Soon-Tek Oh, a pioneering figure in Asian-American theatre who voiced Fa Zhou in two Mulan films and acted with Roger Moore in Man with the Golden Gun, has died. He was 85.
The Korean-American actor died on Wednesday in Los Angeles after a long fight with Alzheimer's, according to actor Chil Kong.
Kong co-founded the Lodestone Theatre Ensemble in Los Angeles under Oh's guidance.
In addition to his voice credits in Mulan, Oh acted in numerous television series throughout his career, beginning in the 1960s with credits on series like It Takes a Thief and I Spy and spanning the '90s with repeat appearances on shows including Hawaii Five-O, M*A*S*H, and Charlie's Angels. He also acted in Magnum, P.I., Cagney & Lacey, and Hill Street Blues and the mini-series East of Eden.
In 1974, Oh appeared as Lieutenant Hip in Man With the Golden Gun. In the film, Hip arrests James Bond after Christopher Lee's Francisco Scaramanga kills a scientist, but turns out to be on Bond's side.
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Perhaps one of Oh's most lasting contributions was as a founder of the East West Players, one of the first Asian-American theatre companies in the US, which helped pave the way for other theatre companies that followed. Notable alumni of the organisation include BD Wong, John Cho, Daniel Dae Kim and Kal Penn.
After the 1992 LA riots, Oh created the Society of Heritage Performers with the hope of elevating Asian-American voices while counteracting stereotypical depictions of Asian-Americans as immigrants and victims of violence. The group evolved into the Lodestone Theatre Ensemble, which disbanded roughly a decade later.
Oh also taught in Korea for around a decade before moving back to Los Angeles towards the end of his life.
