Celebrated actor and Everything Everywhere All At Once star James Hong met newfound fame after playing baddie David Lo Pan in Big Trouble in Little China. The fiery 1986 action film, starring Kurt Russell, Kim Cattrall, and Dennis Dun, became a cult classic over the decades and the role of David Lo Pan, sinister as he was, quickly became one of Hong’s most iconic roles.
But in a recent MovieWeb interview promoting the second season of Gremlins: The Wild Batch, in which Hong plays Grandpa in the popular sequel series, Hong admitted he wasn’t sure he’d even be cast, noting:
“Obviously, playing David Lo Pan
in Big Trouble in Little China
was a high point in my life. I remember auditioning for that. I did my dialogue as Lo Pan, and
I said, ‘I can show you a little Kung Fu. And he [director John Carpenter] said, ‘No, no, no, you don’t need to.’
So, I just left the office, and I said, ‘Well, maybe I don’t get the job.’”
Putting a Unique Spin on Lo Pan
But that’s not what happened in the end. Hong quickly added: “I guess he liked my reading so much that I was used. And it’s a role that gave me a chance to do different feelings as Lo Pan and gave me the desire to just plainly find a girlfriend and get married [in the movie]. You know, this normal desire — the things that [the character] has to go through to get a girlfriend is amazing.”
Indeed. In the film, which tracks a gruff trucker (Kurt Russell) and his sidekick (Dennis Dun) going head-to-head against Hong’s ancient sorcerer beneath Chinatown, we eventually learn Lo Pan’s backstory. He was a vibrant warrior and an exceptional wizard, but he was overtaken by an emperor who then placed the curse of “no flesh” on him. The only way to escape the curse is to marry a green-eyed Chinese woman. That would be Miao Yin (Suzee Pai).
Between its great comedic elements, sharp cast, and action-packed sequences, Big Trouble in Little China became yet another breakout hit for director John Carpenter, who was already rising to fame with the horror films Halloween, The Thing, The Fog, and Christine.
Taking Stock of James Hong’s Roles
With more than 700 roles to his credit — from Chinatown and TV’s Kung Fu to endless TV guest roles and voicing Mr. Ping in the Kung Fu Panda movies and animated series, James Hong continues to marvel. “Even at 100 years old, I still will do something,” he said.
Look for big twists for all characters in Season 2 of Gremlins: The Wild Batch. In the meantime, Hong is working on a memoir, which will track his stellar career, particularly noting how deeply influenced he was by working with Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway in Chinatown. Gremlins: The Wild Batch premieres on Max Oct. 3. Watch the trailer below.