Born Leung Kwok Ng in Hong Kong October 13, 1952, John Lone was
spartanly raised by a single mother until the age of 7 when he was sent
off to be schooled with the Peking Opera. He never again saw his
mother. The Peking Opera could be a brutal and grueling life for a
child but he was a diligent and tireless student and he later received
sponsorship to continue his education in the United States as a
teenager.
He attended Santa Ana Community College, where he met Nina Savino, an
Asian American studying drama and art, and they married in 1972. Lone
continued his education at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in
Pasadena and New York. They divorced in 1979.
John once said that Ng, Lung and Lone were variants of "dragon" in
different dialects of Chinese and that he intended to harness the power
of the dragon for his life, which was why he adopted the stage name he
would become known by.
A theatrical workaholic, John became part of the East/West Players
along with other notable Asian actors such as Mako, Sab Shimono and
Soon Tek Oh. He performed in "Pacific Overtures" as the Lion Dancer and
his discipline and talent blossomed. He danced, sang, wrote and
directed. John signed with the then famous Bessie Loo Agency (most of
the Asian talent of the day was represented by them). The early years
of his career, consisted of small television roles, local theater and
lots of study.
His first real break came with the Di Laurentis remake of "King Kong"
as the ships cook. It was followed by perhaps the most brilliant
performance of his career - "Iceman" which was poignant and powerfully
played without dialogue by Lone. The film opened the doors of his
career to Michael Cimino (Year of the Dragon) and Bernardo Bertolucci
(The Last Emperor) who made him a household name in the United States.
Lone directed an acclaimed documentary on the Chinese Railroad workers
in America which aired on PBS. He was voted one of the 50 most
Beautiful People of the Year by People Magazine in 1990.
The past decade he has spent his time between NY, China and Canada
where he continues to act, direct, produce and he has even found time
to nurture a singing career.
An intensely private man, it is no wonder so many differing stories
about his personal life abound unanswered. Perhaps the mystery of his
persona is a large part of his attraction.
American Playhouse(1980)
War(2007)as Chang
Emperor Kang Si's Visit(1997)as Kang Xi
Paper Moon Affair(2005)as Keiko's Husband
Zi yu zi le(2004)as Mi Jihong
Rush Hour 2(2001)as Ricky Tan
The Shadow(1994)
M. Butterfly(1993)
The Last Emperor(1987)
Iceman(1984)
The 60th Annual Academy Awards(1988)as Self - Presenter
CinƩ star(1987)as Self
The 43rd Annual Golden Globe Awards 1986(1986)as Self - Nominee
Tales of Chinese Filmmakers(2020)as Self
Disclosure(2020)as Song Liling
American Masters(1985)
80s(2005)as Pu Yi (Adult)
The Ultimate Stuntman: A Tribute to Dar Robinson(1987)as Self
