One of six children born to a Honolulu contractor, he was educated at New York University where he majored in English.
Discovered as a singer by TV's "Ted Mack's Amateur Hour" where he won first place and an annual scholarship prize. This led to Vegas and nightclub appearances. Pat Boone and Ann-Margret are other celebrities who benefited from Ted Mack's popular show.
Speaks fluent Japanese, French and Italian.
The first Asian-American to crack the old Hollywood studio star system, albeit briefly, groomed as a romantic leading man.
On April 18, 2005, he was awarded a Visionary Award from East West Players, the nation's premier Asian American theatre organization.
Chosen by Goldsea Asian American Daily as one of the "100 Most Inspiring Asian Americans of All Time".
Filmography
As an actor:
2009 The People I've Slept With
2005 Avatar: The Last Airbender
2004 Threat Matrix
2002 A Ribbon of Dreams
2002 Brother
1999 Beverly Hills, 90210
1998 Mulan as General Li
1997 Space Marines
1997 Drive
1997 The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest
1996 Cybill
1995 Midnight Man
1994 Cage II
1994 Babylon 5
1994 Renegade
1994 Hart to Hart: Old Friends Never Die
1994 SeaQuest DSV
1994 Murder, She Wrote
1990 China Cry: A True Story
1989 Jake and the Fatman
1989 Dragnet
1989 A Peaceable Kingdom
1989 Cage
1989 Mission: Impossible
1988 Die Hard as Joseph Yoshinobu Takagi
1988 Simon & Simon
1987 The Hitchhiker
1987 Magnum, P.I.
1986 The Family Martinez
1985 Airwolf
1984 Matt Houston
1983 Masquerade
1983 The Love Boat
1983 T.J. Hooker
1982 The Renegades
1982 Strike Force
1982 Tomorrow's Child
1982 The Greatest American Hero
1980 Enola Gay: The Men, the Mission, the Atomic Bomb
1979 Samurai
1979 Fantasy Island
1978 The Rockford Files
1978 Police Woman
1977 The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries
1977 Little House on the Prairie
1976 Arthur Hailey's the Moneychangers
1976 Once an Eagle
1976 The Streets of San Francisco
1976 Midway as Vice Admiral Chuichi Nagumo
1976 The Killer Who Wouldn't Die
1976 S.W.A.T.
1976 Ellery Queen
1975 Matt Helm
1975 Kung Fu
1975 Khan!
1974 The Yakuza
1974 Emergency!
1974 The Questor Tapes
1973 Lost Horizon
1973 Medical Center
1973 Ironside
1970 Mission: Impossible
1969 The Young Lawyers
1968 Hawaii Five-O
1968 Escape to Mindanao
1968 It Takes a Thief
1968 Nobody's Perfect
1968 Manila, Open City
1967 The Mystery of the Chinese Junk
1966 Paradise, Hawaiian Style
1966 Tre pistole contro Cesare
1965 I Spy
1965 Ben Casey
1965 Perry Mason
1965 The Bing Crosby Show
1964 Carol for Another Christmas
1964 The Outer Limits
1964 The Lieutenant
1964 Burke's Law
1963 Dr. Kildare
1962 Naked City
1961 Playdate
1961 Flower Drum Song
1961 Alcoa Premiere
1961 Bridge to the Sun
1961 Cry for Happy
1960 Walk Like a Dragon
1959 The Crimson Kimono
As a composer:
1973 Lost Horizon
1961 Flower Drum Song
Self:
2009 Hollywood Singing & Dancing: A Musical History - 1960's
2008 Hollywood Singing and Dancing: A Musical Treasure
2007 Hollywood Chinese
2006 The Slanted Screen
2006 2006 Asian Excellence Awards
1988 Slaying the Dragon
1985 Rodgers and Hammerstein: The Sound of American Music
1967 Dateline: Hollywood
1967 Dream Girl of '67
1959 The Dinah Shore Chevy Show
Videos
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