Jimmy Wong | |
---|---|
Born | James Franklin Wong March 28, 1987
Seattle,
Washington, U.S. |
Alma mater | Middlebury College |
Occupations |
|
Years active | 2010–present |
Known for | Video Game High School |
Notable work | "Ching Chong: Asians in the Library Song" |
Spouse | |
Children | 1 |
Relatives |
|
James Franklin Wong [1] (born March 28, 1987) [2] [3] is an American actor and musician. He is best known for his 2011 music video, "Ching Chong: Asians in the Library Song" and for his role as Ted in the web series Video Game High School. In 2017, he and YouTuber Meghan Camarena co-hosted the video game themed variety show Polaris Primetime, which was created as part of Disney's "D|XP" programming block on Disney XD.
Wong has appeared in feature films such as John Dies at the End, The Circle, and the live-action version of Mulan.
Wong grew up in Normandy Park, Washington. [4] He graduated from Middlebury College in 2009, where he majored in theater and drama. [4] [1] After graduating, he moved to Los Angeles to become an actor. [1]
Wong garnered national news coverage in March 2011, when he uploaded his music video, "Ching Chong: Asians in the Library Song" to YouTube. He created the video as a response to a UCLA student's vlog rant against Asian students using mobile phones in the UCLA library, [5] [6] one which MSNBC qualified as "offensive." [7] NPR suggested that Wong's video response was one that "effectively turn[ed] the tables on the original rant," offering an alternative method of defense against cyberbullying. [8] Wong later said in an MSNBC interview that while he was initially frustrated by the video rant, he realized that humor offered a better response, as he hoped to "put a positive spin on all of it." Furthermore, he stated, an eye for an eye approach would only encourage "this behavior to continue." [7] " Ching Chong: Asians in the Library Song" went viral and was covered nationally by the American media. [9] [10] [11] [12]
That same year, he co-launched and co-hosted the YouTube cooking show Feast of Fiction with Ashley Adams.
Wong later portrayed Ted in the web series Video Game High School. [13] He was also invited by Lionsgate and Google to create the web series District Voices. [14] In 2014, Wong was ranked #73 on New Media Rockstars Top 100 Channels. [15]
Wong played Ling in Disney's 2020 live action remake of the 1998 Mulan animated movie.
Wong is an avid player of Magic: The Gathering, specifically the Commander format. He hosts a podcast with co-host Josh Lee Kwai called The Command Zone, where he and Josh discuss their experiences playing the Commander format. Wong is referred to by his co-host as "Jimmy the Red" due to fact that he often plays red decks when playing commander. [16] He has also been called upon by Wizards of the Coast to preview new sets at exhibitions and on their YouTube channel. [17] In 2021, he appeared in the podcast Dungeons & Daddies, where he played a demonic human-paladin character named Jodie Foster. [18]
Wong portrays the character Jimmy in the 2022 video game Bonelab. [19]
His father is Chinese, from Canton, and his mother is of Chinese and Mongol ancestry. [4] He is the younger brother of filmmaker Freddie Wong. [20]
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2011 | " Ching Chong: Asians in the Library Song" | Composer and singer | YouTube music video |
2012 | John Dies at the End | Fred Chu | Feature film |
2012–2013 | MyMusic | Leader | Web series |
2012–2014 | Video Game High School | Ted Wong | Web series |
2014 | The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – District Voices | District 9 Voice | TV mini-series |
2015 | Dude Bro Party Massacre III | Sizzler | Feature film |
2016 | Edgar Allan Poe's Murder Mystery Dinner Party | Constable Jimmy | YouTube series, 4 episodes |
2017 | The Circle | Mitch | Feature film |
Polaris Primetime | Co-host | with Meghan Camarena, broadcast on Disney XD's "D|XP" block [21] | |
2017–2018 | Parker Plays | Recurring guest | TV series, 8 episodes |
2020 | Mulan | Ling | Feature film [22] |
2021 | Chew | Tony Chu | Tabletop game demo |
Wish Dragon | Din Song | Feature film [23] |