James Wang (actor)

James Wang
A Chinese man with a goatee, wearing a brimless cap and a traditional quilted jacket
James Wang, from a 1919 publication
Born 1863
Zhili, China
Died 1935 (aged 71–72)
Los Angeles, California, USA
Occupations
  • Actor
  • Casting agent
Years active 1910 - 1930

James Wang (c. 1863 – 1935) was a Chinese actor and casting agent who worked in Hollywood from the 1910s to the 1930s. He is known for discovering the actress Anna May Wong.

Biography

Wang arrived in San Francisco around 1878 at the age of 18.

He told reporters he had been raised by missionaries in China, and that when he came to the United States, he began working as a minister at churches in Boston and New York City.

He was accused of being a member of the Hip Sing Association — a Chinese-American street gang — in the early 1900s, although he was also an advocate for reform in New York City's Chinatown neighborhood, and offered up evidence that led to a number of police raids.

Eventually, he made his way to Los Angeles, where he pursued a career as an actor and a casting agent. He was often called on to procure Chinese talent by the major studios, and it was in this capacity that he discovered a young Anna May Wong in Los Angeles's Chinatown neighborhood.

Selected filmography