Lucille Soong Explained

Lucille Soong
Birth Name:Sòng Jìngxiù (宋靜秀)
Birth Place:Beijing, Republic of China
Occupation:Actress
Years Active:1959–present

Lucille Soong is a Chinese-American actress. She is best known for her main role as Jenny Huang in the television series Fresh Off the Boat (2015–2020). She has acted and appeared in films and TV series since the 1960s.

Career

At the age of 21, Soong moved from Beijing to Hong Kong. She was then discovered by director Lewis Gilbert and made her first uncredited screen appearance in his 1959 film Ferry to Hong Kong. After moving to London in the 1960s she went on to have single-episode roles in British film and TV series Ghost Squad, Crane, Emergency-Ward 10 and The Champions and others.[1]

In 1969, she starred in the soap opera Coronation Street, playing the role of Billy Walker's short-term girlfriend in 5 episodes. In the show, her character suffered abuse from his mother Annie Walker, and she soon broke up with him.

After moving to Hollywood in Los Angeles, she had minor roles in films The Joy Luck Club (1993) and The Corruptor (1999). For major role, she portrayed Pei-Pei's mom in the 2003 remake of Freaky Friday; starred as hairdresser Ming in Nora's Hair Salon (2004) and (2008); and played Nhung Chan in Nine Dead (2009).[2]

Her television credits in the United States included a recurring role in 7 episodes of the ABC prime time soap Desperate Housewives, portraying Gabrielle Solis' former maid, Yao Lin. She has also appeared on Dharma & Greg (3 episodes), Passions (4 episodes), Huff, All About the Andersons, According to Jim and others.

Soong starred on the ABC show Fresh Off the Boat. She recurred in the first season, and was promoted to main cast for subsequent seasons. She portrayed Grandma Jenny Huang, grandmother of the Huang family.[3]

Filmography

Films

YearTitleRoleNotes
1959Ferry to Hong KongThe BrideUncredited
196355 Days at PekingConcubineUncredited
1964French DressingStarletMajor
1965Genghis KhanConcubine
1965The Knack ...and How to Get ItGirl in SaunaUncredited
1965DarlingAllieUncredited
1965Marco the MagnificentPrincess BrideUncredited
1965Three Weeks of LoveGirl in Hong Kong
1966The Brides of Fu ManchuLing / BrideUncredited
1967The Mini-AffairLucilleMajor
1969The File of the Golden GooseGirl in BathUncredited
1970One More TimeKim LeeMajor
1993The Joy Luck ClubPopo
1999The CorruptorElderly Immigrant
1999The DebtorsChinese Restaurant Owner
1999My American VacationFriend of Grandma
2003Freaky FridayPei-Pei's MomMajor
2004Employee of the MonthOld Korean LadyUncredited
2004Nora's Hair SalonMingMajor
2005Sky HighCook
2005Just like HeavenChinese Exorcist
2006Shanghai WomanUncredited
2007Nancy DrewWaitress
2008MingMajor
2009Nine DeadNhung ChanMajor
2021Raya and the Last DragonDang Hu (voice)
2025Freakier FridayPei-Pei's MomMajor; Filming

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1963Ghost SquadHotel BarmaidEpisode: "Sabotage"
1963Man of the WorldNurseEpisode: "The Enemy"
1964CraneYasumaEpisode: "Man Without a Past"
1964Sergeant CorkLotus Feng / WaitressEpisode: "The Case of the Dutiful Murderer"
Episode: "The Case of the Medicine Man"
1965The AvengersMiss Smith, Tusamo's SecretaryEpisode: "The Cybernauts"
1966Adam Adamant Lives!SuzuEpisode: "More Deadly Than the Sword"
1967Emergency – Ward 10Blind PatientEpisode: "There's None So Blind"
Episode: "Second Sight"
1967–1970The TroubleshootersSu Lan / Hostess / Suzie3 episodes
1967The PrisonerFlower GirlEpisode: "A. B. and C."
1968Hugh and I SpyMiss LeeEpisode: "Yellow Peril"
1969Coronation StreetJasmine Choong5 episodes
1969The ChampionsTsaiyoko NagaEpisode: "The Gun-Runners"
1971Shirley's WorldTourist GuideEpisode: "A Mother's Touch"
1994Vanishing SonLingTV movie
1996Yesterday's TargetDr. KangTV movie
1997Fired UpMrs. KimEpisode: "The Rules"
1997–2001Dharma & GregMrs. Wong / Chinese Grandmother / Mrs. Kwan3 episodes
1998MaggieCat LadyEpisode: "Just Shoot Him"
1999Store OwnerEpisode: "Po-Piggity and Other Racial Slurs"
2000Strong MedicineMrs. LumEpisode: "Pilot"
2000JAGOlder Vietnamese womanEpisode: "A Separate Peace: Part 1"
2000The Michael Richards ShowWoman #1Episode: "USA Toy"
2001Chasing DestinyHostessTV movie
2001PassionsSally Chin4 episodes
2003All About the AndersonsMrs. ChongEpisode: "Everyone Plays"
2004–2009Desperate HousewivesYao LinRecurring
7 episodes (Season 1, 5)
2004HuffXui ShiEpisode: "That Fucking Cabin"
Episode: "Flashpants"
2005According to JimManicuristEpisode: "The Race"
2006The King of QueensLilyEpisode: "Apartment Complex"
2007BonesMai ZhangEpisode: "The Boneless Bride in the River"
2008The Sarah Silverman ProgramMrs. XiongnuEpisode: "The Mongolian Beef"
2009United States of TaraKorean GrandmotherEpisode: "Inspiration"
2009Without a TraceMrs. DengEpisode: "Devotion"
2010Dark BlueMrs. ChinEpisode: "Urban Garden"
2010The LeagueSecurity Line WomanEpisode: "Vegas Draft"
2010How to Be a Better AmericanEstelleTV movie
2013Holding PatternsAsian WomanTV movie
2013Heebie JeebiesZu MuTV movie
2015–2020Fresh Off the BoatGrandma HuangRecurring (Season 1)
Main Cast (Season 2–6)

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Lucille Soong on becoming an accidental actor. 16 October 2017 . CAA Media.
  2. Web site: Lucille Soong's profile. Rotten Tomatoes.
  3. Web site: What Fresh Off the Boat does with its Mandarin speaker that The Cloverfield Paradox couldn't. 8 February 2018 . The Verge.