James Franklin Wong[1] (born March 28, 1987)[2][3] is an Americanactor andmusician. He is best known for his 2011 music video, "Ching Chong: Asians in the Library Song" and for his role as Ted in theweb seriesVideo Game High School. In 2017, he and YouTuberMeghan Camarena co-hosted the video game themed variety showPolaris Primetime, which was created as part of Disney's "D|XP" programming block onDisney XD.
Jimmy Wong | |
|---|---|
 Wong in 2012 | |
| Born | James Franklin Wong (1987-03-28)March 28, 1987 (age 38) 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 |
|
Wong has appeared in feature films such asJohn Dies at the End,The Circle, and the live-action version ofMulan.
Early life
editWong grew up inNormandy Park, Washington.[4] He graduated fromMiddlebury College in 2009, where he majored in theater and drama.[4][1] After graduating, he moved toLos Angeles to become an actor.[1]
Career
editWong garnered national news coverage in March 2011, when he uploaded his music video, "Ching Chong: Asians in the Library Song" toYouTube. He created the video as a response to aUCLA student'svlog rantagainst Asian students using mobile phones in the UCLA library,[5][6] one whichMSNBC 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 againstcyberbullying.[8] Wong later said in anMSNBC 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, aneye 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 showFeast of Fiction with Ashley Adams.
Wong later portrayed Ted in the web seriesVideo Game High School.[13] He was also invited byLionsgate andGoogle to create the web seriesDistrict Voices.[14] In 2014, Wong was ranked #73 onNew Media Rockstars Top 100 Channels.[15]
Wong playedLing in Disney's2020 live action remake ofthe 1998Mulan animated movie.
Gaming
editWong is an avid player ofMagic: The Gathering, specifically theCommander format. He hosts a podcast with co-hosts Josh Lee Kwai and Rachel Weeks calledThe Command Zone, where they discuss their experiences playing the Commander format. Wong is referred to by his co-hosts as "Jimmy the Red" due to fact that he often plays red decks when playing commander.[16] He has also been called upon byWizards of the Coast to preview new sets at exhibitions and on their YouTube channel.[17] In 2021, he appeared in the podcastDungeons & Daddies, where he played a demonic human-paladin character named Jodie Foster.[18]
Wong portrays the character Jay in the 2022 video gameBONELAB.[19]
Personal life
editHis father isChinese, from Canton, and his mother is of Chinese andMongol ancestry.[4] He is the younger brother of filmmakerFreddie Wong.[20] Wong announced his engagement to his girlfriend, Rosanna Wang, in December of 2020. A few months later, the two married on February 28, 2021. The couple welcomed their first son, Mason, in February 2022.
Partial filmography
edit| 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 | withMeghan 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 | Wish Dragon | Din Song | Feature film[23] |
Awards
edit- 2015:Won:International Academy of Web Television Awards – Best Ensemble Performance/Comedy,Video Game High School (shared with other cast members)
- 2014:Won:Streamy Awards – Best Action or Sci-Fi Series,Video Game High School (shared with cast and crew members)
- 2014:Won:Streamy Awards – Best Ensemble Cast,Video Game High School (shared with other cast members)
- 2017:Won:Guinness World Records - Most videogame characters identified in one minute[24]
References
edit- ^abcSydney (May 5, 2011)."Interview with Jimmy Wong Of Alexandra Wallace Fame". Untemplater. RetrievedOctober 18, 2015.
- ^Wong, Jimmy (March 28, 2018)."For my birthday this year, I present my own personal Top 32 bracket for March. If you like it Twitter, yall know what to do".Twitter. RetrievedSeptember 13, 2020.
- ^Wong, Jimmy (August 12, 2020)."also lol i'm 33, they wanted a 12-14 year old to play aang. so not really in the books for me anyway".Twitter. RetrievedSeptember 13, 2020.
- ^abcNguyen, Stacy (April 7, 2011)."Hit singer Jimmy Wong on Alexandra Wallace and why angry responses are unproductive".Northwest Asian Weekly. RetrievedApril 17, 2011.
- ^Zhan, Julie (July 7, 2011)."Never stop working. If you're doing something you love, then it shouldn't be a problem".The Other Asians. Archived fromthe original on April 12, 2013. RetrievedMay 18, 2013.
- ^Roderick, Kevin (March 24, 2011)."Jimmy Wong as Internet savior". LA Observed. RetrievedMay 9, 2012.
- ^ab"Jimmy Wong makes 'ching chong' a love song".MSNBC. March 23, 2011. Archived fromthe original on January 1, 2016. RetrievedOctober 18, 2015.
- ^Pell, Dave (March 21, 2011)."Jimmy Wong Saves The Internet".NPR. RetrievedOctober 18, 2015.
- ^All Things Considered (March 24, 2011)."A Racial Rant Inspires An Internet Balladeer".NPR. RetrievedOctober 18, 2015.
- ^Chansanchai, Athima (March 18, 2011)."UCLA student's 'Asians' rant ignites YouTube responses".Today (U.S. TV program). RetrievedOctober 18, 2015.
- ^Samuel, Sharon (March 17, 2011)."'Ching Chong' Shot Heard Around Social Media World".The New York Observer. RetrievedOctober 18, 2015.
- ^Walker, Rob (June 28, 2012)."On YouTube, Amateur Is the New Pro".New York Times. RetrievedOctober 18, 2015.
- ^Sun, Rebecca (December 12, 2014)."THR's at-a-glance look at the week in representation news".The Hollywood Reporter. RetrievedOctober 18, 2015.
- ^Vlessing, Etan (October 20, 2014)."Jimmy Wong, Rob Czar and iJustine's Justine Ezarik made videos for Lionsgate and Google".The Hollywood Reporter. RetrievedOctober 18, 2015.
- ^"The NMR Top 100 YouTube Channels: 75-51!".New Media Rockstars. RetrievedJanuary 6, 2015.
- ^"Podcasts - RocketJump".RocketJump. RetrievedFebruary 4, 2016.
- ^Magic: The Gathering (June 20, 2016),Access Magic: Eldritch Moon, Episode 1,archived from the original on December 22, 2021, retrievedJune 13, 2017
- ^"Dungeons and Daddies (Podcast Series 2019) - IMDb".IMDb.
- ^"Bonelab (Video Game 2022)".IMDb.
- ^Austen, Ben (December 16, 2011)."The YouTube Laugh Factory: A Studio System for Viral Video".Wired. RetrievedOctober 18, 2015.
- ^Lafayette, Jon (June 14, 2017)."Disney XD Set to Launch Gamer Programming Block".Broadcasting Cable. RetrievedJune 25, 2020.
- ^Disney’s ‘Mulan’ Casts Jimmy Wong & Doua Moua Deadline Hollywood, Retrieved August 14, 2018
- ^[1] South China Morning Post, Retrieved June 12, 2021
- ^"Most videogame characters identified in one minute".Guinness World Records. June 27, 2017. RetrievedDecember 14, 2022.
