Biography
Who is BD Wong?
Early life and education
Bradley Darryl Wong was born on October 24, 1960, in San Francisco, California. His mother, Roberta Christine Wong, worked as a telephone company supervisor, and his father, William D. Wong, was a postal worker. He grew up with two brothers. He is of Chinese descent and has family roots in Hong Kong.
He attended Abraham Lincoln High School in San Francisco, where he first engaged with acting by performing as the lead in many school productions. Following high school, he enrolled at San Francisco State University during the 1970s. During his time in the university theater department, he was the only Asian American student.
Rise to fame on Broadway
He achieved significant recognition for his debut on Broadway in the play M. Butterfly, acting opposite John Lithgow. For his performance as Song Liling, he became the only actor in Broadway history to receive the Tony Award, Drama Desk Award, Outer Critics Circle Award, Clarence Derwent Award, and Theatre World Award for the same role.
This success led him to shorten his name professionally to BD Wong. He later returned to the stage in productions such as the 1999 revival of You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, alongside Anthony Rapp, Roger Bart, and Kristin Chenoweth. He also performed in the 2004 revival of Pacific Overtures and the one-man show Herringbone, which he performed at Princeton University, La Jolla Playhouse, and Dixon Place in New York.
Television and film career
BD Wong has built a long career in television. He portrayed FBI psychiatrist Dr. George Huang on Law and Order: Special Victims Unit and Father Ray Mukada on the series Oz. He also appeared in All-American Girl and Awake as Dr. John Lee. On the USA Network series Mr. Robot, he played the character Whiterose, beginning as a recurring role before becoming a series regular in the third season.
His film work includes playing Dr. Henry Wu in the Jurassic Park franchise and Howard Weinstein in Father of the Bride and its sequel. He also appeared in Seven Years in Tibet, The Freshman, and Executive Decision. As a voice actor, he is known for portraying Captain Li Shang in the Disney animated film Mulan, its sequel Mulan II, and the video game Kingdom Hearts II.
Personal life and advocacy
From 1988 to 2004, he was in a relationship with talent agent Richie Jackson. The pair had twin sons via a surrogate mother in 2000, though one son, Boaz Dov Wong, passed away shortly after birth. He authored a memoir about his surrogacy experience titled Following Foo: The Electronic Adventures of the Chestnut Man. He continues to co-parent his surviving son with Jackson and Jackson's husband, Jordan Roth.
In 2018, he married Richert John Frederickson Schnorr in Brooklyn, New York. Beyond his performance work, he donates time to various charities, including Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS and the Ali Forney Center. He is also a board member for Rosie's Theater Kids.
Birthday and age
BD Wong was born on October 24, 1960, which makes BD 66 years old today. That birthday falls under the Scorpio sign. BD shares the date with 35 other famous people.
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