Sung Kang
Sung-Ho Kang (born April 8, 1972) is an American actor. His first major role was as Han Lue in the Fast & Furious franchise, a character he first portrayed in Better Luck Tomorrow (2002).[1][2] Kang also played John Mak in the television series Power.
Sung Kang | |
|---|---|
Kang in 2007 | |
| Born | Sung-Ho Kang April 8, 1972 Clarkston, Georgia, U.S. |
| Nationality | American South Korean |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1999–present |
| Spouse | Miki Yim |
| Korean name | |
| Hangul | 강성호 |
| Hanja | 姜成鎬 |
| Revised Romanization | Gang Seongho |
| McCune–Reischauer | Kang Sŏngho |
Early life
Kang was born in Clarkston, Georgia, to South Korean immigrant parents before moving to Gainesville, Georgia.[3][4] He was raised by his Korean mother and African American stepfather.[5] He moved to Barstow, California while in high school.[4]
Kang attended the University of California, Riverside.[4] While in college he chose acting over law school, a decision which was met with disappointment from his parents due to their concerns over the lack of Asian Americans on American television and lack of job prospects.[4]
Career
Kang's first major role was in Better Luck Tomorrow (2002), in which he played Han Lue, an aloof gang member, directed by Justin Lin. He was one of the stars in The Motel, in which he played Sam Kim.
Kang reprised his role as Han Lue in the Fast & Furious franchise, first appearing in The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, the second movie directed by Justin Lin once again. Initially seen as a one-off character in an almost straight-to-DVD release, Kang's role in Tokyo Drift was intended as a single-scene role for a rapper to make a cameo, tossing his keys to the main character (portrayed by Lucas Black). As production progressed, Lin expanded Han to a significant supporting character which proved "emotionally affecting" and "a more delicate touch than the Fast movies had seen before, or since". In portraying Han, Kang "[emulated] the laid-back cool of the Paul Newmans and Steve McQueens" with "an added Pitt-esque obsession with constantly snacking". This made Kang a fan favorite and so he was subsequently brought back to the Fast & Furious franchise by director Justin Lin, subsequently appearing in Fast & Furious, Fast Five, Fast & Furious 6, and short film, Los Bandoleros. [6]
Kang also had a role in Jet Li's film War (2007), playing an FBI agent, and was featured in the movie Forbidden Warrior as Doran, a son of Genghis Khan. He had a small role in the action movie Live Free or Die Hard, and he appeared in Walter Hill's movie Bullet to the Head (2013) as Detective Taylor Kwon, opposite Sylvester Stallone.
Kang has had several notable television roles, including the recurring role of the narcissistic President Gin Kew Yun Chun Yew Nee in the Korean drama parody "Tae Do (Attitudes and Feelings, Both Desirable and Sometimes Secretive)" alongside Bobby Lee on MADtv. He portrayed FBI Agent Tae Kim in the short-lived crime procedural Gang Related on FOX. Both roles required him to speak Korean, which he is conversant in. The character Tae Kim was written specifically for him by creator Chris Morgan, whom he had worked with on the Fast & Furious franchise.[7]
Kang started the YouTube channel "Sung's Garage" in January 2020, which hosts the videos for the podcast of the same name.[5][8]
Kang credits reporter Jen Yamato of the Los Angeles Times and her #JusticeForHan social media campaign for rallying public interest and bringing the character of Han Lue back to the Fast & Furious franchise, in which he reprises his role in F9 (2021), reuniting with director Justin Lin once more.[5][8]
In 2022, Kang portrayed Fifth Brother in the Disney+ series Obi-Wan Kenobi.[9]
Other ventures
Business
He owned a restaurant called Saketini in Brentwood, Los Angeles, California, which closed in early 2013.[10]
Kang launched a watch with Perrelet in 2016.[11]
Auto drifting
Kang has said that, prior to his casting as Han in The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, he had been unaware of the drifting culture that existed in Japan. It was not until he began researching the part that he perfected his skills in this popular sport, which is a global craze.[12] He stated that filming the Fast & Furious film franchise rekindled a long-dormant interest in cars; he had grown up watching an elderly neighbor restore vintage cars.[13]
Filmography
| Denotes films that have not yet been released |
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Talk to Taka | Co-producer | |
| 2001 | Pearl Harbor | Listener/Japanese Translator | |
| 2002 | Better Luck Tomorrow | Han Lue | Associate producer |
| Antwone Fisher | Receptionist | ||
| 2004 | 9:30 | Chan Kin Fai | Short film |
| Forbidden Warrior | Doran | ||
| 2005 | The Motel | Sam | |
| 2006 | The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift | Han Lue | |
| Undoing | Samuel | Producer | |
| 2007 | War | Goi | |
| Finishing the Game | Cole Kim | ||
| Live Free or Die Hard | Raj | ||
| 2009 | Fast & Furious | Han Lue | |
| Los Bandoleros | Short film | ||
| Ninja Assassin | Hollywood | ||
| Clap Clap | Roy | Short film | |
| 2011 | Fast Five | Han Lue | |
| 4 Wedding Planners | Kai | ||
| 2012 | Sunset Stories | JP | |
| Bullet to the Head | Taylor Kwon | ||
| 2013 | Fast & Furious 6 | Han Lue | |
| The Come Up | Douchey Actor | Short film | |
| 2015 | Eden | Connie | |
| Furious 7 | Han Lue | Archive footage | |
| Hollywood Adventures | Manny | ||
| 2016 | Pali Road | Mitch Kayne | |
| The Free World | Detective Shin | ||
| Code 8 | Officer Alex Park | Short film | |
| 2017 | Party Boat | Greg | |
| 2019 | Code 8 | Officer Alex Park | |
| 2020 | We Can Be Heroes | Blinding Fast | |
| 2021 | Raya and the Last Dragon | Dang Hai (voice) | |
| F9 | Han Lue | ||
| Snakehead | Rambo | ||
| 2023 | Fast X | Han Lue | Post-production |
| 2024 | Fast & Furious 10 Part 2 |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Felicity | Student | 1 episode |
| 2000 | Martial Law | Xian Law | 3 episodes |
| 2001 | NYPD Blue | Asian Uniform | 1 episode |
| 2002 | Girlfriends | Bartender | 1 episode |
| 2002 | Spin City | Jordan | 1 episode |
| 2003 | The Shield | Malcom Rama | 1 episode |
| 2004 | Threat Matrix | Ray Lee | 1 episode |
| 2004 | Cold Case | Sen Dhiet/Varin Toan | 1 episode |
| 2005 | Without a Trace | Deke | 1 episode |
| 2005 | Monk | Mr. Huang (Disciple) | 1 episode |
| 2006–2008 | MADtv | President Gin Kew Yun Chun Yew Nee | 4 episodes |
| 2006 | Standoff | David Lau | 1 episode |
| 2006 | CSI: Miami | Lee Choi | 1 episode |
| 2008 | Knight Rider | Johnny Chang | 1 episode |
| 2008 | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Jang | 1 episode |
| 2009 | Monk | Vince Kuramoto | 1 episode |
| 2009 | Mental | Jimmy | 1 episode |
| 2010 | Easy to Assemble | Sung Skjulstad / Sung Skjulestad | Webseries, 3 episodes |
| 2014 | Robot Chicken | Hook / Stratos (voice) | 1 episode |
| 2014 | Gang Related | Tae Kim | Main role, 13 episodes[14] |
| 2016 | Family Guy | Soap Opera Actor (voice) | Episode: "Candy, Quahog Marshmallow" |
| 2016 | Hawaii Five-0 | Dae Wan | 1 episode |
| 2017–2020 | Power | Assistant U.S. Attorney John Mak | Main role, 22 episodes |
| 2018 | Magnum P.I. | Lieutenant Yoshi Tanaka | 1 episode |
| 2019 | Whiskey Cavalier | Daniel Lou | 1 episode |
| 2020 | Power Book II: Ghost | Assistant U.S. Attorney John Mak | 3 episodes |
| 2021 | Lisey's Story | Officer Dan Boeckman | Miniseries, 7 episodes |
| 2022 | Obi-Wan Kenobi | The Fifth Brother | Miniseries, 4 Episodes |
Video games
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Fast & Furious: Showdown | Han (voice) |
References
- ^ Earl, William (March 24, 2021). "GOOD: Sung Kang as Han Lue in 'Better Luck Tomorrow' and 'Fast & Furious' Franchise". Variety. Retrieved April 6, 2021.
- ^ CAAMFest (February 19, 2016). "The Fast and Furious Star Sung Kang talks about his career and future". Center for Asian American Media.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Stevenson, Elena (October 14, 2008). . Elena Stevenson. Archived from the original on January 14, 2010. Retrieved September 14, 2010.
- ^ a b c d Ho, Rodney (May 22, 2014). "Former Clarkston resident Sung Kang stars in Fox's 'Gang Related'". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
- ^ a b c Yamato, Jen; Shyong, Frank (May 19, 2020). "Sung Kang". Asian Enough (Podcast). Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 19, 2020.
- ^ Klinkenberg, Brendan (June 23, 2021). "Sung Kang's Road Home: How His Fast & Furious Character Became a Lightning Rod". GQ.
- ^ Nicholson, Amy (May 20, 2014). "Fast & Furious' Breakout Star Sung Kang Anchors Fox TV's Gang Related". LA Weekly.
- ^ a b Kang, Sung (January 31, 2020). "Ep#1 - Jen Yamato #JusticeForHan". Sung's Garage (Podcast). Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
- ^ "Obi-Wan Kenobi Series to Begin Production in April, Cast Revealed". StarWars.com. Retrieved March 29, 2021.
- ^ "Index of /". Sungkang.com. Retrieved July 23, 2016.
- ^ Naas, Robert (October 25, 2016). "Actor Sung Kang Talks Cars, Kids, Time and Watches". Haute Time.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ . Archived from the original on September 19, 2008. Retrieved August 31, 2008.
- ^ Klein, Jonathon (August 9, 2016). "Catching Up With "Fast and Furious" Star Sung Kang". Automobile.
- ^ Jeffery, Morgan (February 21, 2013). "'Fast & Furious' star Sung Kang joins Fox drama 'Gang Related'". Digitalspy.com. Retrieved July 23, 2016.
External links
- Official website
- Sung Kang at IMDb
- Back Stage Interview
- at The New York Times