Lucille Soong (born September 5, 1935) is a Chinese-American actress. She is best known for her main role as Jenny Huang in the television series Fresh Off the Boat (2015–2020). She has acted and appeared in films and TV series since 1959, and is the author of the autobiography Wild Orchid: From Beijing to La-La Land.

Lucille Soong
Soong in 2016
Born(1935-09-05)September 5, 1935
OccupationActor
Years active1959–present
Lucille Soong
Traditional Chinese[1]
Simplified Chinese
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinSòng Jìngxiù

Early life

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She was born to a wealthy family in China on September 5, 1935, and grew up in Beijing. She and her family suffered under political campaigns after the Chinese Communist Revolution, and she moved to Hong Kong at age 21 to escape.[2]

Career

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In Hong Kong she was discovered by director Lewis Gilbert and made her first uncredited screen appearance in his 1959 film Ferry to Hong Kong. After moving to London in the 1960s she went on to have single-episode roles in British film and TV series Ghost Squad, Crane, Emergency-Ward 10 and The Champions and others.[3]

In 1969, she starred in the soap opera Coronation Street, playing the role of Billy Walker's short-term girlfriend in 5 episodes. In the show, her character suffered abuse from his mother Annie Walker, and she soon broke up with him.

After moving to Hollywood in Los Angeles, she had minor roles in films The Joy Luck Club (1993) and The Corruptor (1999). For major role, she portrayed Pei-Pei's mom in the 2003 remake of Freaky Friday; starred as hairdresser Ming in Nora's Hair Salon (2004) and Nora's Hair Salon 2: A Cut Above (2008); and played Nhung Chan in Nine Dead (2009).[4]

Her television credits in the United States included a recurring role in 7 episodes of the ABC prime time soap Desperate Housewives, portraying Gabrielle Solis' former maid, Yao Lin. She has also appeared on Dharma & Greg (3 episodes), Passions (4 episodes), Huff, All About the Andersons, According to Jim and others.

Soong starred on the ABC show Fresh Off the Boat. She recurred in the first season, and was promoted to main cast for subsequent seasons. She portrayed Grandma Jenny Huang, grandmother of the Huang family.[5]

Her autobiography, Wild Orchid: From Beijing to La-La Land, was published by Dorrance Publishing Co. on May 1, 2024.[2]

Filmography

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Films

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Year Title Role Notes
1959 Ferry to Hong Kong The Bride Uncredited
1963 55 Days at Peking Concubine Uncredited
1964 French Dressing Starlet Major
1965 Genghis Khan Concubine
1965 The Knack ...and How to Get It Girl in Sauna Uncredited
1965 Darling Allie Uncredited
1965 Marco the Magnificent Princess Bride Uncredited
1965 Three Weeks of Love Girl in Hong Kong
1966 The Brides of Fu Manchu Ling / Bride Uncredited
1967 The Mini-Affair Lucille Major
1969 The File of the Golden Goose Girl in Bath Uncredited
1970 One More Time Kim Lee Major
1993 The Joy Luck Club Popo
1999 The Corruptor Elderly Immigrant
1999 The Debtors Chinese Restaurant Owner
1999 My American Vacation Friend of Grandma
2003 Freaky Friday Pei-Pei's Mom Major
2004 Employee of the Month Old Korean Lady Uncredited
2004 Nora's Hair Salon Ming Major
2005 Sky High Cook
2005 Just like Heaven Chinese Exorcist
2006 Mission: Impossible III Shanghai Woman Uncredited
2007 Nancy Drew Waitress
2008 Nora's Hair Salon 2: A Cut Above Ming Major
2009 Nine Dead Nhung Chan Major
2021 Raya and the Last Dragon Dang Hu (voice)
2025 Freakier Friday Pei-Pei's Mom Major; Post-production

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1963 Ghost Squad Hotel Barmaid Episode: "Sabotage"
1963 Man of the World Nurse Episode: "The Enemy"
1964 Crane Yasuma Episode: "Man Without a Past"
1964 Sergeant Cork Lotus Feng / Waitress Episode: "The Case of the Dutiful Murderer"
Episode: "The Case of the Medicine Man"
1965 The Avengers Miss Smith, Tusamo's Secretary Episode: "The Cybernauts"
1966 Adam Adamant Lives! Suzu Episode: "More Deadly Than the Sword"
1967 Emergency – Ward 10 Blind Patient Episode: "There's None So Blind"
Episode: "Second Sight"
1967–1970 The Troubleshooters Su Lan / Hostess / Suzie 3 episodes
1967 The Prisoner Flower Girl Episode: "A. B. and C."
1968 Hugh and I Spy Miss Lee Episode: "Yellow Peril"
1969 Coronation Street Jasmine Choong 5 episodes
1969 The Champions Tsaiyoko Naga Episode: "The Gun-Runners"
1971 Shirley's World Tourist Guide Episode: "A Mother's Touch"
1994 Vanishing Son Ling TV movie
1996 Yesterday's Target Dr. Kang TV movie
1997 Fired Up Mrs. Kim Episode: "The Rules"
1997–2001 Dharma & Greg Mrs. Wong / Chinese Grandmother / Mrs. Kwan 3 episodes
1998 Maggie Cat Lady Episode: "Just Shoot Him"
1999 Ryan Caulfield: Year One Store Owner Episode: "Po-Piggity and Other Racial Slurs"
2000 Strong Medicine Mrs. Lum Episode: "Pilot"
2000 JAG Older Vietnamese woman Episode: "A Separate Peace: Part 1"
2000 The Michael Richards Show Woman #1 Episode: "USA Toy"
2001 Chasing Destiny Hostess TV movie
2001 Passions Sally Chin 4 episodes
2003 All About the Andersons Mrs. Chong Episode: "Everyone Plays"
2004–2009 Desperate Housewives Yao Lin Recurring
7 episodes (Season 1, 5)
2004 Huff Xui Shi Episode: "That Fucking Cabin"
Episode: "Flashpants"
2005 According to Jim Manicurist Episode: "The Race"
2006 The King of Queens Lily Episode: "Apartment Complex"
2007 Bones Mai Zhang Episode: "The Boneless Bride in the River"
2008 The Sarah Silverman Program Mrs. Xiongnu Episode: "The Mongolian Beef"
2009 United States of Tara Korean Grandmother Episode: "Inspiration"
2009 Without a Trace Mrs. Deng Episode: "Devotion"
2010 Dark Blue Mrs. Chin Episode: "Urban Garden"
2010 The League Security Line Woman Episode: "Vegas Draft"
2010 How to Be a Better American Estelle TV movie
2013 Holding Patterns Asian Woman TV movie
2013 Heebie Jeebies Zu Mu TV movie
2015–2020 Fresh Off the Boat Grandma Huang Recurring (Season 1)
Main Cast (Season 2–6)

References

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  1. ^ "Fresh off The Boat to premieres on ABC". United Daily News (in Chinese). 6 December 2014.
  2. ^ a b Soong, Lucille (2024). Wild Orchid: From Beijing to La-La Land. Dorrance Publishing Co. ISBN 979-8890270900.
  3. ^ "Lucille Soong on becoming an accidental actor". CAA Media. 16 October 2017.
  4. ^ "Lucille Soong's profile". Rotten Tomatoes.
  5. ^ "What Fresh Off the Boat does with its Mandarin speaker that The Cloverfield Paradox couldn't". The Verge. 8 February 2018.
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