Richard Loo
Born
October 1, 1903
Died
November 20, 1983 (80 years old)
Known For
Acting
Place of Birth
Maui, Hawaii, USA
Richard Loo (October 1, 1903 – November 20, 1983) was an American film actor who was one of the most familiar Asian character actors in American films of the 1930s and 1940s. He appeared in more than 120 films between 1931 and 1982.
Chinese by ancestry and Hawaiian by birth, Loo spent his youth in Hawaii, then moved to California as a teenager. He graduated from the University of California at Berkeley and began a career in business.
The stock market crash of 1929 and the subsequent economic depression forced Loo to start over. He became involved with amateur, then professional, theater companies and in 1931 made his first film. Like most Asian actors in non-Asian countries, he played primarily small, stereotypical roles, though he rose quickly to familiarity, if not fame, in a number of films.
His stern features led him to be a favorite movie villain, and the outbreak of World War II gave him greater prominence in roles as vicious Japanese soldiers in such successful pictures as The Purple Heart (1944) and God Is My Co-Pilot (1945). Loo was most often typecast as the Japanese enemy pilot, spy or interrogator during World War II. In the film The Purple Heart he plays a Japanese Imperial Army general who commits suicide because he cannot break down the American prisoners. According to his daughter, Beverly Jane Loo, he didn't mind being typecast as a villain in these movies as he felt very patriotic about playing those parts.
In 1944 he appeared as a Chinese army lieutenant opposite Gregory Peck in The Keys of the Kingdom. He had a rare heroic role as a war-weary Japanese-American soldier in Samuel Fuller's Korean War classic The Steel Helmet (1951), but he spent much of the latter part of his career performing stock roles in films and minor television roles.
In 1974 he appeared as the Thai billionaire tycoon Hai Fat in the James Bond film The Man with the Golden Gun, opposite Roger Moore and Christopher Lee.
Loo was also a teacher of Shaolin monks in three episodes of the 1972–1975 hit TV series Kung Fu and made a further three appearances as a different character. His last acting appearance was in The Incredible Hulk TV series in 1981, but he continued to act in Toyota commercials into 1982.
Loo died of a cerebral hemorrhage on November 20, 1983, age 80.
[biography (excerpted) from Wikipedia]
Known For

The Men Who Made the Movies: Samuel Fuller
Sgt. Tanaka (archive footage) (uncredited)
2002

The Incredible Hulk
(1 episode)
1977

The Hardy Boys / Nancy Drew Mysteries
(1 episode)
1977

Collision Course: Truman vs. MacArthur
Chiang-Kai-Shek
1976

The Man with the Golden Gun
Hai Fat
1974

Police Story
(1 episode)
1973

Kung Fu
Master Sun · (4 episodes)
1972

Kung Fu
Ho Fai, The Weapons Master · (1 episode)
1972

Kung Fu: The Way of the Tiger, the Sign of the Dragon
Master Sun
1972

Chandler
Leo
1971

One More Train to Rob
Mr. Chang
1971

McCloud
(1 episode)
1970

Marcus Welby, M.D.: A Matter of Humanities
Kenji Yamashita
1969

Hawaii Five-O
Wong Tou · (1 episode)
1968

The Dick Cavett Show
Self - Guest · (1 episode)
1968

The Sand Pebbles
Major Chin
1966

Family Affair
(1 episode)
1966

I Dream of Jeannie
Wong · (1 episode)
1965

The Wild Wild West
(1 episode)
1965

Honey West
Tog - Chinese Fine Arts Thief · (1 episode)
1965

Bewitched
(1 episode)
1964

Burke's Law
Grass Slipper · (1 episode)
1963

The Outer Limits
Li-Chin Sung · (1 episode)
1963

The Dakotas
(1 episode)
1963

A Girl Named Tamiko
Otani
1962

Diamond Head
Yamagata (uncredited)
1962

Confessions of an Opium Eater
George Wah
1962
The Beachcomber
Ah Wei · (1 episode)
1962

My Three Sons
(1 episode)
1960

Hong Kong
Leo · (1 episode)
1960

The Scavengers
1959

Hong Kong Affair
Li Noon
1958

The Quiet American
Mr. Heng
1958

Maverick
(1 episode)
1957

Perry Mason
Mr. Eng · (1 episode)
1957

Battle Hymn
Gen. Kim (scenes deleted)
1957

Around the World in Eighty Days
Saloon Manager (uncredited)
1956

The Conqueror
Captain of Wang's guard
1956

The Man Called X
(1 episode)
1956
Navy Log
(1 episode)
1955

Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing
Robert Hung
1955

House of Bamboo
Inspector Kito's Voice (voice) (uncredited)
1955

Soldier of Fortune
Gen. Po Lin
1955

December Bride
(1 episode)
1954

The Shanghai Story
Officer
1954

Living It Up
Dr. Lee
1954

The Bamboo Prison
Commandant Hsai Tung
1954

Hell and High Water
Hakada Fujimori
1954

China Venture
Chang Sung
1953

Destination Gobi
Commanding Officer, Japanese POW Camp
1953

Target Hong Kong
Fu Chao
1953

Cavalcade of America
(1 episode)
1952

Cavalcade of America
Ho Chung · (1 episode)
1952
Four Star Playhouse
Jo-Kai · (1 episode)
1952

5 Fingers
1952

I Was an American Spy
Col. Masamato
1951

The Steel Helmet
Sergeant Tanaka
1951

The Colgate Comedy Hour
Self · (1 episode)
1950

Malaya
Colonel Genichi Tomura
1949

The Clay Pigeon
Ken Tokoyama
1949

State Department: File 649
Marshal Yun Usu
1949

Rogues' Regiment
Kao Pang
1948

Studio One
(1 episode)
1948

The Cobra Strikes
Hyder Ali
1948

Half Past Midnight
Lee Gow
1948

To the Ends of the Earth
Commissioner Lu (uncredited)
1948

Women in the Night
Colonel Noyama
1948

Beyond Our Own
James Wong
1947

Web of Danger
Wing
1947

Seven Were Saved
Colonel Yamura
1947

Tokyo Rose
Colonel Suzuki
1946

Prison Ship
Capt. Okisawa
1945

First Yank into Tokyo
Col. Hideko Okanura
1945

Back to Bataan
Maj. Hasko
1945

China's Little Devils
Colonel Huraji
1945

China Sky
Col. Yasuda
1945

Betrayal from the East
Lt. Cmdr. Miyazaki, alias Tani
1945

God Is My Co-Pilot
Tokyo Joe
1945

The Keys of the Kingdom
Lt. Shon
1944

The Story of Dr. Wassell
Chinese Doctor on Train (uncredited)
1944

The Purple Heart
General Ito Mitsubi
1944

So Proudly We Hail
Japanese Radio Announcer (Voice) (Uncredited)
1943

Destroyer
Japanese Submarine Commander
1943

Behind the Rising Sun
Japanese Officer Dispensing Opium
1943

China
Lin Yun
1943

Flight for Freedom
Mr. Yokahata (uncredited)
1943

The Falcon Strikes Back
Jerry
1943

The Amazing Mrs. Holliday
1943

Road to Morocco
Chinese Announcer (uncredited)
1942

Across the Pacific
First Officer Miyuma
1942

Wake Island
1942

Star Spangled Rhythm
Emperor Hirohito (uncredited)
1942

Secret of the Wastelands
Quan
1941

Doomed to Die
Tong Leader
1940

The Fatal Hour
Jeweler
1940

Barricade
Colonel Commander of Rescue Party
1939

Daughter of the Tong
Wong
1939

Island of Lost Men
General Ahn Ling
1939

Lady of the Tropics
Delaroch's Chauffeur
1939

Miracles for Sale
Chinese Soldier in Demo
1939

Mr. Wong in Chinatown
Tong Chief
1939

Panama Patrol
Tommy Young
1939

North of Shanghai
Jed's Pilot
1939

Shadows Over Shanghai
Fong
1938

Blondes at Work
Sam Wong (uncredited)
1938

West of Shanghai
Mr. Cheng
1937

The Good Earth
Farmer (uncredited)
1937

The Soldier and the Lady
Tartar (Uncredited)
1937

Lost Horizon
Shanghai Airport Official (uncredited)
1937

Stowaway
Chinese Merchant (uncredited)
1936

Mad Holiday
Li Yat (uncredited)
1936

Roaming Lady
Chinese Seaman
1936

China Seas
Chinese Inspector at Gangplank (uncredited)
1935

Stranded
Chinese Groom (uncredited)
1935

Student Tour
Geisha's Customer
1934

Now and Forever
Hotel Clerk (uncredited)
1934

The Bitter Tea of General Yen
Captain Li
1932

The Secrets of Wu Sin
Charlie San
1932