Asian American actress Anna May Wong.
Credit: © Paramount Pictures

March is Women’s History Month, an annual observance of women’s achievements and contributions to society. This month, Behind the Headlines will feature woman pioneers in a variety of areas.

Her face has gone from the big screen to quarters! Anna May Wong was an Asian American actress. She became famous during the early years of American cinema. In her time, she was one of the few Asian performers to achieve widespread success. Wong eventually grew disappointed with the limited roles offered to her. She also became an outspoken critic of the casting of white performers in Asian roles. The U.S. Mint announced in 2021 that Wong would be one of five women commemorated on the quarter in their American Women Quarters series.

U.S. Mint’s American Women Quarters Program 2022 quarters.
Credit: US Mint

Wong Liu Tsong was born Jan. 3, 1905, in Los Angeles, California. Her parents operated a laundry. She made her first motion-picture appearance as an extra in The Red Lantern (1919). Wong continued acting in small roles. For years, she hid her work as an extra from her family. Her first credited role was in Bits of Life (1921). When her father learned of her acting career, he insisted on being present when she was on set.

Wong starred in the 1923 film Toll of the Sea, the first widely released feature film made in Technicolor. Before Technicolor, films were either shown in black and white or colored by hand. In Toll of the Sea, Wong played the romantic lead, bringing her new fame. However, her stardom started to strain her family life, with photographers and fans showing up at the family laundry to see her. Her family was further upset with her role in The Thief of Bagdad (1924) as an untrustworthy “Mongol slave.”

By the late 1920’s, Wong had grown disappointed in Hollywood. She was consistently offered roles as villains, slaves, or temptresses. In contrast, sympathetic leading roles were often reserved for white performers. Even Asian lead roles were often performed by better-known white actors made up to look Asian. In The Crimson City (1928), for example, Wong played a supporting role to lead actress Myrna Loy, a white woman made to look Asian. Wong moved to Europe in hopes of finding more realistic roles. There, she learned to speak French, German, and Italian. In 1929, Wong starred alongside the British actor Laurence Olivier in the play A Circle of Chalk in London.

In 1931, Wong starred as the lead in the Broadway play On the Spot. The role led to a return to Hollywood, with Daughter of the Dragon (1931) and Shanghai Express (1932). Both films offered the type of Asian villainess roles Wong had sought to escape. Yet Shanghai Express allowed for a more nuanced portrayal. Wong played Hui Fei, a prostitute (sex worker) and ally of a Chinese warlord who later turns on him, killing him.

Despite the acclaim she received for Shanghai Express, Wong continued to be offered disappointing roles. Producers had wanted Wong to play Lotus, a dancer, in the film adaptation of the novel The Good Earth. Wong wanted to play O-Lan, the female lead. The German actress Luise Rainer went on to win an Academy Award for portraying O-Lan.

In 1936, Wong again left Hollywood, this time for China. In China, Wong was criticized for her early film roles and for being too western for Chinese audiences. When she returned to America, filmmakers were more interested in hiring her to coach white actors performing Asian roles. In 1942, she retired from acting in films.

During the 1950’s, Wong acted in television shows, including her own series in 1951. In “The Gallery of Mme. Liu Tsong,” Wong portrayed a gallery owner who solved crimes. In 1960, she attempted a return to film, portraying a housekeeper in Portrait in Black. Wong died Feb. 3, 1961, from a heart attack. The Chinese American actress Michelle Krusiec played Wong in the television miniseries Hollywood (2020).

February 12, 2020

On Sunday, February 9, the 92nd Academy Awards—commonly known as the Oscars—were held at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California. The Oscars celebrate the past year’s achievements in filmmaking. As happened in 2019, the award ceremony went without a host. Instead, the comedians Steve Martin and Chris Rock opened the show, and a variety of celebrities introduced and handed out the awards.

Parasite, which won best picture at the 2020 Academy Awards, stars (from left) Choi Woo Shik, Song Kang Ho, Chang Hyae Jin, and Park So Dam. Credit: CJ Entertainment

The biggest headline on Oscars night was the naming of the South Korean black comedy Parasite as best picture. Black comedy is characterized by bizarrely or morbidly humorous plots and situations. Directed by Bong Joon Ho, Parasite is the first movie in a language other than English to win best picture. Parasite also won best original screenplay and best international film. Bong too made history as the first South Korean to win best director. The World War I drama 1917—the favorite to win best picture before the ceremony—missed out on the top award but took home the best cinematography, best sound mixing, and best visual effects Oscars.

Renée Zellweger won the best actress award for her portrayal of the former Hollywood star Judy Garland in the biopic Judy. Joaquin Phoenix earned best actor for his leading role in the origin story of the Batman villain Joker. Brad Pitt won best supporting actor for his stuntman sidekick role in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, and Laura Dern was named best supporting actress as a divorce lawyer in Marriage Story. Toy Story 4 won best animated feature, and American Factory won best documentary. American Factory, the story of a Chinese-run glass factory in Ohio, was the first film made by Higher Ground Productions, a company run by former United States President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama. The World War II satire Jojo Rabbit earned the Oscar for best adapted screenplay.

Each trophy given out at the ceremony (there were a total of 24 this year) is officially called an Academy Award of Merit, but the small golden statues have been known as “Oscars” since the 1930′s. The origin of the nickname is uncertain, but most histories center on Margaret Herrick, a former director of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Apparently, upon seeing the statuettes for the first time in 1931, Herrick remarked that they looked a lot like her Uncle Oscar. Oscar came into common usage for the award soon after.

February 27, 2019

On Sunday, February 24, the 91st Academy Awards—commonly known as the Oscars—were held at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California. The Oscars celebrate the past year’s achievements in filmmaking. For the first time since 1989, the award ceremony went without a host. Instead, a variety of celebrities introduced and handed out the awards. The comedy drama Green Book took home the coveted best picture award, and Alfonso Cuarón won best director for his film Roma.

Viggo Mortensen (left) and Mahershala Ali starred in Green Book, the best picture winner at the 2019 Academy Awards in Hollywood. Credit: © Universal Pictures

Hollywood’s biggest night began with a rousing performance by the rock group Queen, the subject of the best picture-nominated film Bohemian Rhapsody. Later in the ceremony, that film’s star, Rami Malek, became the first Arab American to win best actor for his charismatic portrayal of former Queen lead singer Freddie Mercury. British star Olivia Colman won best actress for her role as Queen Anne in the period dark comedy The Favourite. Anne was the first queen of Great Britain, which was formed when the Kingdom of Scotland united with the Kingdom of England and Wales in 1707.

Roma, a Mexican film that follows the life of an indigenous domestic worker, lost out on the best picture award, but it did top the best foreign language film category. Green Book told the story of a black musician and his white driver and bodyguard on a tour of the American south in 1962. The film’s title was taken from the The Negro Motorist Green Book, a guidebook that once helped African American travelers navigate dangerous racial discrimination in the southern United States. African American actor Mahershala Ali won the best supporting actor award for his role in the film, which also won best original screenplay.

As for the other top awards on Sunday, Regina King won  best supporting actress for her role in If Beale Street Could Talk, a movie based on a 1974 novel by African American author James Baldwin. Director Spike Lee’s  BlacKkKlansman earned the best adapted screenplay award. That film told the story of a black detective who investigated the Ku Klux Klan hate group in the 1970′s. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse won best animated feature film, and Free Solo won best documentary.

Each trophy given out at the ceremony (there were a total of 24 this year) is officially called an Academy Award of Merit, but the small golden statues have been known as “Oscars” since the 1930′s. The origin of the nickname is uncertain, but most histories center on Margaret Herrick, a former director of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Apparently, upon seeing the statuettes for the first time in 1931, Herrick remarked that they looked a lot like her Uncle Oscar. Oscar became common usage for the award soon after.

December 30, 2016

On Tuesday, December 27, American actress, author, and screenwriter Carrie Fisher (1956-2016) died at age 60. She had been hospitalized since suffering a cardiac arrest last Friday. Fisher appeared in numerous films, plays, and television shows, but she was best known for her role as Princess Leia in the Star Wars franchise. On December 28, the day after Fisher’s death, her mother, actress Debbie Reynolds (1932-2016), also passed away. Reynolds starred in numerous Hollywood films in the 1950′s and 1960′s, including such classic musicals as Singin’ in the Rain (1952) and The Unsinkable Molly Brown (1964). Reynolds was 84.

Carrie Fisher played Princess Leia, seen here between the characters Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), left, and Han Solo (Harrison Ford), in the popular Star Wars film franchise. Credit: © Lucasfilm Ltd

Fisher was born on Oct. 21, 1956, in Beverly Hills, California. She was the daughter of famous parents, Debbie Reynolds and singer Eddie Fisher. She first appeared on stage in the 1973 musical (alongside her mother) Irene. In 1975, her first film appearance came in the comedy Shampoo.

Fisher’s enduring fame, however, began in 1977 when she first portrayed Princess Leia Organa in the blockbuster film Star Wars. The role, reprised in the sequels The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Return of the Jedi (1983), raised her to cultural icon status. In 2015, she returned to the role (the princess was now a general) in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The film franchise’s millions of fans will see Fisher one last time as Leia in Star Wars: Episode VIII—a working title—scheduled for release in December 2017.

Fisher also had memorable roles in the popular films The Blues Brothers, When Harry Met Sally, and Hannah and Her Sisters. Fisher’s better-known television roles included stints on the comedies “Family Guy,” “Sex and the City,” “The Big Bang Theory,” and, most recently, “Catastrophe.”

Fisher was known for her writing too, working on dozens of Hollywood scripts and penning the semi-autobiographical novel Postcards from the Edge (1987) and the one-person play, Wishful Drinking (2006). These works describe life growing up in a famous Hollywood family and the oddness of the entertainment industry, as well as her personal battles with depression, drug addiction, and bipolar disorder. Fisher released a memoir, The Princess Diarist, in November 2016.

Debbie Reynolds starred with Frank Sinatra in the 1955 musical The Tender Trap. Credit: © Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

Mary Frances (Debbie) Reynolds was born on April 1, 1932, in El Paso, Texas. She signed a movie contract after winning a beauty contest in 1948. During the 1950′s, she was one of Hollywood’s biggest stars, appearing in such films as Three Little Words (1950), Skirts Ahoy (1952), The Affairs of Dobie Gillis (1953), Hit the Deck (1955), The Tender Trap (1955), The Catered Affair (1956), Tammy and the Bachelor (1957), and This Happy Feeling (1958). Her major films of the 1960′s include The Pleasure of His Company (1961), Goodbye Charlie (1964), The Singing Nun (1966), and Divorce American Style (1967). In addition to singing in musicals, Reynolds recorded several songs, including the hits “Abba Daba Honeymoon” (1951), from the film Two Weeks with Love, and “Tammy,” the theme song from Tammy and the Bachelor. In 2013, she acted in the HBO cable television movie Behind the Candelabra (2013).

Reynolds married singer Eddie Fisher in 1955. Their daughter, Carrie Fisher, became a well-known actress and author. Their son, Todd Fisher, is a television director. In 1959, Fisher left Reynolds for actress Elizabeth Taylor, which made national headlines.

With her film career in decline, Reynolds turned to the stage in the 1970′s. She made her Broadway debut (with her daughter, Carrie) in the 1973 musical  Irene. She also toured as the singing and dancing star of a revue. In 1993, Reynolds opened the Debbie Reynolds Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. She performed there until it closed in 1997. She wrote an autobiography, Debbie: My Life (1989), and two memoirs, Unsinkable (with Dorian Hannaway, 2013) and Make ‘Em Laugh: Short-Term Memories of Longtime Friends (also with Hannaway, 2015).

October 27, 2015

Maureen O’Hara, one of the most glamorous movie stars of the mid 1900’s, died Saturday, October 24, at the age of 95. O’Hara was sometimes called the “Queen of Technicolor” after the patented process for making motion pictures in color. After decades of black-and-white films, O’Hara’s flaming red hair, green eyes, and flawless pale skin dazzled audiences in color films. Her on-screen presence was enhanced by the passionate, independent characters she so often portrayed. Despite the nickname, many of O’Hara’s greatest roles were in black-and-white movies.

Irish-American actress Maureen O’Hara
Credit: Kate Gabrielle (licensed under cc by 2.0)

O’Hara appeared in about 50 Hollywood films from the 1940’s through 1971, but she was never nominated for an Academy Award. She played a few more screen and television roles later in life, and, in 2014, O’Hara received an honorary Oscar in recognition of performances that “glowed with passion, warmth, and strength.”

O’Hara was born Maureen FitzSimons on Aug. 17, 1920, in Ranelagh, a suburb of Dublin, Ireland. At the age of 14, she was accepted into the acting school of the famous Abbey Theatre in Dublin. Three years later, she traveled to London to make a screen test. The test caught the attention of actor, director, and producer Charles Laughton, who cast her in the 1939 film Jamaica Inn, directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Laughton also encouraged Maureen to change her name from FitzSimons to O’Hara.

After the outbreak of World War II in September 1939, O’Hara moved to Hollywood. Playing alongside Laughton, she established herself as a star in The Hunchback of Notre Dame. For the next three decades, O’Hara split her career between escapist films and a few more substantial motion pictures. She became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1946, but retained her Irish citizenship.

O’Hara co-starred with John Wayne in five movies, becoming a close friend of “the Duke.” Wayne commented, “I’ve had many friends, and I prefer the company of men, except for Maureen O’Hara. She’s a great guy.” Perhaps their best-known pairing came in the romantic film The Quiet Man (1952), set in Ireland. It was one of several films she made with director John Ford, starting with the classic How Green Was My Valley (1941), set in a coal mining area of Wales. She starred with John Wayne in her last movie for Ford, The Wings of Eagles (1957).

O’Hara may be best remembered for starring in a Christmas classic replayed every season: Miracle on 34th Street, a 1947 film directed by George Seaton that “proved” the existence of Santa Claus. O’Hara retired from films in 1971, but returned to the screen in Only the Lonely (1991).

O’Hara’s autobiography ‘Tis Herself was published in 2004. In 2005, she moved back to Ireland, settling on an estate in County Cork. O’Hara returned to the United States in 2012 as her health began to fail. She died at her home in Boise, Idaho.