Ming-Na Wen

(present-day Macau, China)

Ming-Na Wen (; born November 20, 1963) is an American actress and model. She has won multiple awards throughout her career, including an Annie Award and a Saturn Award, in addition to a nomination for a Screen Actors Guild Award. She was honored as a Disney Legend in 2019 and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2023.

After gaining attention playing Lien Hughes on the daytime soap As the World Turns (1988–1991), Wen’s breakthrough role was as June Woo in The Joy Luck Club (1993). Other early successes include the role of Dr. Jing-Mei "Deb" Chen in the medical drama series ER (1995–2004) and her voice role as Fa Mulan in the Walt Disney Animated Classic Mulan, as well as its sequel Mulan II, several video games and guest appearances in TV shows such as Sofia the First. Additionally, Wen made a cameo appearance in the live-action remake of Mulan (2020).

Wen is well-known for playing agent Melinda May in the Marvel series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (2013–2020) and has also appeared in the Star Wars franchise as the bounty hunter Fennec Shand, appearing in The Mandalorian (2019–2020), Star Wars: The Bad Batch (2021, 2024), and The Book of Boba Fett (2021–2022). Other notable roles include that of Chun-Li in Street Fighter (1994), Detective Ellen Yin in The Batman (2004–2005), Judge Linda Harris in Two and a Half Men (2007, 2010) and Camile Wray in Stargate Universe (2009–2011).

Early life, family and education

Wen was born on November 20, 1963, on Coloane, one of the two main islands of Macau. Her father is of Malaysian Chinese descent. She has an older brother Jonathan and a younger brother Leong.

Wen's parents divorced when she was an infant, and she moved with her brother and mother to Hong Kong, where she attended a Catholic school. Her mother worked three jobs to provide for the family. Her mother remarried to Chinese American Soo Lim Yee, and when Wen was four years old, the family moved to New York City. Her younger brother Leong was born there.

After five years, Wen's mother and stepfather relocated their family to the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area, where they bought and operated the Chinatown Inn restaurant (established in 1943), which is still in business. She majored in theatre at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, graduating in 1986.

Career

1985–1997: Breakthrough with ''The Joy Luck Club''

Wen's first television role was as a royal trumpeter in the children's television series Mister Rogers' Neighborhood in 1985. From 1988 to 1991, she played Lien Hughes, the daughter of Tom Hughes, on the soap opera As the World Turns, becoming the first ever Asian to be on a contract role in a daytime soap.

After starring in the film The Joy Luck Club (1993), Wen landed the role of Dr. Jing-Mei "Deb" Chen on the NBC drama series ER. It was a recurring role during the 1994–1995 season, and she returned in 1999 as a series regular, remaining on the show until midway through Season 11 in 2004. Wen played Chun-Li in Street Fighter (1994) and co-starred on the sitcom The Single Guy from 1995 to 1997.

1998–2012: ''Mulan'', established actress and other ventures

Wen provided the voice for the title character in the 1998 animated film Mulan, its direct-to-video sequel, Mulan II, and the video game Kingdom Hearts II, subsequently winning an Annie Award. She voiced Aki Ross in the animated film Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within and Detective Ellen Yin in the animated series The Batman. She voiced a minor character Jade in the HBO animated series Spawn.

In 2004, Wen won a Hollywood Home Game on the World Poker Tour. In the fall of 2005, she starred on the NBC drama series Inconceivable as the lead character Rachel Lu. The series was cancelled after two episodes. Her next TV role was an FBI agent in the Fox kidnapping drama series Vanished, which premiered in the fall of 2006, but it too was cancelled. She played a college professor in the comedy series George Lopez.

From October 8 through October 29, 2007, Wen (billed as Ming Wen) appeared in a four-episode arc of CBS's Two and a Half Men playing Charlie Sheen's love interest, a judge closer to his own age. In November 2008, she guest-starred on two ABC series: Private Practice and Boston Legal. From December 5 to 6, 2008, Wen starred in a benefit production of the musical Grease with "Stuttering John" Melendez at the Class Act Theatre.

Wen was cast as a regular in the Stargate Universe television series from October 2009 to May 2011 as political attaché Camile Wray. Wen appears in Disney Through the Decades, a documentary short about the history of The Walt Disney Company, hosting the 1990s section.

Wen appeared on the Syfy series Eureka as the inquisitive U.S. Senator Michaela Wen, beginning in season four in 2011 and then serving as a major villain in the fifth and final season in 2012.

2013–present: ''Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'', ''Star Wars'' and other works

Wen starred as Agent Melinda May in the ABC superhero drama series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., which premiered on September 24, 2013.

In August 2014, Wen reprised her role as Mulan for the first time since Kingdom Hearts II in the Disney Channel series Sofia the First. Wen's daughter has a recurring role on the show as Princess Jun.

On December 7, 2017, Marvel Entertainment launched a new animation film franchise, Marvel Rising: Secret Warriors. Wen voiced Hala the Accuser, the main antagonist of the film, working with Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. co-star Chloe Bennet. That same year, she once again provided the voice of Mulan in Ralph Breaks the Internet.

In 2019, it was announced that Wen would be a cast member of the Star Wars TV series The Mandalorian playing Fennec Shand. She reprised the role vocally in Star Wars: The Bad Batch and the live-action series The Book of Boba Fett.

In 2022, Wen made an appearance on Young Sheldon as Dr. Lee, an experimental physicist responsible for mitigating conflict within a team of scientists. She is set to recur on the second season of HBO Max's Hacks.

Artistry and legacy

Wen's roles as Melinda May and Fennec Shand in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and The Book of Boba Fett, respectively, have received critical acclaim. In December 2021, she was included in the list of BBC's 100 Women of 2021. Wen received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2023.

She is also well known for her work with Disney. WDW Magazine writer Aaron Widmar called Wen an "incredibly talented Chinese actress, who has had a remarkable career that seems to only gain steam as it progresses—a rarity in Hollywood". He went on to say that she has "broken through barriers for Asian performers". In a 2014 article by a Chinese evening magazine based in Kunming, China, the Spring City Evening News wrote that "among the second-generation Chinese children who immigrated to the United States with their parents, Wen adhered to the excellent Chinese culture and etiquette." She was named a Disney Legend at the 2019 D23 Expo for her outstanding contributions to the Disney company.

Personal life

In 1990, Wen married American film writer Kirk Aanes. They divorced three years later. On June 16, 1995, Wen married Eric Michael Zee Wen's first pregnancy was written into the ER script, with her character placing the child for adoption. Wen's daughter followed her mother's footsteps in voice acting. She voices Princess Jun in the Disney Channel-animated series Sofia the First, credited as Michaela Zee.

Wen is trilingual, fluent in English, Cantonese, and Mandarin. She is a Buddhist.

Filmography

Film

Television

Web series

Video games

Awards and nominations

Notes

References

References

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2. Ming-Na Wen. (November 8, 2016). "Did my duties as a proud #American citizen this morning! #USA #Vote".
3. Michael, Elkin. (2016-09-23). "CMU grad Ming-Na Wen stands up for herself, on and off screen". [[Pittsburgh Tribune-Review]].
4. Wen, Ming-Na. (6 March 2021). "Welcome to the @Disney family, Kelly! #warriorprincesses #southeastasiangals Yes, my biological father is Malaysian.".
5. (2023-05-30). "'Mulan' and 'The Mandalorian' star Ming-Na Wen is honored with Hollywood star". CBS News.
6. Mendoza, N. F.. (1995-10-25). "Channeling : With An Eye On. . . : Ming-Na Wen uses the power of persuasion to land on 'The Single Guy'". [[Los Angeles Times]].
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10. Patrizio, Andy. (October 27, 2004). "An Interview With Ming-Na".
11. Mchance. (October 14, 2013). "'Agents of SHIELD' star Ming-Na Wen calls Charlie Sheen a good kisser".
12. (November 12, 2008). "John Melendez and Ming Na to Star in Grease Benefit". Theater Mania.
13. Darren. (August 19, 2010). "Ming-Na to guest star on Eureka".
14. Wilkins, Alasdair. (April 24, 2012). "Eureka finally does something genuinely shocking".
15. (October 29, 2012). "Marvel's S.H.I.E.L.D. recruits Ming-Na Wen". Asia Pacific Arts.
16. (July 22, 2014). "First Look:Ming-Na Wen is Back at Mulan - This Time on Sofia the First". [[TV Guide]].
17. Dinh, Christine. (December 7, 2017). "Marvel to Launch New Animation Franchise 'Marvel Rising'".
18. (September 5, 2017). "'Wreck-It Ralph 2' Bringing Back Original Disney Princess Voice Actresses".
19. Baver, Kristin. (December 16, 2020). "The Return of Fennec Shand: Ming-Na Wen on Finding Her Voice as the Elite Assassin in The Mandalorian".
20. Mitovitch, Matt. (December 21, 2020). "Boba Fett Series Confirmed as a Mandalorian Spinoff; Pedro Pascal Will Be Back as Mando for Season 3".
21. "Ming-Na Wen Talks Her Character's Dynamic With 'Young Sheldon,' Working With Iain Armitage".
22. (March 18, 2022). "'Hacks' Season 2 Adds Laurie Metcalf, Martha Kelly, Ming-Na Wen & Margaret Cho".
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24. (December 7, 2021). "BBC 100 Women 2021: Who is on the list this year?".
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26. (June 19, 2021). "Ming-Na Wen Celebrates Her Hollywood Walk of Fame Star: My Little Nerd Heart Is Exploding".
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29. (2014-05-17). "Tāmen zài měiguó hěn chūmíng nǐ zhīdào ma?". Spring City Evening News.
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31. (May 17, 2019). "RDJ, Jon Favreau, James Earl Jones & More to be Honored as Disney Legends". Comingsoon.net.
32. and together they have a daughter and a son.[https://news.yahoo.com/book-boba-fett-ming-na-150000485.html The Book of Boba Fett 's Ming-Na Wen Says Facing Adversity Made Her 'Fearless'] {{Webarchive. link. (March 6, 2022 , Yahoo News, January 12, 2022.)
33. (2018-03-27). "Ming-Na Wen opens up about the challenges of Hollywood". Grok Nation.
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37. (September 4, 2020). "The live-action 'Mulan' has an unexpected cameo you may overlook the first time around. Here's how it came together.".
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39. Stephan, Katcy. (2024-03-06). "Ming-Na Wen Joins Sony's New ''Karate Kid'' Film (EXCLUSIVE)".
40. Grobar, Matt. (2022-05-04). "Ming-Na Wen & Esai Morales Join Brianna Hildebrand In Jeffrey Morris' Sci-Fi Thriller 'Persephone'; Highland Film Group Launching Sales At Cannes". Deadline.
41. (April 26, 2021). "Yasuke Trailer Adds Mandalorian Star Ming-Na Wen and More to the Cast".
42. (December 21, 2020). "THE BOOK OF BOBA FETT, A NEW SERIES, COMING DECEMBER 2021 ON DISNEY+".
43. Baver, Kristin. (December 16, 2020). "THE RETURN OF FENNEC SHAND: MING-NA WEN ON FINDING HER VOICE AS THE ELITE ASSASSIN IN THE MANDALORIAN".
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45. Zorrilla, Mónica Marie. (February 16, 2021). "'Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai' Adds Ming-Na Wen, BD Wong, Matthew Rhys to Cast (Exclusive)". [[Penske Media Corporation]].
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55. (2023-10-02). "Carnegie Mellon University to Honor 11 Luminary Alumni". Carnegie Mellon University.
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