Calvin Jung
Calvin Jung (born February 17, 1945 in New York City ) is an American actor of Asian descent who became known in the 1970s through a popular television commercial.
After graduating from high school in New York City, Jung attended military school in Virginia and Hilsdale College in Michigan. In the late 1960s he decided to become a professional actor, returned to his hometown and received his first engagement on Broadway in New York in 1976. His debut in Memory of Two Mondays , as well as his second role in They knew what they wanted, received positive reviews and led to a permanent position at the Phoenix Repertory Theater. This was followed by the comedy Sly Fox alongside George C. Scott , the Off-Broadway -pieces FOB and Museum at the Public Theater, Dawn Song at the Brooklyn Academy and Chicken Coop Chinaman at the American Place Theater.
In the later 1970s, Jung became known nationwide for his role as a Chinese laundry owner in a commercial in the United States. In the TV ad, the laundry owner played by Jung claimed to a customer that his gleaming white laundry was based on an old Chinese secret recipe, while in the background a laundress praised the advertised Calgon water softener and put it into the machine. The spot became famous and is now considered to be the longest without interruption (1974–1986) in the history of US television. It was one of the first television appearances by an American of Chinese descent without a clichéd accent. The expression "ancient Chinese secret" is one of the most famous advertising texts on US television today. In the 1990s, a winking self-parody with Jackie Chan in Jung's role followed. Other good-natured parodies followed, such as in Wayne's World 2 and the Daily Show .
After an engagement at La Mama Experimental Theater, Jung worked more for film and television. He starred in the films The Formula with Marlon Brando , The Challenge with Toshirō Mifune , The Day After with Jason Robards , RoboCop with Peter Weller and Kurtwood Smith and Lethal Weapon IV with Mel Gibson and Danny Glover . On television, Jung has guest roles on comedy, hospital, and crime series such as Murder Is Her Hobby , Cheers , Trapper John, MD , How I Met Your Mother, and Seinfeld .
Jung lives in New York City and is still an actor today. His son Jason Jung is a writer.
Web links
- Calvin Jung in the Internet Movie Database (English)
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Jung, Calvin |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American actor |
| DATE OF BIRTH | February 17, 1945 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | New York City |