Ming-Na Wen
Ming-Na Wen
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| Ming-Na Wen | |
|---|---|
 Wen at the 2018 Phoenix Comic Fest | |
| Born | (1963-11-20) November 20, 1963 Coloane, Portuguese Macau |
| Residence | Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Other names | Ming-Na Ming Na Ming Na Wen Ming Wen |
| Education | Carnegie Mellon University |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1985–present |
| Notable work | Voice of Fa Mulan in Mulan |
| Spouse(s) |
|
| Children | 2 |
| Website | www.ming-na.com |
Ming-Na Wen (Chinese: 溫明娜; pinyin: Wēn Míngnà; born November 20, 1963)[1] is a Macanese-born American actress known for playing the role of Melinda May in the ABC action drama series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and for voicing Fa Mulan, one of the Disney Princesses, in the films Mulan and Mulan II, the video game Kingdom Hearts II and in the Disney animated series Sofia the First. She is due to reprise her role as Mulan in Ralph Breaks the Internet.[2]
Wen is also known for her role as Dr. Jing-Mei "Deb" Chen on the medical drama series ER. She was the series lead of the show Inconceivable, a medical drama that was aired on NBC, but the show was short-lived. The series is one of the few American television shows with an Asian American series lead. She is also known for her roles on the main casts of the animated series The Batman and the sci-fi series Stargate Universe. Besides television, she is notable for starring in the films The Joy Luck Club, Street Fighter and Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within.
Contents
1 Early life
2 Career
3 Personal life
4 Filmography
4.1 Film
4.2 Television
4.3 Web series
4.4 Video games
5 Awards and nominations
6 References
7 External links
Early life[edit]
Wen was born on November 20, 1963 in Coloane, one of the two main islands of Macau.[1] Her parents divorced when she was an infant and she moved with her mother, Lin Chan Wen, to Hong Kong. Her mother remarried, to Soo Lim Yee and the family moved to New York City when Wen was four years old.
After five years, Wen's mother and stepfather relocated again, to the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area, where they opened The Chinatown Inn restaurant, which was still ongoing in the 2010s.[1] Raised in the suburb of Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania, she attended Mount Lebanon High School[3] and graduated from Carnegie Mellon University in 1986.[4]
Career[edit]
Wen's first television role was in the children's television series Mister Rogers' Neighborhood in 1985.[5] From 1988 to 1991, she played Lien Hughes, the daughter of Tom Hughes, on the soap opera As the World Turns.
After starring in the acclaimed 1993 film The Joy Luck Club,[6] she landed the role of Dr. Jing-Mei "Deb" Chen on the NBC drama series ER.[1] She first starred in a recurring role during the 1994-1995 season before returning in 1999 as a series regular, remaining on the show until midway through Season 11 in 2004. Wen also played Chun-Li in Street Fighter[6] and co-starred on the sitcom The Single Guy from 1995 to 1997.[1]
Wen in October 2006
She provided the voice for the title character in the 1998 animated film Mulan, its direct-to-video sequel, Mulan II, and the video game Kingdom Hearts II, subsequently winning an Annie Award. She also voiced Aki Ross in the computer animated film Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within,[7] and Detective Ellen Yin in the animated series The Batman.[7] She was also the voice actress for Jade, a minor character in the HBO animated series Spawn.[6]
In 2004, she took part in a Hollywood Home Game on the World Poker Tour, and won.[8] In fall 2005, she starred on the NBC drama series Inconceivable as the lead character, Rachel Lu. However, the series was canceled after only two episodes. Her next TV role was an FBI agent in the Fox kidnap drama series Vanished, which premiered in the fall of 2006 then was canceled roughly three months later. She also played a small role as a college professor in the comedy series George Lopez.
On October 8 through October 29, 2007, Wen (billed as Ming Wen) appeared in a four-episode arc of CBS's Two and a Half Men, playing Charlie Sheen's love interest, a judge closer to his own age.[9] In November 2008, she guest-starred on two ABC series: Private Practice and Boston Legal. From December 5-6, 2008, Wen starred in a benefit production of the musical Grease with "Stuttering" John Melendez at the Class Act Theatre.[10]
She was cast as a regular in the Stargate Universe television series as political attaché Camile Wray from October 2009 to May 2011.[1] Wen made an appearance in Disney Through the Decades, a short documentary about the history of The Walt Disney Company through to the present, as the hostess of the 1990s section.
Wen appeared on the Syfy series Eureka as the inquisitive U.S. Senator Michaela Wen,[11] beginning in season four in 2011 and serving as a major villain in the fifth and final season in 2012.[12]
Wen plays Agent Melinda May in the ABC action drama series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., which premiered on September 24, 2013.[13]
In August 2014, Wen reprised her role as Mulan for the first time since Kingdom Hearts II in the Disney Channel series Sofia the First.[7] Her daughter Michaela Zee has a recurring role on the show as Princess Jun.[14]
In December 7, 2017, Marvel Entertainment announced to launch a new animation film franchise Marvel Rising: Secret Warriors in 2018. Wen would voice Hala the Accuser, the main antagonist of the film, along with Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. co-star Chloe Bennet.[15] Wen is eligible to vote for the Academy Awards as she became a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 2017.[16]
Personal life[edit]
From 1985 to 1989 Wen was in a relationship with Australian actor Brett Hinch and juggled her commitments between the USA and Australia.
In 1990, Wen married American film writer Kirk Aanes. They divorced in 1993. On June 16, 1995, Wen married her second husband, Eric Michael Zee.[1] Together they have two children, a daughter, Michaela Kitlin, born on November 21, 2000, and a son, Cooper Dominic Zee, born on October 12, 2005. As of 2007, Wen and her family live in Calabasas, California. Michaela has followed her mother's footsteps in voice-acting, and voices Princess Jun in the Disney Channel show Sofia the First.[14]
Wen is bilingual and fluent in Mandarin.[8]
Filmography[edit]
Ming-Na at the January 2009 premiere for Push
Film[edit]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Rain Without Thunder | "Uudie" prisoner | |
| 1993 | The Joy Luck Club | Jing-Mei "June" Woo | |
| 1994 | Terminal Voyage | Han | |
| 1994 | Hong Kong 97 | Katie Chun | |
| 1994 | Street Fighter | Chun-Li Zang | |
| 1997 | One Night Stand | Mimi Carlyle | |
| 1998 | Mulan | Fa Mulan | Voice |
| 1998 | 12 Bucks | Gorgeous | |
| 2001 | Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within | Dr. Aki Ross | Voice |
| 2002 | A Ribbon of Dreams | Mei-Ling | Voice |
| 2002 | Teddy Bears' Picnic | Katy Woo | |
| 2005 | Mulan II | Fa Mulan | Voice; direct-to-video |
| 2005 | Perfection | Woman | Short film |
| 2008 | Prom Night | Dr. Elisha Crowe | |
| 2009 | Push | Emily Wu | |
| 2010 | BoyBand | Judy Roberts | |
| 2012 | Super Cyclone | Dr. Jenna Sparks | Direct-to-video |
| 2013 | April Rain | Hillary | |
| 2016 | The Darkness | Wendy | |
| 2018 | Ralph Breaks the Internet | Fa Mulan | Voice |
| 2018 | Marvel Rising: Secret Warriors | Hala the Accuser | Voice |
Television[edit]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Mister Rogers' Neighborhood | Royal Trumpeter | 2 episodes |
| 1987 | Another World | Dayplayer | 1 episode |
| 1988–1991 | As the World Turns | Lien Hughes | Role held: February 20, 1988 – May 1991 |
| 1993 | Blind Spot | Mitsuko | TV film |
| 1994 | All-American Girl | Amy | Episode: "Redesigning Women" |
| 1994 | Vanishing Son II | Mai | TV film |
| 1994 | Vanishing Son IV | Mai | TV Movie |
| 1995, 2000–2004 | ER | Dr. Jing-Mei "Deb" Chen | Recurring (season 1); main cast (seasons 6–11); 91 episodes |
| 1995–1997 | The Single Guy | Trudy | Main cast |
| 1997 | Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child | Lani (voice) | Episode: "Puss in Boots" |
| 1998 | Tempting Fate | Ellen Moretti | TV film |
| 1998–1999 | Todd McFarlane's Spawn | Jade/Lisa Wu (voice) | 5 episodes |
| 2002 | I Got You | Kaila | Unsold ABC pilot |
| 2002 | Disney's House of Mouse | Fa Mulan (voice) | Episode: "Salute to Sports" |
| 2004 | The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius | Princess Guan Qi "Peggy" Tsu (voice) | Episode: "The Great Egg Heist/The Feud" |
| 2004–2005 | The Batman | Detective Ellen Yin (voice) | Main cast (seasons 1–2); 16 episodes |
| 2004 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Li Mei | Episode: "Debt" |
| 2005 | Robot Chicken | Mary-Kate Olsen (voice) | Episode: "Kiddie Pool" |
| 2005 | Inconceivable | Rachel Lu | Main cast |
| 2006 | George Lopez | Professor Tracy Lim | 2 episodes |
| 2006 | Vanished | Lin Mei | Main cast |
| 2007 | American Masters | Narrator (voice) | Episode: "Novel Reflections: The American Dream" |
| 2007, 2010 | Two and a Half Men | Judge Linda Harris | 5 episodes |
| 2008, 2013 | Phineas and Ferb | Dr. Hirano (voice) | 2 episodes |
| 2008 | Private Practice | Kara Wei | Episode: "Let It Go" |
| 2008 | Boston Legal | Ming Wang Shu | Episode: "Roe" |
| 2009 | Ni Hao Kai-Lan | Gu Nai Nai (voice) | 1 episode |
| 2009–2011 | Stargate Universe | Camile Wray | Main cast; 31 episodes |
| 2011–2012 | Eureka | Senator Michaela Wen | 7 episodes |
| 2011 | Celebrity Ghost Stories | Herself | Episode: "Keshia Knight Pulliam, Ming-Na, Chi McBride, Mia Tyler" |
| 2012 | Adventure Time | Farmworld Finn's mom (voice) | 2 episodes |
| 2013 | Nashville | Calista Reeves | Episode: "You Win Again" |
| 2013–present | Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. | Agent Melinda May | Main cast; 104 episodes |
| 2014 | Sofia the First | Fa Mulan (voice) | Episode: "Princesses to the Rescue" |
| 2016–Present | Milo Murphy's Law | Savannah (voice) | Recurring role |
| 2017 | Fresh Off the Boat | Stephanie | Episode: "The Flush" |
| 2017–Present | Sofia the First | Vega (voice) | Recurring role |
| 2017 | We Bare Bears | Ranger Zhao (voice) | Episode: "Ranger Games" |
| 2018 | Hot Streets | Soo Park (voice) | Recurring |
Web series[edit]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Parallel Man: Infinite Pursuit | Major Mackenzie Cartwright | Voice |
Video games[edit]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Street Fighter: The Movie | Chun-Li | |
| 1999 | Disney's Story Studio: Mulan | Fa Mulan | Voice |
| 2005 | Disney's Story Studio: Mulan II | Fa Mulan | Voice |
| 2006 | Kingdom Hearts II | Fa Mulan | Voice |
| 2015 | Disney Infinity 3.0 | Fa Mulan | Voice |
| 2016 | Lego Marvel's Avengers | Agent Melinda May | Voice |
Awards and nominations[edit]
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Annie Award | Outstanding Individual Achievement for Voice Acting by a Female Performer in an Animated Feature Production | Mulan | Won |
| 1999 | Online Film & Television Association Award | Best Family Actress | Won | |
| Best Voice-Over Performer | Nominated | |||
| 2001 | Screen Actors Guild Award | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series Shared with Anthony Edwards, Laura Innes, Alex Kingston, Eriq La Salle, Julianna Margulies, Kellie Martin, Paul McCrane, Michael Michele, Erik Palladino, Maura Tierney, Goran Višnjić, and Noah Wyle | ER | Nominated |
| 2014 | People's Choice Award | Favorite Actress in a New TV Series | Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. | Nominated |
References[edit]
^ abcdefg "Ming-Na: Actress (1963–)". Biography.com (FYI / A&E Networks). Retrieved October 17, 2017..mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit}.mw-parser-output q{quotes:"""""""'""'"}.mw-parser-output code.cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration{color:#555}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration span{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-right{padding-right:0.2em}
^ "'Wreck-It Ralph 2' Bringing Back Original Disney Princess Voice Actresses". WWG.
^ Polke, Clarece (April 3, 2014). "Admired theater teacher retiring after 33 years at Mt. Lebanon". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Archived from the original on April 6, 2014. Retrieved October 17, 2017.
^ Elkin, Michael (September 23, 2016). "CMU grad Ming-Na Wen stands up for herself, on and off screen". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Archived from the original on October 17, 2017. Retrieved October 17, 2017.
^ "Ming-Na". TV.com. CBS Interactive. Retrieved October 28, 2013.
^ abc Libuano, Patrick (October 21, 2016). "7 times Ming-Na Wen played a total badass". Kore Asian Media. Retrieved March 31, 2018.
^ abc "Ming-Na Wen". Behind the Voice Actors. Retrieved April 2, 2018.
^ ab Patrizio, Andy (October 27, 2004). "An Interview With Ming-Na". IGN. Retrieved April 2, 2018.
^ Mchance (October 14, 2013). "'Agents of SHIELD' star Ming-Na Wen calls Charlie Sheen a good kisser". Screener TV. Retrieved April 2, 2018.
^ "John Melendez and Ming Na to Star in Grease Benefit". Theater Mania. Theatermania.com. November 12, 2008. Retrieved December 11, 2013.
^ Darren (August 19, 2010). "Ming-Na to guest star on Eureka". Gate World. Retrieved April 2, 2018.
^ Wilkins, Alasdair (April 24, 2012). "Eureka finally does something genuinely shocking". io9. Retrieved April 2, 2018.
^ "Marvel's S.H.I.E.L.D. recruits Ming-Na Wen". Asia Pacific Arts. October 29, 2012.
^ ab "First Look:Ming-Na Wen is Back at Mulan - This Time on Sofia the First". TV Guide. July 22, 2014. Retrieved August 21, 2014.
^ Dinh, Christine (December 7, 2017). "Marvel to Launch New Animation Franchise 'Marvel Rising'". Marvel.com. Retrieved December 7, 2017.
^ http://www.app.oscars.org/class2017/#members
External links[edit]
 | Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ming-Na Wen. |
- Official website
Ming-Na Wen on IMDb
Ming-Na Wen at Anime News Network's encyclopedia
Authority control  |
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Categories:
- 1963 births
- Living people
- 20th-century American actresses
- 21st-century American actresses
- Actresses from California
- Actresses from New York City
- Actresses from Pittsburgh
- American actresses of Chinese descent
- American film actresses
- American soap opera actresses
- American television actresses
- American video game actresses
- American voice actresses
- Annie Award winners
- Carnegie Mellon University College of Fine Arts alumni
- Macau emigrants to the United States
- People from Calabasas, California
- People from Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania
- People from Queens, New York
- Science fiction fans
- Macau people
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