# Asian-American actresses on primetime network TV **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 1, 2003, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asian-american-actresses-on-primetime-network-tv/165791 "2003-04-01T21:02:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2003, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asian-american-actresses-on-primetime-network-tv/165791/1 "2003-04-01T21:02:02Z")
I was looking through the credits of _Futurama_ and _King of the Hill_ and was surprised to discover that \*\*[Lauren Tom\*\*](http://us.imdb.com/Name?Tom,%20Lauren) voices both Amy in the former and Minh & Khan Jr. in the latter. Then I started thinking of any other Asian-American actresses on current primetime network TV shows and could only come up with Ming-na from _ER_ in a regularly recurring role (I assume she’s still on; haven’t watched that show in ages). Is it possible that Lauren Tom performs 66.7% of all Asian or Asian-American female roles on network primetime TV?\* Is there anyone else out there? Please note I’m not counting anyone on reality TV or news programs (so Connie Chung doesn’t count). Can anyone think of others? There’s lots of TV out there I don’t watch, but of what I do, nothing comes to mind. \*this figure could be as high as 80% if you want to nitpick the math. ---
**Author:** ![Gundy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Gundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gundy)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2003, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asian-american-actresses-on-primetime-network-tv/165791/2 "2003-04-01T21:05:43Z")
Tamlyn Tomita was on 24 in the first few episodes. That’s all I can come up with. Yikes. ---
**Author:** ![FairyDust](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ccd318/32.png) [@FairyDust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyDust)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2003, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asian-american-actresses-on-primetime-network-tv/165791/3 "2003-04-01T21:09:03Z")
Keiko Agena plays a high school girl named Lane Kim. Emily Kuroda plays Lane’s mother Mrs. Kim. ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Tan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/charlie_tan/32/12582_2.png) [@Charlie\_Tan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Tan)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2003, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asian-american-actresses-on-primetime-network-tv/165791/4 "2003-04-01T21:52:40Z")
**Lucy Lui**. But she did such a good job on Ally McBeal, she got a movie career going. ---
**Author:** ![TGWATY](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b5e925/32.png) [@TGWATY](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TGWATY)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2003, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asian-american-actresses-on-primetime-network-tv/165791/5 "2003-04-01T22:01:57Z")
Seemed like Rosalind Chao was for many years the ubiquitous female-character-of-any-Asian-heritage, showing up first in Kung Fu in 1972 and still going as of 2002. She was regularly Keiko, wife of O’Brian on ST:TNG. Okay, I admit it. I had a thing for her. ---
**Author:** ![Gozu\_Tashoya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7993a0/32.png) [@Gozu\_Tashoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gozu_Tashoya)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2003, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asian-american-actresses-on-primetime-network-tv/165791/6 "2003-04-01T22:15:33Z")
If we’re counting shows that were cancelled… Kelly Hu was on Martial Law (ABC) (So was Sammo Hung, IIRC, in a rare “Asian American actor on primetime network TV” role.) Tia Carrera was (is?) on that abysmal Relic Hunter show (UPN? WB?). Margaret Cho had American Girl, which didn’t last long. Ming Na Wen was also on some other ill-fated NBC sitcom whose name eludes me. Then there was Ross’ Chinese girlfriend on Friends. Forget who it was, tho. ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2003, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asian-american-actresses-on-primetime-network-tv/165791/7 "2003-04-01T22:15:47Z")
Who wouldn’t? I had a thing for Alyssa Ogawa too. Rowr. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2003, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asian-american-actresses-on-primetime-network-tv/165791/8 "2003-04-01T22:17:18Z")
Crap… my response was in reply to [b[TGWATY\*\*. ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2003, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asian-american-actresses-on-primetime-network-tv/165791/9 "2003-04-01T22:40:16Z")
Ming Na, as she is now called, is part of the cast of “ER”. The sitcom was “The Single Guy”. One of the agents on “24” has been Agent Daniel Baker, played by Daniel Dae Kim. Tamlyn Tomita’s character was named “Tracy Dodge”, so I think the people behind that show have done a decent job of just casting an actor who is right for the role, regardless of ethincity. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2003, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asian-american-actresses-on-primetime-network-tv/165791/10 "2003-04-01T22:45:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by KKBattousai \* > \*\*Then there was Ross’ Chinese girlfriend on Friends. Forget who it was, tho. \*\* Hehe, that was, actually, Lauren Tom as well. The character’s name was Julie. ---
**Author:** ![Katisha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bcef8e/32.png) [@Katisha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Katisha)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2003, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asian-american-actresses-on-primetime-network-tv/165791/11 "2003-04-01T22:47:15Z")
What about Linda Park on _Enterprise_? ---
**Author:** ![Tars\_Tarkas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Tars\_Tarkas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tars_Tarkas)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2003, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asian-american-actresses-on-primetime-network-tv/165791/12 "2003-04-01T23:38:02Z")
how did it take 10 posts to get to Hoshi? What is wrong with you people? ---
**Author:** ![FairyDust](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ccd318/32.png) [@FairyDust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyDust)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2003, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asian-american-actresses-on-primetime-network-tv/165791/13 "2003-04-01T23:52:48Z")
[http://us.imdb.com/Name?Han,+Maggie](http://us.imdb.com/Name?Han,+Maggie) She co-starred with George Segal in a 1988 tv series called ‘Murphy’s Law’. ---
**Author:** ![InTransit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e47774/32.png) [@InTransit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InTransit)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2003, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asian-american-actresses-on-primetime-network-tv/165791/14 "2003-04-01T23:54:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by BobT \* > **One of the agents on “24” has been Agent Daniel Baker, played by Daniel Dae Kim.** Hey, I thought this was about Asian-American actresses! 🙂 (If you wanna go male, don’t forget BD Wong on L&O:SVU and Oz (RIP). Sometimes I think he’s the only adult Asian male on TV.) Joan Chen was in Twin Peaks, but that’s pretty old. Kristen Kreuk is half Chinese. She’s Lana Lane on Smallville. There aren’t many Asian-American actresses around, and even fewer actors. ---
**Author:** ![FairyDust](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ccd318/32.png) [@FairyDust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyDust)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asian-american-actresses-on-primetime-network-tv/165791/15 "2003-04-02T00:05:30Z")
[http://us.imdb.com/Name?Tomita,%20Tamlyn](http://us.imdb.com/Name?Tomita,%20Tamlyn) She has a recurring role on JAG as Lt. Cmdr. Tracy Manetti. ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asian-american-actresses-on-primetime-network-tv/165791/16 "2003-04-02T01:32:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Tars Tarkas \* > **how did it take 10 posts to get to Hoshi?** Maybe it was because the subject line says “network TV”. ---
**Author:** ![Fiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e274bd/32.png) [@Fiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiver)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asian-american-actresses-on-primetime-network-tv/165791/17 "2003-04-02T02:02:11Z")
But UPN _is_ network TV. As far as I care. So, ignoring cancelled series or characters who no longer appear, we have: Amy Wong 1.0 Minh 1.0 Connie 1.0 Manetti 1.0 Lana Lang 0.5 Hoshi 1.0 Jing-Mei 1.0 Lane Kim 1.0 So as you see, Lauren Tom currently plays only 3 out of 7.5 of the characters played by Asian-American actresses on primetime network television. That’s at most 40%, and the percentage can only go down as we think of more characters. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asian-american-actresses-on-primetime-network-tv/165791/18 "2003-04-02T02:53:13Z")
What about [Alex Borstein](http://us.imdb.com/Name?Borstein,%20Alex)? She’s part Chinese and was a regular on Mad TV until recently. For actors, there’s [Bobby Lee](http://us.imdb.com/Name?Lee,%20Bobby%20(I)), who’s still a cast member. ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asian-american-actresses-on-primetime-network-tv/165791/19 "2003-04-02T04:21:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Tars Tarkas \* > \*\*how did it take 10 posts to get to Hoshi? What is wrong with you people? \*\* :smack: Can you ever forgive me? ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 7:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asian-american-actresses-on-primetime-network-tv/165791/20 "2003-04-02T07:12:15Z")
Actors? Actresses? What’s the difference? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asian-american-actresses-on-primetime-network-tv/165791.md?page=2)