Spencer Chan

Spencer Chan (March 28, 1892 - January 12, 1988) was a Chinese-American character actor who had a long career in film and television.[1]

Spencer Chan
Born
Spencer Edward Chan

(1892-03-28)March 28, 1892
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
DiedJanuary 12, 1988(1988-01-12) (aged 95)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Alma materUniversity of Southern California
OccupationCharacter actor

Biography

Chan was born in Los Angeles, California, to Kui Sing Chan (a pastor and court interpreter) and Loy Yau.[2] His parents were Chinese immigrants, and they owned a house in Los Angeles's Boyle Heights neighborhood. Chan attended and graduated college at the University of Southern California.[2][3]

Chan began appearing in Hollywood films in the 1930s, and also worked as an interpreter and casting agent when a script called for Chinese actors.[4] Chan was considered an "atmosphere" player, along with Willie Fung, Frank Chew, Richard Loo and others.[5]

Chan died in January 1988 in Los Angeles, California, at the age of 95.[6]

Selected filmography

References
  1. Landesman, Fred (August 13, 2015). The John Wayne Filmography. McFarland. p. 23. ISBN 9781476609225 – via Google Books.
  2. Ford, Sydney (June 28, 1912). "Women's Work; Women's Clubs". The Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. Retrieved November 18, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  3. Chandler, Robert (2004). California: An Illustrated History. Hippocrene Books. p. 96. ISBN 0781810345 – via Google Books.
  4. Riesel, Victor (October 25, 1947). "Coast Communists Seek Control of Film Unions". Arizona Republic. Phoenix, Arizona. Retrieved November 18, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  5. Slide, Anthony (September 5, 2012). Hollywood Unknowns: A History of Extras, Bit Players, and Stand-Ins. University Press of Mississippi. p. 195. ISBN 9781617034749 – via Google Books.
  6. "Spencer E. Chan". The Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. January 17, 1988. Retrieved September 11, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.