Soon-tek Oh (, ''O Sun-taek'' – also spelled as Soon-taek Oh or Soon-taik Oh or Soon-teck Oh; June 29, 1932 – April 4, 2018) was a Korean–American actor. He was the voice of Fa Zhou in Disney's ''

Mulan Hua Mulan () is a legendary Chinese folk heroine from the Northern and Southern dynasties era (4th to 6th century Common Era, CE) of Chinese history. Scholar, Scholars generally consider Mulan to be a fictional character. Hua Mulan is depicte ...

'' and the direct-to-video sequel ''

Mulan II ''Mulan II'' is a 2004 American animated direct-to-video musical adventure film produced by Walt Disney Pictures and Disneytoon Studios and distributed by Buena Vista Home Entertainment. The film was directed by Darrell Rooney and Lynne Southe ...

'' and the sadistic Colonel Yin in '' Missing in Action 2: The Beginning''. He has starred in many films, and also acted in

television series A television show, TV program (), or simply a TV show, is the general reference to any content produced for viewing on a television set that is broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, and cable, or distributed digitally on streaming plat ...

, including ''

Stargate SG-1 ''Stargate SG-1'' (often stylized in all caps, or abbreviated ''SG-1'') is a military science fiction Adventure fiction, adventure television series within Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's Stargate, ''Stargate'' franchise. The show, created by Brad Wrig ...

''; ''

MacGyver Angus "Mac" MacGyver is the title character and the protagonist in the TV series ''MacGyver''. He is played by Richard Dean Anderson in the MacGyver (1985 TV series), 1985 original series. Lucas Till portrays a younger version of MacGyver in Mac ...

''; ''

M*A*S*H ''M*A*S*H'' (an acronym for Mobile Army Surgical Hospital) is an American media franchise consisting of a series of novels, a film, several television series, plays, and other properties, and based on the semi-autobiographical fiction of Richa ...

''; ''

Charlie's Angels ''Charlie's Angels'' is an American crime drama television series created by Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts for ABC. It originally aired from September 22, 1976, to June 24, 1981, airing for five seasons consisting of 115 episodes. It was produ ...

''; ''

Airwolf ''Airwolf'' is an American action military drama television series. It centers on a high-technology attack helicopter, code-named '' Airwolf'', and its crew. They undertake various exotic missions, many involving espionage, with a Cold War the ...

'', '' Magnum, P.I.''; '' Hawaii Five-O''; '' Kung-Fu''; ''

Zorro Zorro ( or , Spanish for "fox") is a fictional character created in 1919 by American Pulp magazine, pulp writer Johnston McCulley, appearing in works set in the Pueblo de Los Ángeles in Alta California. He is typically portrayed as a dashin ...

''; '' The Man with the Golden Gun''; '' Baa Baa Black Sheep''; '' Highlander: The Series'' and ''

Touched by an Angel ''Touched by an Angel'' is an American drama television series that premiered on CBS on September 21, 1994, and ran for 211 episodes over nine seasons until its conclusion on April 27, 2003. Created by John Masius and executive produced by Ma ...

''.

Early life

Oh was born on June 29, 1932, in

Mokpo Mokpo (; ) is the List of cities in South Korea, third largest and most densely populated city in South Jeolla Province, South Korea, located at the southwestern tip of the Korean Peninsula, close to Yudal mountain. Mokpo has frequent high-speed ...

during the period when Korea was under Japanese rule. He attended high school at

Gwangju Gwangju (; ), formerly romanized as Kwangju, is South Korea's list of cities in South Korea, sixth-largest metropolis. It is a designated Special cities of South Korea, metropolitan city under the direct control of the central government's Home ...

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...

, and attended

Yonsei University Yonsei University () is a Private university, private Christian university, Christian research university located in Seoul, South Korea. Yonsei is one of the three most prestigious universities in the country, part of a group referred to as SK ...

Seoul Seoul, officially Seoul Special Metropolitan City, is the capital city, capital and largest city of South Korea. The broader Seoul Metropolitan Area, encompassing Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, emerged as the world's List of cities b ...

. After the end of Japanese rule in August 1945 and before the outbreak of the

Korean War The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...

in June 1950, he and his family immigrated to the United States where he attended the

University of Southern California The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in ...

. He later gained an MFA from

UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Its academic roots were established in 1881 as a normal school then known as the southern branch of the C ...

Acting career

On Broadway, he appeared in the original cast of the

Stephen Sondheim Stephen Joshua Sondheim (; March22, 1930November26, 2021) was an American composer and lyricist. Regarded as one of the most important figures in 20th-century musical theater, he is credited with reinventing the American musical. He received Lis ...

musical ''

Pacific Overtures ''Pacific Overtures'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and a book by John Weidman, with "additional material by" Hugh Wheeler. Set in nineteenth-century Japan, it tells the story of the country's westernization starting ...

''. He was an early member of

East West Players East West Players is an Asian American theatre organization in Los Angeles, founded in 1965. As the nation's first professional Asian American theatre organization, East West Players continues to produce works and educational programs that give ...

, an

Asian American theatre Asian American theatre refers to theatre written, directed or acted by Asian Americans. From initial efforts by four theatre companies in the 1960s, Asian-American theatre has grown to around forty groups today. Early productions often had Asian ...

group founded in 1965. In 1995, he founded the

Korean American Korean Americans () are Americans of full or partial Korean ethnic descent. While the broader term Overseas Korean in America () may refer to all ethnic Koreans residing in the United States, the specific designation of Korean American impli ...

theatre group, Society of Heritage Performers, which later evolved into the present

Lodestone Theatre Ensemble Lodestone Theatre Ensemble was a non-profit Asian American theatre organization in Los Angeles, founded in 1999. It was a membership-driven organization. The ensemble disbanded in 2009. History In 1995, following the 1992 Los Angeles riots, v ...

. From 2005, he had been a chair professor at Seoul Institute of the Arts.

Death

Oh died in Los Angeles on April 4, 2018, at age 85 after a lengthy battle with

Alzheimer's disease Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease and the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia. The most common early symptom is difficulty in remembering recent events. As the disease advances, symptoms can include problems wit ...

, according to actor Chil Kong.

Partial filmography

Films

* 1966 ''

Murderers' Row Murderers' Row were the baseball teams of the New York Yankees in the late 1920s, widely considered some of the best teams in history. The nickname is particularly used for the first six hitters in the 1927 team lineup: Earle Combs, Mark Koen ...

'' as Tempura, Japanese Secret Agent (uncredited) * 1967 ''

Yongary, Monster From The Deep ''Yongary, Monster from the Deep'' (, ) is a 1967 ''kaiju'' film directed by Kim Ki-duk, with special effects by Kenichi Nakagawa. The film was a joint production between South Korean studio Keukdong (Far East) Entertainment Company and Japanes ...

'' as Chinese Agent (uncredited) * 1971 ''

Earth II ''Earth II'' is a 1971 pilot, aired November 28 (and released theatrically outside North America), for a television series about a colony established in orbit around the Earth. A WABE Production in association with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Tele ...

'' as Chinese Diplomat (uncredited) * 1971 ''

One More Train to Rob ''One More Train to Rob'' is a 1971 American comedy film, comedy Western (genre), western film directed by Andrew McLaglen, starring George Peppard, and featuring Diana Muldaur, John Vernon and France Nuyen. The shooting title for the film was ...

'' as Yung * 1974 '' The Man with the Golden Gun'' as Lieutenant Hip (as Soon-taik Oh) * 1978 ''

Good Guys Wear Black ''Good Guys Wear Black'' is a 1978 American martial arts action film starring Chuck Norris and directed by Ted Post. This was the second film to feature Norris as the star, following ''Breaker! Breaker!'' (1977). However, this is the one that No ...

'' as Major Mhin Van Thieu, The Black Tigers * 1980 '' The Final Countdown'' as Simura, Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service Pilot * 1982 '' The Letter'' as Ong * 1985 '' Bialy smok'' as Tai Ching * 1985 '' Missing in Action 2'' as Colonel Yin * 1985 ''

Yuki Shimoda Yuki Shimoda (August 10, 1921 – May 21, 1981) was an American actor best known for his starring role as Ko Wakatsuki in the NBC movie of the week '' Farewell to Manzanar'' in 1976. He also co-starred in the 1960s television series '' Johnny M ...

'' as Himself (interviewed) * 1987 '' Steele Justice'' as General Bon-soong Kwan * 1987 ''Biały smok'' as Tai-ching * 1987 '' Death Wish 4: The Crackdown'' as Detective Phil Nozaki * 1989 ''

Soursweet ''Soursweet'' is a 1988 British film directed by Mike Newell. The screenplay was written by Ian McEwan from the 1982 novel '' Sour Sweet'' by Timothy Mo. Plot The story, set in the 1960s, is a comedy drama about a young Hong Kong Chinese co ...

'' as "Red" Cudgel * 1989 '' Collision Course'' as Chief Inspector Kitao * 1993 ''

A Home of Our Own ''A Home of Our Own'' is a 1993 American drama film directed by Tony Bill, starring Kathy Bates and Edward Furlong. It is the story of a mother and her six children trying to establish a home in the small fictional town of Hankston, Idaho, in 1 ...

'' as Mr. Munimura * 1994 ''Red Sun Rising'' as Yamata * 1994 '' S.F.W.'' as Milt Morris * 1996 ''

Street Corner Justice ''Street Corner Justice'' is a 1996 American action film directed by Charles Bail and starring Marc Singer. Cast *Marc Singer as Mike Justus *Steve Railsback as Ryan Freeborn *Kim Lankford as Jenny Connor * Beverly Leech as Willie Gee *Tom Liste ...

'' as Kwong-chuck Lee * 1997 ''

Beverly Hills Ninja ''Beverly Hills Ninja'' is a 1997 American martial arts slapstick comedy film directed by Dennis Dugan, written by Mark Feldberg and Mitch Klebanoff. The film stars Chris Farley, Nicollette Sheridan, Nathaniel Parker, with Chris Rock, and Robi ...

'' as Sensei * 1998 ''

Yellow Yellow is the color between green and orange on the spectrum of light. It is evoked by light with a dominant wavelength of roughly 575585 nm. It is a primary color in subtractive color systems, used in painting or color printing. In t ...

'' as Woon Lee * 1998 ''

'' as Fa Zhou (voice) * 2000 ''

The President's Man ''The President's Man'' is a 2000 American made-for-television action film starring Chuck Norris, Dylan Neal, Ralph Waite and Stuart Whitman in his last role before his death in March 2020. A sequel, '' The President's Man: A Line in the Sand'' w ...

'' as General Vinh Tran * 2001 ''Roads and Bridges'' as Father (voice) * 2001 ''Forgotten Valor'' as Colonel * 2001 '' True Blue'' as "Tiger" * 2002 ''The Visit'' as Sujong's Father * 2002 ''

SWAT A SWAT (''Special Weapons and Tactics'') team is a generic term for a police tactical unit within the United States, though the term has also been used by other nations. SWAT units are generally trained, equipped, and deployed to res ...

'' as Sayonara * 2004 ''

'' as Fa Zhou (voice) * 2005 ''Last Mountain'' as Karus * 2006 ''Gang-jeok'' as Jong-chae (final film role)

Television (partial list)

* 1967 ''

The Invaders ''The Invaders'' is an American science fiction television series created by Larry Cohen that aired on ABC for two seasons, from 1967 to 1968. Roy Thinnes stars as David Vincent, who after stumbling across evidence of an in-progress invasi ...

'' as Houseboy * 1968–1979 '' Hawaii Five-O'' (8 episodes) as Robert Kwon / David Chung / Chaing / Tom Wong / Vic Tanaka / Lao / Lewis Shen / Wo Fat's Lab Technician * 1974 ''

Kung Fu Chinese martial arts, commonly referred to with umbrella terms Kung fu (term), kung fu (; ), kuoshu () or wushu (sport), wushu (), are Styles of Chinese martial arts, multiple fighting styles that have developed over the centuries in Greater Ch ...

'' as Chen Yi * 1975–1982 ''

'' (5 episodes) as Joon – Sung / Ralph / Dr. Syn Paik / Korean Soldier / Mr. Kwang * 1977 ''

Logan's Run ''Logan's Run'' is a science fiction novel by American writers William F. Nolan and George Clayton Johnson. Published in 1967, the novel depicts a dystopic Malthusian future society in which both population and the consumption of resources ...

'' as Dexter Kim * 1977 '' Baa Baa Black Sheep'' as Lieutenant Miragochi / Colonel Tokura * 1979 '' How the West Was Won'' as Kee * 1980 ''

Diff'rent Strokes ''Diff'rent Strokes'' is an American television sitcom, which originally aired on NBC from November 3, 1978, to May 4, 1985, and on ABC from September 27, 1985, to March 7, 1986. The series stars Gary Coleman and Todd Bridges as Arnold and ...

'' as Mr. Kim * 1981–1986 '' Magnum, P.I.'' (4 episodes) as General Nguyen Hue / Sato / Dr. Bill Su & Dr. Ling * 1981 '' East of Eden'' as Lee * 1982 '' Quincy, M.E.'' as Captain Bob Nishimura * 1983 ''

Hart to Hart ''Hart to Hart'' is an American mystery television series that premiered on August 25, 1979, on ABC. The show stars Robert Wagner and Stefanie Powers as Jonathan and Jennifer Hart, respectively, a wealthy couple who lead a glamorous jetset ...

'' as Lang Chen-cheng * 1983 '' Girls of the White Orchid'' as Hatanaka * 1983 ''

Marco Polo Marco Polo (; ; ; 8 January 1324) was a Republic of Venice, Venetian merchant, explorer and writer who travelled through Asia along the Silk Road between 1271 and 1295. His travels are recorded in ''The Travels of Marco Polo'' (also known a ...

'' as Wang Zhu * 1984 ''The Master'' as Lika * 1984–1987 ''

'' (3 episodes) as Minh / Tommy Liu / Hiyashi * 1985–1986 ''

T.J. Hooker ''T. J. Hooker'' is an American police drama television program starring William Shatner in the title role as a 15-year veteran police sergeant. The series premiered as a mid-season replacement on March 13, 1982, on ABC and ran on the network u ...

'' (2 episodes) as Ginsu Nabutsu / Nguyen Chi * 1987 '' Sky Commanders'' as Kodiak (voice) * 1988 ''

'' as Raymond Ling * 1989 ''

Hunter Hunting is the human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, and killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to obtain the animal's body for meat and useful animal products ( fur/ hide, bone/tusks, ...

'' (1 episode) as Nyuen Tran * 1992 '' Highlander: The Series'' as Kiem Sun * 1993 ''

The Legend of Prince Valiant ''The Legend of Prince Valiant'' is an animated television series based on the ''Prince Valiant'' comic strip created by Hal Foster. Set in the time of King Arthur, it is a family-oriented adventure show about an exiled prince who goes on a quest ...

'' as Sing Lu (voice) * 1994 ''

Babylon 5 ''Babylon 5'' is an American space opera television series created by writer and producer J. Michael Straczynski, under the Babylonian Productions label, in association with Straczynski's Synthetic Worlds Ltd. and Warner Bros. Domestic Tel ...

'' as The Muta-Do * 1994–1995 '' Kung Fu: The Legend Continues'' (3 episodes) as Bon-bon Hai * 1996 ''

The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest ''The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest'' (also known as ''Jonny Quest: The Real Adventures'') is an American animated television series produced by Hanna-Barbera Cartoons and broadcast on Cartoon Network from August 26, 1996, to April 16, 1997. ...

'' as General Yala (voice) * 1997 ''

Life with Louie ''Life with Louie'' is an American animated sitcom created by Louie Anderson and Matthew O'Callaghan for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series was based on the childhood of Anderson, growing up with his family in the fictional town of Cedar K ...

'' as Buddhist Monk (voice) * 1997 ''

'' as Moughal * 2000 ''

King of the Hill ''King of the Hill'' is an American animated sitcom created by Mike Judge and Greg Daniels that initially aired on Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox from January 12, 1997, to September 13, 2009, with four more episodes airing in First-run syndicati ...

'' as Monk (voice)

Accolades

In 2008, Soon-tek Oh was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the

San Diego Asian Film Festival The San Diego Asian Film Festival (SDAFF) is an annual film festival in San Diego San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, ...

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Oh, Soon-tek 1932 births 2018 deaths 20th-century American male actors Naturalized citizens of the United States American dramatists and playwrights of Korean descent University of Southern California alumni South Korean emigrants to the United States UCLA Film School alumni Male actors from South Jeolla Province Actors from Mokpo American male actors of Korean descent American male film actors American male television actors Deaths from Alzheimer's disease in California Deaths from dementia in California American male voice actors