Victor Sen Yung
Acting
Biography
Victor Sen Young (born Victor Cheung Young or Sen Yew Cheung; October 18, 1915 – body discovered November 9, 1980) was an American character actor, best known for playing Jimmy Chan in the Charlie Chan films and Hop Sing in the Western series Bonanza. He was born in San Francisco, California to Gum Yung Sen and his first wife, both immigrants from China. His mother died during the flu epidemic of 1919. His father placed Victor and his younger sister, Rosemary, in a children's shelter, and returned to his homeland to seek another wife. He returned in 1922 with his new wife, Lovi Shee, forming a household with his two children. Sen Yung made his first significant acting debut in the 1938 film Charlie Chan in Honolulu, as the Chinese detective's "number two son", Jimmy Chan. Sen Yung played Jimmy Chan in 11 Charlie Chan films between 1938 and 1942. Moonlighting from the popular Chan series, Sen Yung won critical acclaim playing the nuanced role of Ong Chi Seng, a young attorney assisting Howard Joyce, in defending Leslie Crosbie, in The Letter. Like other Chinese-American actors, he was cast in Japanese parts during World War II, like his role as the treacherous Japanese-American Joe Totsuiko in the 1942 Humphrey Bogart film Across the Pacific. During World War II he joined the U.S. Army Air Forces just as his erstwhile co-star Sidney Toler was set to revive the dormant Charlie Chan series at Monogram Pictures. Sen Yung's military obligations forced him to decline rejoining the series immediately, but Monogram gave him a standing invitation to work there after his tour of duty. Sen Yung's military service included work in training films at the First Motion Picture Unit and a role in the Army Air Forces' play and film Winged Victory. In 1946 Sen Yung resumed his Hollywood career at Monogram, now billed as Victor Sen Young, and reunited with Sidney Toler. Toler's health was failing; Monogram was conserving Toler's waning energy, limiting his scenes and giving him long rest periods during filming. To relieve the burden on Toler, Monogram entrusted much of the action to Victor Sen Young; he and either Mantan Moreland or Willie Best shared much of the footage in Toler's final three films, Dangerous Money, Shadows Over Chinatown, and The Trap. The addition of Moreland as Chan's black chauffeur, Birmingham Brown, reflected the fact that by this time the Chan pictures had a significant following among black Americans, who liked a film series that for once did not feature a white hero. Moreland's popularity in the Chan pictures was so great that he was booked for a nationwide vaudeville tour. Following Toler's death in 1947, Victor Sen Young appeared in five of the remaining six Charlie Chan features. His character "Jimmy" was renamed "Tommy". Victor Sen Young continued to work in motion pictures and television in roles ranging from featured players (affable or earnest Asian characters) to bit roles (clerks, houseboys, waiters, etc.). Arguably even more than for his work in the Charlie Chan films, Victor Sen Yung is remembered as "Hop Sing," the irascible cook and general factotum on the iconic television series Bonanza, appearing in 107 episodes between 1959 and 1973. Sen Yung was also an accomplished and talented chef. He frequently appeared on cooking programs and authored The Great Wok Cookbook in 1974.
Born: October 18, 1915
Place of Birth: San Francisco, California, USA
Known For
Filmography
as Mr. Wing
as Hospital Attendant
as Wei Chi
as Soong
as Mr. Chen
as Ah Choy
as Mr. Sing / Carni man / Mr. Green
as Old Mandarin
as Master Ling (uncredited)
as Chu
as Farmer
as Joseph the Butler
as Chun Fat (uncredited)
as Oke Saki
as Headwaiter
as Murphy
as Dr. Leo Kuh
as Self (archive footage)
as Mayor Eto
as Joseph Sakanishi
as Mr. Kwong
as Abe Fu Yung
as Baron Kyosai
as Servant
as Wing Young
as Self
as Frankie Wing
as Charlie, 1st Tattoo Parlor Owner
as Dr. Wing Chin-Ni
as Dr. Wing Chin-Ni
as Bartender
as Yang
as Sam
as Al
as Hop Sing (uncredited)
as Hop Sing
as Hon Lee
as Chang
as Korean farmer
as Capt. Chon
as Sammy Ching
as Mickey Fong
as Sheng
as North Korean Sniper Prisoner
as Hank - Bayliss' Houseboy (uncredited)
as Airline Ticket Clerk (uncredited)
as Ling Tang
as Chang - Steward (uncredited)
as Cpl. Wang
as John Wong
as Goldie - Hotel Waiter (uncredited)
as Lt. Thatch
as Detonation Ship Radioman
as Sun Lee
as Mickey - Chinese Man (uncredited)
as Jack Wong
as Wang
as Allan Chung
as Blue Gardenia Waiter (uncredited)
as Johnny Wing (uncredited)
as Harry Wong
as Postal Clerk (uncredited)
as Tom
as Mr. Howe (uncredited)
as Ching Moon
as Chinese Captain (uncredited)
as Chinese Manager (uncredited)
as Chinese Clerk (uncredited)
as Ignacio
as Oscar, Chris' Valet
as Sammy Chung
as Chinese cafeteria employee
as Mr. Sing
as Long Time
as MC at the Blue Duck (uncredited)
as Lem Kee
as Hotel Proprietor
as Houseboy
as Vincent (uncredited)
as Major
as Oriental Dock Worker
as Johnny Han
as Rickshaw Boy (uncredited)
as Tommy Chan
as Tommy Chan (as Victor Sen Young)
as Tommy Chan
as Tommy Chan
as Sam
as Chinese Pilot (uncredited)
as Western Union Clerk (uncredited)
as Tommy Chan
as Chang
as Wing - Houseboy
as Sam
as Jimmy Chan
as Lin Chow
as Jimmy Chan
as Waiter (uncredited)
as Jimmy Chan
as Omaya
as Lee (uncredited)
as Chinese Man (uncredited)
as Captain Po
as Lin Wei
as Armando
as Joe Totsuiko
as Jimmy Takeo
as Jefferson Gow
as Fu Yen
as Jimmy Chan
as Wing
as Jimmy Chan
as Gin Ling (uncredited)
as Jimmy Chan
as Jimmy Chan
as Ong Chi Seng
as Jimmy Chan
as Jimmy Chan
as Jimmy Chan
as Undetermined Role
as Harold Chong
as Jimmy Chan
as Jimmy Chan
as Chinese Entertainer with Sword
as James Chan
as Wang
as Soldier
as Bellboy / Onlooker in Street
as Onlooker with Street Acrobats / Elevator Operator (uncredited)
as Minor Role (uncredited)
as Peasant (uncredited)