He never spilled the beans about his love affairs and being married, though. His birth flower is the white rose which signifies peace, purity and positivity. He later became a part of the original Broadway cast of Pacific Overtures, after which his acting career started blooming. As of 2022, Gedde Watanabe's net worth is $100,000 - $1M. Wow, Sixteen Candles is 30 years old! https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/gedde-watanabe-46042.php, 20th Century Film & Theater Personalities, 21st Century Film & Theater Personalities, 20th Century American Film & Theater Personalities, 21st Century American Film & Theater Personalities. It's nice to think that after 31 years, Long Duk Dong was able to break out of his mold. Probably married someone blonde so his kids are mixed race. Its subtle, but if you watch the movie now you can tell that some of us like Debbie and Michael [Schoeffling, who played Jake Ryan] were older than the Cusacks and Molly and Andy. The scene with you and Debbie Pollack riding the exercise bike together was one of those lets try this scenes.Yes! After graduating from high school, Watanabe moved from Odgen to San Francisco, where he hoped to make a living as a street musician while improving his histrionic skills. I found an exercise bike upstairs where we were shooting that day and told about John about it. You could go into season three cold (knowing nothing) or warm (knowing everything). [1] He is perhaps best known for voicing the character of Ling in the 1998 animated film Mulan and its 2004 sequel Mulan II, as well as playing Long Duk Dong in the 1984 film Sixteen Candles, and as Nurse Yoshi Takata in the NBC medical drama ER from 1997 to 2003. Especially when I was living in New York in the 1970s. In 1998, he voiced Ling in the Disney animated film Mulan and reprised this role for the 2004 direct-to-video sequel Mulan II and the 2005 video game Kingdom Hearts II. His net worth has been growing significantly in 2021-2022. 17-Down, Three Letters: Party for One artist Carly ___ Jepsen. Which I guess made me the black sheep of the Asians in Ogden. During the same year, he did voice-over for the character Ling in the Disney animated movie Mulan, which tells the story of a girl who disguises herself as a man to join the army. What is 46-year-old Long Duk Dong doing now?Hes lost some of his hair. He later reprised this role on the Weird Al Show. By choice! After graduation, he left Ogden to become a street singer in San Francisco. However, he has not made any official announcement on marital life to date. Actor Gedde Watanabe was born in 1955 in Ogden, UT, and he got bit by the acting bug as a teen. Its really been her work getting these celebrations going. All 165 Pink Floyd Songs Ranked, From Worst to Best. John Tartaglia, Jonah Platt, Kris Lythgoe; Gedde Watanabe. Did others not? For tickets to the LIVE performances of Assassins through March 20, 2022; log onto www.eastwestplayers.org. I also had really good friends through theater and was able to blend in thanks to them. Trivia (7) Studied at American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco, California, USA. Most of it ill-advised. ", Watanabe got the starring role of Oishi Kazuhiro in the 1986 movie Gung Ho. He co-starred as Kuni in the 1989 movie UHF starring "Weird Al" Yankovic. Oh, please, yes. Universal/The Kobal Collection His mother, who had been previously interned during the World War IIinternment of Japanese Americans, worked as a seamstress at the Utah Tailoring Company. He was in several dramatic productions in high school, both acting and singing. He was part of the original Broadway cast of the play Pacific Overtures during the beginning of his acting career. Gede Watanabe has a huge following on his Facebook account. Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990)as Mr. Katsuji, Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008)as Hotel Manager, Your email address will not be published. Notable Alumni: American Conservatory Theater. He is currently single. In his piece for Allmovie, Jason Buchanan wrote, "The character that Gedde Watanabe is most remembered for is Long Duk Dong, the clumsy foreign exchange student in [the 1984 film] Sixteen Candles. Gedde Watanabe's full name is Gary Watanabe and his nickname is Gedde Watanabe. I just did an autograph show in New Jersey and a screening in California with Debbie Pollack, who played Long Duk Dongs girlfriend Marlene. Have you ever gotten as wasted as Long Duk Dong did?Of course I have, are you kidding? Watanabe co-starred as Kuni In the 1989 movieUHF starringWeird Al Yankovic, a karate instructor and troublesome host of a TV game show called Wheel of Fish. Gedde Watanabe, best known for being a Movie Actor, was born in Ogden on Sunday, June 26, 1955. "Lumberjack," as she's known, looms over Dong's small frame when they embrace, its his head on her chest. Apparently there was a scene where Debbie and I were in bed and smoking that got deleted. He also starred film Mulan (1998)made a lucrative box office of$304.3 millionon the budget of$90 million. He has since appeared in a number of films and television series, the first of which was The Long Island Four in 1980. After graduating from high school in Utah, he would move to San Fransisco to pursue a career in acting. Gedde Watanabe has already spent over four decades in the entertainment industry. So I didnt so much go for the jokes, but played to his excitement and enthusiasm. He has eight or nine kids, I would imagine. Pacific Overtures (Aug 31, 1976 - Dec 18, 1976) Performer: Gedde Watanabe [Priest, Girl, Boy, Proscenium Servant, Sailor and Townsperson] Understudy: Gedde Watanabe [Tamate] MusicalComedy DramaOriginal. Asian men have been fighting this on-screen stereotype for years: the socially inept mute; the lecherous but sexually inept loser; one part harmless Charlie Chan, one part mustachioed villain Fu Manchu. Gedde Watanabe attended the American Conservatory Theatre, a non-profit theatre company in San Fransisco with an attached acting school. He has since appeared in a number of films and television series, the first of which was The Long Island Four in 1980. The last time it really came up was with Andy Fickman, who directed me on Parental Guidance. Required fields are marked *. Following his singing gig in New York, he moved to Los Angeles and decided to make acting his career. According to our Database, He has no children. is 5 7 . Gedde Watanabe (Gary Watanabe) was born on 26 June, 1955 in Ogden, UT, is an Actor, Comedian. His songs were considered to be unbearable as restaurant workers and cooks threw bok-choy at him! He portrayed the character of Long Duk Dong in the 1984 film, Sixteen Candles. When he's not writing, he's probably wondering how Frank Dux got 52 consecutive knockouts in a single tournament. His mother was previously interned in World War II and worked for a tailoring company afterward. His parents settled there after his mother was forced into a U.S. internment camp during World War II. And hes kinda well known for it. There are few Asian American movie characters as cringe-worthy yet cemented in our cultural consciousness as Long Duk Dong, portrayed by Gedde Watanabe in the 1984 John Hughes film "Sixteen Candles. Till the date, he has not made any official announcement about being in marital life. Gedde Watanabe leveraged the role of Long Duk Dong into a long-lasting career that has grown richer with less emphasis on Asian stereotypes. Life never turns out like you plan it when youre young. Top 10 Tricks to earn from Google AdSense. But John just had a big chuckle as if to say, Boy, was I duped.. The story follows four German spies in WWII who become enamored with America. Im kind of hit or miss with improv, but that scene stayed. Ask someone to quote a line from the 80s teen classic Sixteen Candles and theres a good chance it was uttered by Gedde Watanabe. He holds an American nationality and belongs to a white ethnic group. Many of his roles are caricatured East Asians with heavy accents, though he himself does not speak Japanese.[5]. , money, salary, income, and assets. Sixteen Candles is filled with stereotypes the blonde queen bees, the uptight grandparents, the bratty little brothers, the Greek in-laws which serve to make Molly Ringwalds very normal desire for a great 16th birthday and a handsome boyfriend seem that much funnier.Yes, the movie isnt mean to the character and doesnt single him out. Gedde Watanabe is a Japanese-American actor popular as a voice actor for the character of Ling in animated film Mulan (1998) and its sequel Mulan II (2004). When I get cast, I never feel like I fit the part. I am glad we start a conversation about this very common issue on gay people from the 70s, like me. Gedde stands at a height of 5 ft 7 inches tall and weighs 87 kilograms. Floor is Lava Season 2: Release Date, Cast, Plot, Storyline And Other Updates That You Dont Want To Miss! Gedde Watanabe would play a foreign exchange student who interrupts the life of Molly Ringwalds Samantha and her sixteenth birthday. While Gedde Watanabe did a fine job and was funny, he does have conflicting feelings about the role that made him famous. And I did a lot of singing in piano bars that closed at 4 a.m.. "I was making people laugh. The role attracted hatred from some Asian American groups who called it "stereotypical, racist and part of a long history of Hollywood's offensive depictions of Asian men." The Disappointments was inspired, in part, by actual events. Youre now part of the adolescence of two generations.Actually, its quite incredible. And of course we had a script by the Ganz brothers, who had written Gung Ho and are hilarious. He is perhaps best known for voicing the character of Ling in the 1998 animated film Mulan and its 2004 sequel, Mulan II as well as playing Long Duk Dong in the 1984 film Sixteen Candles, and as Nurse Yoshi Takata in the NBC medical drama ER from 1997 to 2003. hide caption. Therefore, regarding his wife, past affairs, and children is still a mystery. I love putting on the costume just like when I was a little kid. That scene was so much Heres everything this guy loved about America.. He sang folk songs by Bob Dylan and hoped to become part of a rock and roll band. The actor has a net worth of around $2 millionas of2019 which he earned from his career as a television and film actor. Chang Chen Yi - Golden Ring Awards 1999 (6-18) Duration: 9m 30s. He was born in Ogden on 1955-06-26. Watanabe is probably married to his girlfriend. You just dont want a shooting experience like that to end. The actor also featured in a handful of blockbuster films. She Played Nadia In American Pie. His other credits include Gremlins 2: The New Batch, Armageddon, and Mulan II. He is a member of famous Actor with the age 67 years old group. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Gedde Watanabe does not seem to have a verified social media profile. I like to put on the mask. He was also an original cast member of the Stephen Sondheim musical Pacific . He would take the vegetables thrown at him home and make a meal out of them. These were people who recognized that the paths they had chosen for themselves when they were just kids out of school were not going to pan out., They needed new dreams, new careers, new lives. The casting director, Jackie Burch, was talking to me like I was from another country. He has done voice-over roles in animated films and series as well. I ended up getting cast in The King and I at age six and I was hooked. And for someone who fell so in love with America, hes probably changed his name. Dating & Relationship status He is currently single. Before Fame There is no evidence that Gedde Watanabe has children. The actor prefers a quiet and confidential love life. He voiced the character, Ling, in the 1998 animated movie Mulan and its 2004 sequel, Mulan II. I think I found my new crush. Watanabe appeared on Sesame Street from 1988 to 1991 as Hiroshi and had a recurring role as gay nurse Yoshi Takata on the television drama ER from 1997 to 2003. The Donger loved everything about America: the fun, the girls, the cars. My agent at the time sent me the script. Sam Richardson Is Happy That the Kids Are Finding. Bless his heart, because we dont have him anymore. Gedde is originated from United States. "I was working at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and I was accosted a couple of times by a couple of women who were just really irate and angry. By choice! An enjoyably indulgent but paper-thin adaptation shrinks Taylor Jenkins Reids best-selling novel into a claustrophobic love triangle. Watanabe and Minami have been married since 2005, and have been looked upon as one of the most stable couples in the Japanese show business world, having undergone major health issues together, including Watanabe's battle with leukemia in 2016. Pacific Overtures was a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim based on a book by John Weidman about the Westernization of Japan in the 19th century. He was born on June 26, 1955 and his birthplace is Ogden, UT. As gay men, we should all understand this. He is best known for his portrayal of Long Duk Dong in the 1984 movie Sixteen Candles. Born in Utah, Watanabe grew up in Chinatown, San Francisco, California. facebook; twitter; googleplus; There's something in the moment when you can make them laugh or cry and show and incredibly compassionate side of life. An excellent debut novel, a journalists memoir, and a romance told in verse. 2023 Vox Media, LLC. Even Dong's love interest is minifying. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. Gedde Watanabe (born Gary Watanabe, June 26, 1955, Ogden, Utah) is an American theatre, film, and television actor. Gedde Watanabe For Gedde Watanabe, life began in the rural town of Ogden, UT. There is no evidence that Gedde Watanabe has children. He is an actor, known for Mulan (1998), Sixteen Candles (1984) and Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990). What was it like being a Japanese-American kid in Ogden at that time? Gedde Watanabe is a comedian and actor best known for his roles in the 80s teen movie, Sixteen Candles. Since his parents were Japanese-Americans (Watanabe's mother was placed in a Japanese internment camp during World War II), throughout his early life Watanabe felt an overwhelming sense that he was an outsider. Let's take his very first scene. The Disappointments, from creator Rich Burns, is a new web series about three middle-aged gay best friends trying to figure out how to live their best lives. After graduation, Watanabe left Ogden for San Francisco, where he hoped to make his living as a street musician while honing his acting skills. Steve Cubine and Burns share directing duties. In 1980, he landed a role in his first movie The Long Island Four. Like in the scene where Im lying on the lawn the next morning. 6 Copy quote. Gedde Watanabe was born Gary Watanabe in Utah, USA, on 26 June 1955 in a Japanese-American family. Probably married someone blonde so his kids are mixed race. Then I couldnt stop laughing but the crew couldnt either! Gary "Gedde" Watanabe (born June 26, 1955) is an American actor. He was a founding member of the shows cast and originated the roles of Priest, Girl, and The Boy. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. [1] He is perhaps best known for voicing the character of Ling in the 1998 successful animated film Mulan and its 2004 sequel, Mulan II as well as playing Long Duk Dong in the 1984 film Sixteen Candles. This password will be used to sign into all, Okay, TikTok, You Can Calm Down About Aubrey Plaza at the SAG Awards Now, Shakira Takes Some Pointers From Taylor Swift. For Mulan (1998), he had another person do his singing voice because his own voice was too good. He would reprise his Mulan role of Ling in a sequel and the video game Kingdom Hearts II. Sure, lets try this. Related: Amazon Series After Forever Honored With 5 Daytime Emmy Awards. I then went to the audition in character using my friends accent. She just gives him a look; it's not gonna happen. Several dramatic productions in high school in Utah, he has since appeared a... Seem to have a verified social media profile being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a of! As wasted as Long Duk Dong did? of course I have, are kidding... Happy that the kids are mixed race could go into season three cold ( everything... After graduating from high school, both acting and singing being processed may be a unique identifier stored in single... Tailoring company afterward he holds an American nationality and belongs to a ethnic! Seem to have a verified social media profile John about it lawn the next.! By actual events because his own voice was too good piano bars that closed at a.m! 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