James Wang (actor)

James Wang (c. 1863 – 1935) was a Chinese actor and casting agent who worked in Hollywood from the 1910s to the 1930s. He is known for discovering the actress Anna May Wong.

James Wang
James Wang, from a 1919 publication
Born	1863 Zhili, China
Died	1935 (aged 71–72) Los Angeles, California, USA
Occupations	Actor Casting agent
Years active	1910 - 1930

Biography

Wang arrived in San Francisco around 1878 at the age of 18.^[1]

He told reporters he had been raised by missionaries in China, and that when he came to the United States, he began working as a minister at churches in Boston and New York City.^[2][3][4][5]

He was accused of being a member of the Hip Sing Association — a Chinese-American street gang — in the early 1900s, although he was also an advocate for reform in New York City's Chinatown neighborhood, and offered up evidence that led to a number of police raids.^[6][7]

Eventually, he made his way to Los Angeles, where he pursued a career as an actor and a casting agent. He was often called on to procure Chinese talent by the major studios,^[8] and it was in this capacity that he discovered a young Anna May Wong in Los Angeles's Chinatown neighborhood.^[5]

Selected filmography

• The Last Man (1932)
• China Seas (1935)
• The Painted Veil (1934)
• Men of the Night (1934)
• The Cat's-Paw (1934)
• Charlie Chan's Courage (1934)
• The Hell Cat (1934)
• Ever Since Eve (1934)
• The Secrets of Wu Sin (1932)
• Roar of the Dragon (1932)
• Charlie Chan's Chance (1932)
• Are These Our Children (1931)
• The Black Camel (1931)
• Welcome Danger (1929)
• Old San Francisco (1927)
• The Yankee Clipper (1927)
• The Non-Stop Flight (1926)
• Never the Twain Shall Meet (1925)
• The Eagle's Feather (1923)
• Desert Driven (1923)
• Tipped Off (1923)
• East Is West (1922)
• Hills of Missing Men (1922)
• Lotus Blossom (1921)
• The City of Dim Faces (1918)