In 1964, Soo played a weekly supporting role as Rocky Sin, a poker-playing con artist in Valentine's Day, a comedy television series starring Anthony Franciosa that lasted for one season. Soo was first broadcast across America by Jack Benny on November 27, 1962, as the tough-talking, street-wise talent agent in "Jack Meets Japanese Agent". Soo switched to the Sammy Fong role (Chinatown's " Nathan Detroit") during the run and played the role when the film version (1961) of the musical was made. At that time, he adopted the surname that he had used to leave the internment camp at Topaz, "Soo". He was offered the chance to go to Broadway on the condition that he change his name to something Chinese, as Flower Drum Song is set in San Francisco's Chinatown. He was working in San Francisco at the Forbidden City, a Chinese nightclub and cabaret, where he was discovered by the dancer-director of Flower Drum Song, Gene Kelly. Soo finally earned his big break in 1958 when he was cast in the Broadway musical hit Flower Drum Song in the role of the show master of ceremonies and comedian Frankie Wing ("Gliding through my memoree"). Career Jack Soo and Nancy Kwan in Flower Drum Song ĭuring his years playing the nightclub circuit, he met and became friends with future Barney Miller producer Danny Arnold, who was also a performer at the time. He changed his name to Jack Soo while working at a Chinese night club called Chin's in Cleveland to avoid prejudice against him as a Japanese-American. Soo's career as an entertainer began in earnest at the end of the war, first as a stand-up nightclub performer primarily in the Midwestern United States. His fellow internees recalled him as a "camp favorite," an entertainer singing at dances and numerous events. He was sent to the Topaz War Relocation Center in Utah. He lived in Oakland until ordered into internment along with other Japanese Americans during World War II and the signing of Executive Order 9066. He graduated from University of California, Berkeley with a degree in English. His parents lived in Oakland, California, and they decided that as he was the oldest boy, they wanted to have him born in Japan. Soo was born Goro Suzuki on a ship traveling in the Pacific Ocean from the United States to Japan in 1917. He was best known for his role as Detective Nick Yemana on the television sitcom Barney Miller. Jack Soo (born Goro Suzuki, Octo– January 11, 1979) was an American actor and singer.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |