
Philip Ahn
Known for Acting · 160 credits
- Born
- 1905-03-29
- Died
- 1978-02-28
- Place of birth
- Highland Park, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Also known as
- Phillip Ahn · Phil Ahn · Philip Ann · Pil Lip Ahn · Pillip Ahn
Biography
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Philip Ahn (born Pil Lip Ahn (안필립), March 29, 1905 – February 28, 1978) was a Korean American actor. He was the first Korean American film actor to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Ahn's first film was A Scream in the Night in 1935. He appeared in the Bing Crosby film Anything Goes, though director Lewis Milestone had initially rejected him because his English was too good for the part. His first credited roles came in 1936 in The General Died at Dawn and Stowaway, opposite Shirley Temple. He starred opposite Anna May Wong in Daughter of Shanghai (1937) and King of Chinatown (1937).
During World War II, Ahn often played Japanese villains in war films. Mistakenly thought to be Japanese, he received several death threats. He enlisted in the United States Army, having served in the Special Services as an entertainer. He was discharged early because of an injured ankle and returned to making films.
Ahn appeared in Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing, Around the World in Eighty Days, Thoroughly Modern Millie and Paradise, Hawaiian Style, with Elvis Presley. He got to play Korean characters in Korean War movies such as Battle Circus (1953) and Battle Hymn (1956). In 1952, Ahn made his television debut on the Schlitz Playhouse, a series he would make three additional appearances on. Ahn would also be cast in four episodes of ABC's Adventures in Paradise, four episodes of the ABC/Warner Brothers crime drama Hawaiian Eye, and the CBS crime drama Hawaii Five-O. He made three appearances each on Crossroads, Bonanza, and M*A*S*H. He would also appear in two television movies.
Ahn's most notable television role was as "Master Kan" on the television series Kung Fu. A Presbyterian, Ahn felt that the Taoist homilies his character quoted did not contradict his own religious faith.
Known For
TV Shows (53)

Ironside
1967

Perry Mason
1957
as James Wong

Bonanza
1959
as Mr. Lee Chang / Dr. Kam Lee

My Three Sons
1960
as George Wong

M*A*S*H
1972
as The Father / Korean Grandfather

Mission: Impossible
1966
as Dr. Liu

Love, American Style
1969
as Chow Lee

The Wild Wild West
1965

Hawaii Five-O
1968
as Attorney General / Quon Li / Lin Mai-Lu

Have Gun, Will Travel
1957
as W. Chung

Mannix
1967

Lawman
1958
as Wong

Four Star Playhouse
1952
as Chang / Capt. Shu Gat

Dragnet
1951

The F.B.I.
1965
as Police Chief Henry Nakamura

Richard Diamond, Private Detective
1957
as Ho-Lung

The Big Valley
1965
as Chen Yu

Police Woman
1974

Sanford and Son
1972

Wanted: Dead or Alive
1958
as Tom Wing

One Step Beyond
1959
as Song

The Rebel
1959
as Quong Lee

Telephone Time
1956

Adventures in Paradise
1959
as Ling / Reverend Yen / Mr. Chee

Hawaiian Eye
1959
as Mr. Kwong / Florist

The Streets of San Francisco
1972
as Mr. Wu

Checkmate
1960
as Mr. Lu

Stoney Burke
1962

It Takes a Thief
1968
as Owner

Switch
1975
as Charlie Kuang

The Time Tunnel
1966
as Dr. Nakamura

The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
1964
as Dr. Sazami Kyushu / High Lama of Ghupat

Navy Log
1955

The Third Man
1959

Laredo
1965

Wonder Woman
1975
as Colonel Minh

The Girl from U.N.C.L.E.
1966
as Wu

Pete and Gladys
1960

Johnny Midnight
1960

The Barbara Stanwyck Show
1960
as Lee Chin

The Magician
1973
as Chao Liu

Ensign O'Toole
1962
as Low Kong

The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok
1951

The Islanders
1960
as Governor Galli

Tightrope
1959

Anna and the King
1972
as Astrologist

Kraft Mystery Theatre
1961

Hey, Jeannie!
1956
as Wong
Jefferson Drum
1958
as Charles Wong

Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
1951

Jungle Jim
1955

General Electric Theater
1953
as Rahm Sing

Kung Fu
1972
as Master Kan
Movies (107)

Around the World in 80 Days
1956
as Hong Kong Citizen (uncredited)

China Girl
1942
as Kai Young

One-Eyed Jacks
1961
as Uncle

They Were Expendable
1945
as Army Orderly (uncredited)

Thoroughly Modern Millie
1967
as Tea

Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing
1955
as Third Uncle

Never So Few
1959
as Nautaung, leader of the Kachin

God Is My Co-Pilot
1945
as Hong Kong Radio Announcer (uncredited)

The Keys of the Kingdom
1944
as Mr. Pao, Envoy for Mr. Chia

Jonathan Livingston Seagull
1973
as Chang (voice)

Back to Bataan
1945
as Col. Coroki

The Left Hand of God
1955
as Jan Teng

The Good Earth
1937
as Captain (uncredited)

The Karate Killers
1967
as Sazami Kyushu

Red Snow
1952
as Taglu, a spy

The Story of Dr. Wassell
1944
as Ping

Halls of Montezuma
1951
as Maj. Kenji Matsuoda (aka "Nomura")

Blood on the Sun
1945
as Secret Police Capt. Yomamoto (uncredited)

The Great Impostor
1960
as Capt. Hun Kim

Forever Yours
1945
as Chinese Man (uncredited)

Shock Corridor
1963
as Dr. Fong

Impact
1949
as Ah Sing

Across the Pacific
1942
as Man in Theatre (uncredited)

Dragon Seed
1944
as Leader of City People (uncredited)

Macao
1952
as Itzumi

His Majesty O'Keefe
1954
as Sien Tang, Dentist

Yesterday's Enemy
1959
as Yamazuki

They Met in Bombay
1941
as Japanese officer (uncredited)

Behind the Rising Sun
1943
as Japanese Officer Murdering Takahashi

China Sky
1945
as Dr. Kim

The General Died at Dawn
1936
as Oxford

Kung Fu: The Movie
1986
as Master Kan

Drums of Fu Manchu
1940
as Dr. Chang

Paradise, Hawaiian Style
1966
as Moki Kaimana

Battle Hymn
1957
as Old Man

China Venture
1953
as Adm. Amara

Singapore
1947
as Jimmy - Bartender (uncredited)

Charlie Chan in Honolulu
1938
as Wing Foo

The Amazing Mrs. Holliday
1943

Hong Kong Confidential
1958
as Tan Chung

December 7th
1943
as Shinto Priest (uncredited)

A Yank on the Burma Road
1942
as Franklin Ling

The Purple Heart
1944
as Saburo Goto (uncredited)

Fair Wind to Java
1953
as Gusti

Saigon
1947
as Boss Merchant (uncredited)

Daughter of Shanghai
1937
as Kim Lee

Boston Blackie's Chinese Venture
1949
as Wong Chung Shee

Thank You, Mr. Moto
1937
as Prince Chung

Japanese War Bride
1952
as Eitaro Shimizu

Klondike Annie
1936

Something to Sing About
1937
as Ito

Shanghai
1935
as Servant

Intrigue
1947
as Louie Chin

The World's Greatest Athlete
1973
as Old Chinaman

Let's Get Tough
1942
as Joe Matsui

The Chinese Ring
1947
as Captain Kong

The Killer Who Wouldn't Die
1976
as Soong

King of Chinatown
1939
as Robert 'Bob' Li

Betrayal from the East
1945
as Kato

Jump Into Hell
1955
as Chinese POW Lieutenant

I Was an American Spy
1951
as Capt. Arito

Target Hong Kong
1953
as Sin How

Around the World
1943
as Foo

Stowaway
1936
as Sun Lo

The Shanghai Story
1954
as Major Ling Wu

North of Shanghai
1939
as Chinese Doctor

State Department: File 649
1949
as Col. Aram

Disputed Passage
1939
as Dr. Fung

Dragon by the Tail
1961
as Lee Chin

The Big Hangover
1950
as Dr. Lee

Secrets of Monte Carlo
1951
as Wong

A Girl Named Tamiko
1962
as Akiba

The Sickle or the Cross
1949
as Chinese Official

Hell's Half Acre
1954
as Roger Kong

Submarine Raider
1942
as First Officer Kawakami

The Shadow
1940
as Wu Yung

China
1943
as Lin Cho

Island of Lost Men
1939

Red Barry
1938
as Hong Kong Cholly

A Scream in the Night
1935
as Wu Ting (as Philip Ann)

Hawaii Calls
1938
as Julius

Kung Fu: The Way of the Tiger, the Sign of the Dragon
1972
as Master Kan

Rogues' Regiment
1948
as Tran Duy Gian

Diamond Head
1962
as Mr. Immacona

The Man from Down Under
1943
as English-Speaking Japanese Aviator (uncredited)

Judgment: The Court Martial of the Tiger of Malaya — General Yamashita
1974
as General Yamashita

Women in the Night
1948
as Professor Kunioshi

The Sex Serum of Dr. Blake
1970
as Mao Tse Tung (uncredited)

Battle Zone
1952
as South Korean Guerrilla Leader

Tex Rides with the Boy Scouts
1937
as Sing Fung, Laundry Man

The Way to the Gold
1957
as Mr. Ding - cafe owner

Barricade
1939
as Col. Wai Kang

The Miracle of the Bells
1948
as Ming Gow

Don Winslow of the Coast Guard
1943
as Hirota

The Tuttles of Tahiti
1942
as Emily's Servant (uncredited)

Cocoon
1968
as Attorney General

Panama Patrol
1939
as Sun

China's Little Devils
1945
as Farmer

China Passage
1937
as Fang Tu

Desirable
1934
as Chinese Waiter

The Adventures of Smilin' Jack
1943
as Wu Tan

The Creeper
1948
as Ah Wong - Restaurant Owner

Confessions of an Opium Eater
1962
as Ching Foon

China Corsair
1951
as Wong San

Ship Ahoy
1942
as Koro Sumo

Roaring Timber
1937
as Crooner

The Cobra Strikes
1948
as Kasim--Houseboy
About Philip Ahn
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Philip Ahn (born Pil Lip Ahn (안필립), March 29, 1905 – February 28, 1978) was a Korean American actor. He was the first Korean American film actor to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Ahn's first film was A Scream in the Night in 1935. He appeared in the Bing Crosby film Anything Goes, though director Lewis Milestone had initially rejected him because his English was too good for the part. His first credited roles came in 1936 in The General Died at Dawn and Stowaway, opposite Shirley Temple. He… With 160 credits spanning from 1934 to 1986, Philip Ahn has appeared in 107 films and 53 TV shows.
Fans searching for Philip Ahn movies, Philip Ahn filmography, or the latest projects starring Philip Ahn can stream many of these titles on Bowood.TV, free and in HD, with no subscription required.
Most Popular Philip Ahn Movies
- Around the World in 80 Days (1956) — as Hong Kong Citizen (uncredited)
- China Girl (1942) — as Kai Young
- One-Eyed Jacks (1961) — as Uncle
- They Were Expendable (1945) — as Army Orderly (uncredited)
- Thoroughly Modern Millie (1967) — as Tea
Where to Watch Philip Ahn Films
Most Philip Ahn movies and series are available to stream on Bowood.TV in full HD, completely free and without signup. Browse the complete filmography above to jump directly to any title. For more films and the latest web series featuring Philip Ahn, check our movies catalogue and browse page.