Philip Ahn

Biography

Philip Ahn was an American actor of Korean descent who worked in more than 180 films and television shows from 1935 to 1978 and is regarded as Hollywood's first Korean American film actor. Born in the Highland Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, he studied acting and cinematography at the University of Southern California before making his first film, A Scream in the Night, in 1935. Credited roles arrived in 1936 with The General Died at Dawn and Stowaway, and Daughter of Shanghai and King of Chinatown paired him with Anna May Wong. He was often cast as Japanese villains during World War II, and later films included Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing (1955), Thoroughly Modern Millie (1967) and Battle Hymn (1957). His best-known television role was Master Kan on Kung Fu, and in 1984 he received a posthumous star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

72years old at death

Born March 29, 1905Los Angeles
Died February 28, 1978Los Angeles
Star sign: AriesThe sign runs March 21 to April 19
Also credited as Pil Lip Ahn

Movie Career

Films: 28
Career span: 37 years1936 to 1973

Genres

Drama71%, 20 films
Comedy21%, 6 films
Romance21%, 6 films
Crime18%, 5 films
Thriller18%, 5 films

First and latest

Did you know?!

A first
Ahn starred with Anna May Wong in Daughter of Shanghai (1937) and King of Chinatown (1939). The pair became sound-era Hollywood cinema's first Asian American romantic couple to represent themselves on screen.

Philip Ahn movies on Netflix

Jonathan Livingston Seagull1973IMDb rating 5.7as Chang (voice)
Thoroughly Modern Millie1967IMDb rating 6.9as Tea
Paradise, Hawaiian Style1966IMDb rating 5.5as Moki Kaimana
Shock Corridor1963IMDb rating 7.3as Dr. Fong
Confessions of an Opium Eater1962IMDb rating 6.2as Ching Foon
One-Eyed Jacks1961IMDb rating 7.1as Uncle
The Great Impostor1960IMDb rating 6.9as Capt. Hun Kim
Never So Few1959IMDb rating 5.8as Nautaung
Yesterday's Enemy1959IMDb rating 7.1as Yamazuki
Battle Hymn1957IMDb rating 6.3as Old Man
Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing1955IMDb rating 6.4as Third Uncle
The Left Hand of God1955IMDb rating 6.4as Jan Teng
Hell's Half Acre1954IMDb rating 6.3as Roger Kong
Macao1952IMDb rating 6.6as Itzumi
Halls of Montezuma1951IMDb rating 6.6as Nomura
Impact1949IMDb rating 7.0as Ah Sing
The Miracle of the Bells1948IMDb rating 6.6as Ming Gow
Women in the Night1948IMDb rating 4.7as Professor Kunioshi(Phillip Ahn)
Back to Bataan1945IMDb rating 6.6as Col. Coroki
The Keys of the Kingdom1944IMDb rating 7.2as Mr. Pao, Envoy for Mr. Chia
The Story of Dr. Wassell1944IMDb rating 6.6as Ping
The Tuttles of Tahiti1942IMDb rating 6.0as Emily's Servant
Charlie Chan in Honolulu1938IMDb rating 6.7as Wing Foo
Something to Sing About1937IMDb rating 6.2as Ito
Thank You, Mr. Moto1937IMDb rating 6.9as Prince Chung
The Good Earth1937IMDb rating 7.4as Captain
Stowaway1936IMDb rating 7.1as Sun Lo
The General Died at Dawn1936IMDb rating 6.5as Oxford

Best known for

The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.

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Jonathan Livingston Seagull1973 Drama, Familyas Changvoice
IMDb rating 5.72.5K votes
Back to Bataan1945 Drama, Waras Col. Coroki
IMDb rating 6.64.7K votes
Thoroughly Modern Millie1967as Tea
IMDb rating 6.97.7K votes
Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing1955as Third Uncle
IMDb rating 6.45.9K votes
Macao1952as Itzumi
IMDb rating 6.64.3K votes
Confessions of an Opium Eater1962as Ching Foon
IMDb rating 6.2937 votes
Shock Corridor1963as Dr. Fong
IMDb rating 7.314K votes
One-Eyed Jacks1961as Uncle
IMDb rating 7.115K votes

Most often with

Edward Dmytryk directed two of these films, Lewis Milestone two. Richard Loo appears in seven of them, more than any other actor. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.

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Richard Loo

Victor Sen Yung

James Hong

Karl Malden

Keye Luke

Benson FongEdward DmytrykDirector, 2 films Lewis MilestoneDirector, 2 films

Films together

Richard Loo7 films together, 1937 to 1962
Richard Loo's page
- Confessions of an Opium Eater1962IMDb rating 6.2Ahn as Ching FoonLoo as George Wah
- Battle Hymn1957IMDb rating 6.3Ahn as Old ManLoo as Gen. Kim (scenes deleted)
- Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing1955IMDb rating 6.4Ahn as Third UncleLoo as Robert Hung
- Women in the Night1948IMDb rating 4.7Ahn as Professor Kunioshi(Phillip Ahn)Loo as Colonel Noyama
- Back to Bataan1945IMDb rating 6.6Ahn as Col. CorokiLoo as Maj. Hasko
- The Story of Dr. Wassell1944IMDb rating 6.6Ahn as PingLoo as Chinese Doctor on Train
- The Good Earth1937IMDb rating 7.4Ahn as CaptainLoo as Farmer
Victor Sen Yung5 films together, 1937 to 1962
Victor Sen Yung's page
- Confessions of an Opium Eater1962IMDb rating 6.2Ahn as Ching FoonYung as Wing Young
- The Left Hand of God1955IMDb rating 6.4Ahn as Jan TengYung as John Wong
- Charlie Chan in Honolulu1938IMDb rating 6.7Ahn as Wing FooYung as James Chan
- Thank You, Mr. Moto1937IMDb rating 6.9Ahn as Prince ChungYung as Onlooker with Street Acrobats / Elevator Operator
- The Good Earth1937IMDb rating 7.4Ahn as CaptainYung as Peasant
James Hong3 films together, 1955 to 1959
James Hong's page
- Never So Few1959IMDb rating 5.8Ahn as NautaungHong as General Chao
- Battle Hymn1957IMDb rating 6.3Ahn as Old ManHong as ROK Maj. Chong
- Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing1955IMDb rating 6.4Ahn as Third UncleHong as Fifth Brother
Karl Malden3 films together, 1951 to 1961
Karl Malden's page
- One-Eyed Jacks1961IMDb rating 7.1Ahn as UncleMalden as Sheriff Dad Longworth
- The Great Impostor1960IMDb rating 6.9Ahn as Capt. Hun KimMalden as Father Devlin
- Halls of Montezuma1951IMDb rating 6.6Ahn as NomuraMalden as Doc
Keye Luke3 films together, 1937 to 1955
Keye Luke's page
- Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing1955IMDb rating 6.4Ahn as Third UncleLuke as Lee Foo
- Hell's Half Acre1954IMDb rating 6.3Ahn as Roger KongLuke as Police Chief Dan
- The Good Earth1937IMDb rating 7.4Ahn as CaptainLuke as Elder Son
Benson Fong3 films together, 1944 to 1955
Benson Fong's page
- The Left Hand of God1955IMDb rating 6.4Ahn as Jan TengFong as Chun Tien
- Women in the Night1948IMDb rating 4.7Ahn as Professor Kunioshi(Phillip Ahn)Fong as Chang
- The Keys of the Kingdom1944IMDb rating 7.2Ahn as Mr. Pao, Envoy for Mr. ChiaFong as Joseph
Edward DmytrykDirector, 2 films, 1945 to 1955
All films by Edward Dmytryk
- The Left Hand of God1955IMDb rating 6.4Ahn as Jan Teng
- Back to Bataan1945IMDb rating 6.6Ahn as Col. Coroki
Lewis MilestoneDirector, 2 films, 1936 to 1951
All films by Lewis Milestone
- Halls of Montezuma1951IMDb rating 6.6Ahn as Nomura
- The General Died at Dawn1936IMDb rating 6.5Ahn as Oxford
Also three films together1 more actor
- Leonard StrongHell's Half Acre (1954), Back to Bataan (1945) and The Keys of the Kingdom (1944)
When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.

Box office

What Philip Ahn's films earned in cinemas worldwide.

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Combined worldwide box office

$24.4 million

8 of the 28 films have a worldwide figure.

8Worldwide figure
1US gross only
19Figure not found

Top grosser

One-Eyed Jacks1961Uncle$4.3 million

Highest grossing

The eight biggest films earned 100% of the total. The bars are drawn to scale.

1
One-Eyed Jacks1961as Uncle
$4.3M17.7% of the total
2
The Left Hand of God1955as Jan Teng
$4.0M16.4% of the total
3
Battle Hymn1957as Old Man
$3.9M16.0% of the total
4
The Good Earth1937as Captain
$3.6M14.6% of the total
5
Paradise, Hawaiian Style1966as Moki Kaimana
$2.5M10.3% of the total
6
The Keys of the Kingdom1944as Mr. Pao, Envoy for Mr. Chia
$2.4M9.9% of the total
7
The Miracle of the Bells1948as Ming Gow
$2.1M8.6% of the total
8
Jonathan Livingston Seagull1973as Chang (voice)
$1.6M6.6% of the total