the starring role of a free-spirited Hong Kong prostitute who captivates artist William Holden in The World of Suzie Wong (1960). She followed it the next year with the hit musical Flower Drum Song (1961) and became one of Hollywood's most visible Asian actresses. Born in China to a Chinese father and British mother, Kwan spent the 1960s commuting between film roles in America and Europe, but faded from view in the West when she returned to her native Hong Kong in 1972 to be with her critically ill father. Divorced from her second husband, Austrian hotelier David Giler, and with a young son from her first marriage, Kwan intended to stay a year, but wound up staying a decade.
As managing director of her own production company, she produced and directed dozens of commercials for the Southeast Asia market. She also acted in a spate of films made for Southeast Asian audiences, including "Fear" (1977) (aka, Night Creature (1978)), which introduced her to filmmaker Norbert Meisel, who became her third husband. They returned to the US in 1979 so that her teenage son, Bernie Pock, could complete his education. He was a martial-arts master, fluent in Chinese, and became a stunt coordinator and actor before his untimely death.
Nancy Kwan Photos
After returning to the US, Kwan appeared in numerous TV series (including the pilot for "Hawaii Five-O" (1968)), the NBC miniseries "Noble House" (1988) and the CBS made-for-TV movie Miracle Landing (1990) (TV). She's politically active as the spokeswoman for the Asian-American Voters Coalition, and touts a beauty product, Oriental Pearl Cream, in TV spots. Kwan was at the ceremonies in Los Angeles at Hollywood Park where the Asian community gathered to watch the handover of Hong Kong to the government of China.
Other notable films include: Lt. Robinson Crusoe (1966), Honeymoon Hotel (1964) with Jill St. John and Fate is the Hunter (1964) with Glenn Ford and Suzanne Pleshette. Nancy is three times married with one son. So Happy Birthday to a talented and ground breaking actress.
Nancy Kwan Photos
Monty, Awesome write up! I think I remember, Nancy Kwan, from the TV show, Hawaii Five-O.
ReplyDeleteMonty, (you have to sit down for this true story) When I was in my late20's (Late70's my girl friend at the time wanted me to go to a big family gathering with her . Well i could not get of work that day, so i did not go. When I next saw her she told me she really wanted to introduce me to uncle Benson and aunt Nancy.
ReplyDeleteI said uncle Benson and aunt Nancy ?
Well you can guess it was Benson Fong and Nancy Kwan good friends of her parents. I'm still not over it.
Paul, My gosh!! That must have been very disappointing. :(
ReplyDeleteDawn , you bet!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteAw man. Timing is everything it would appear. That would have been awesome to have met Nancy.
ReplyDelete