Ming-Na Wen
Template:Short description Template:Eastern name order Template:Family name hatnote Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox person Ming-Na Wen (Template:Zh; born November 20, 1963)<ref name=biography.com>Template:Cite web</ref> is an American<ref name="Citizenship">Template:Cite tweet</ref> actress and model. She has won multiple awards throughout her career, including an Annie Award and a Saturn Award, in addition to a nomination for a Screen Actors Guild Award. She was honored as a Disney Legend in 2019 and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2023.
After gaining attention playing Lien Hughes on the daytime soap As The World Turns (1988-1991), Wen’s breakthrough role was as June Woo in The Joy Luck Club (1993). Other early successes include the role of Dr. Jing-Mei "Deb" Chen in the medical drama series ER (1995–2004) and her voice role as Fa Mulan in the Walt Disney Animated Classic Mulan, as well as its sequel Mulan II, several video games and guest appearances in TV shows such as Sofia the First. Additionally, Wen made a cameo appearance in the live-action remake of Mulan (2020).
Wen is well-known for playing agent Melinda May in the Marvel series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (2013–2020) and has also appeared in the Star Wars franchise as the bounty hunter Fennec Shand, appearing in The Mandalorian (2019–2020), Star Wars: The Bad Batch (2021, 2024), and The Book of Boba Fett (2021–2022). Other notable roles include that of Chun-Li in Street Fighter (1994), Detective Ellen Yin in The Batman (2004–2005), Judge Linda Harris in Two and a Half Men (2007, 2010) and Camile Wray in Stargate Universe (2009–2011).
Early life, family and education
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Wen was born on November 20, 1963, on Coloane, one of the two main islands of Macau.<ref name=biography.com /> Her mother Lin Chan Wen moved to Macau in the 1950s from Suzhou, China, to escape communism.<ref name = stands>Template:Cite news</ref> Her father is of Malaysian Chinese descent.<ref>Template:Cite tweet</ref> She has an older brother Jonathan<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and a younger brother Leong.
Wen's parents divorced when she was an infant, and she moved with her brother and mother to Hong Kong, where she attended a Catholic school. Her mother worked three jobs to provide for the family. Her mother remarried to Chinese American Soo Lim Yee, and when Wen was four years old, the family moved to New York City.<ref name= ":LA">Template:Cite news</ref> Her younger brother Leong was born there.
After five years, Wen's mother and stepfather relocated their family to the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area, where they bought and operated the Chinatown Inn restaurant (established in 1943), which is still in business.<ref name= biography.com /> They resided in the suburb of Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania, and Wen attended Mount Lebanon High School.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> She majored in theatre at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, graduating in 1986.<ref name = stands />
Career
1985–1997: Breakthrough with The Joy Luck Club
Wen's first television role was as a royal trumpeter in the children's television series Mister Rogers' Neighborhood in 1985.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> From 1988 to 1991, she played Lien Hughes, the daughter of Tom Hughes, on the soap opera As the World Turns, becoming the first ever Asian to be on a contract role in a daytime soap.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
After starring in the film The Joy Luck Club (1993),<ref name="Roles" /> Wen landed the role of Dr. Jing-Mei "Deb" Chen on the NBC drama series ER.<ref name=biography.com /> It was a recurring role during the 1994–1995 season, and she returned in 1999 as a series regular, remaining on the show until midway through Season 11 in 2004. Wen played Chun-Li in Street Fighter (1994)<ref name="Roles" /> and co-starred on the sitcom The Single Guy from 1995 to 1997.<ref name=biography.com />
1998–2012: Mulan, established actress and other ventures
Wen provided the voice for the title character in the 1998 animated film Mulan, its direct-to-video sequel, Mulan II, and the video game Kingdom Hearts II, subsequently winning an Annie Award. She voiced Aki Ross in the animated film Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within and Detective Ellen Yin in the animated series The Batman. She voiced a minor character Jade in the HBO animated series Spawn.<ref name="Roles">Template:Cite web</ref>
In 2004, Wen won a Hollywood Home Game on the World Poker Tour.<ref name="Interview">Template:Cite web</ref> In the fall of 2005, she starred on the NBC drama series Inconceivable as the lead character Rachel Lu. The series was cancelled after two episodes. Her next TV role was an FBI agent in the Fox kidnapping drama series Vanished, which premiered in the fall of 2006, but it too was cancelled. She played a college professor in the comedy series George Lopez.
From October 8 through October 29, 2007, Wen (billed as Ming Wen) appeared in a four-episode arc of CBS's Two and a Half Men playing Charlie Sheen's love interest, a judge closer to his own age.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In November 2008, she guest-starred on two ABC series: Private Practice and Boston Legal. From December 5 to 6, 2008, Wen starred in a benefit production of the musical Grease with "Stuttering John" Melendez at the Class Act Theatre.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Wen was cast as a regular in the Stargate Universe television series from October 2009 to May 2011 as political attaché Camile Wray.<ref name= biography.com /> Wen appears in Disney Through the Decades, a documentary short about the history of The Walt Disney Company, hosting the 1990s section.
Wen appeared on the Syfy series Eureka as the inquisitive U.S. Senator Michaela Wen,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> beginning in season four in 2011 and then serving as a major villain in the fifth and final season in 2012.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2013–present: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Star Wars and other works
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Wen starred as Agent Melinda May in the ABC superhero drama series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., which premiered on September 24, 2013.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In August 2014, Wen reprised her role as Mulan for the first time since Kingdom Hearts II in the Disney Channel series Sofia the First. Wen's daughter has a recurring role on the show as Princess Jun.<ref name="Michaela">Template:Cite web</ref>
On December 7, 2017, Marvel Entertainment launched a new animation film franchise, Marvel Rising: Secret Warriors. Wen voiced Hala the Accuser, the main antagonist of the film, working with Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. co-star Chloe Bennet.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> That same year, she once again provided the voice of Mulan in Ralph Breaks the Internet.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 2019, it was announced that Wen would be a cast member of the Star Wars TV series The Mandalorian playing Fennec Shand.<ref name="FavreauConfirmSeries"/> She reprised the role vocally in Star Wars: The Bad Batch<ref name="Wen">Template:Cite web</ref> and the live-action series The Book of Boba Fett.<ref name="FavreauConfirmSeries">Template:Cite web</ref>
In 2022, Wen made an appearance on Young Sheldon as Dr. Lee, an experimental physicist responsible for mitigating conflict within a team of scientists.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> She is set to recur on the second season of HBO Max's Hacks.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Artistry and legacy
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Wen's roles as Melinda May and Fennec Shand in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and The Book of Boba Fett, respectively, have received critical acclaim.<ref name="TVOM1">Template:Cite web</ref> In December 2021, she was included in the list of BBC's 100 Women of 2021.<ref name=":BBC">Template:Cite news</ref> Wen received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2023.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
She is also well known for her work with Disney.<ref name="WDW1" /> WDW Magazine writer Aaron Widmar called Wen an "incredibly talented Chinese actress, who has had a remarkable career that seems to only gain steam as it progresses—a rarity in Hollywood".<ref name="WDW1">Template:Cite web</ref> He went on to say that she has "broken through barriers for Asian performers".<ref name="WDW1" /> In a 2014 article by a Chinese evening magazine based in Kunming, China, the Spring City Evening News wrote that "among the second-generation Chinese children who immigrated to the United States with their parents, Wen adhered to the excellent Chinese culture and etiquette."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> She was named a Disney Legend at the 2019 D23 Expo for her outstanding contributions to the Disney company.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Personal life
In 1990, Wen married American film writer Kirk Aanes. They divorced three years later. On June 16, 1995, Wen married Eric Michael Zee<ref name=biography.com/> and together they have a daughter and a son.<ref>The Book of Boba Fett 's Ming-Na Wen Says Facing Adversity Made Her 'Fearless' Template:Webarchive, Yahoo News, January 12, 2022.</ref> Wen's first pregnancy was written into the ER script, with her character placing the child for adoption. Wen's daughter followed her mother's footsteps in voice acting. She voices Princess Jun in the Disney Channel-animated series Sofia the First, credited as Michaela Zee.<ref name="Michaela"/>
Wen is trilingual, fluent in English, Cantonese, and Mandarin.<ref name=":LA"/> She is a Buddhist.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Blind Spot | Mitsuko | Television film |
| Rain Without Thunder | "Uudie" Prisoner | ||
| Template:Sortname | Jian-Mei "June" Woo | ||
| 1994 | Vanishing Son II | Mai | Television film |
| Vanishing Son IV | Mai | Television film | |
| Hong Kong 97 | Katie Chun | ||
| Terminal Voyage | Han | ||
| Street Fighter | Chun-Li Zang | ||
| 1997 | One Night Stand | Mimi Carlyle | |
| 1998 | Tempting Fate | Ellen Moretti | Television film |
| Mulan | Mulan (voice) | <ref name="btva">Template:Cite web A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.</ref> | |
| 12 Bucks | Gorgeous | ||
| 2000 | Not Black or White | Herself | Short |
| 2001 | Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within | Aki Ross (voice) | <ref name="btva" /> |
| Aki's Dream | Aki Ross (voice) | Short | |
| 2002 | Template:Sortname | Mei-Ling (voice) | |
| Teddy Bears' Picnic | Katy Woo | ||
| 2004 | Mulan II | Mulan (voice) | Video<ref name="btva" /> |
| Perfection | Woman | Short | |
| 2008 | Prom Night | Dr. Elisha Crowe | |
| 2009 | Push | Emily Wu | |
| 2010 | BoyBand | Judy Roberts | |
| 2012 | Super Cyclone | Dr. Jenna Sparks | Video |
| 2014 | April Rain | Hillary | |
| Parallel Man: Infinite Pursuit | Agent Mackenzie Cartwright (voice) | Short<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Citation</ref> | |
| 2016 | The Darkness | Wendy Richards | |
| 2018 | Marvel Rising: Secret Warriors | Hala the Accuser (voice) | Television film<ref name="btva" /> |
| Ralph Breaks the Internet | Mulan (voice) | <ref name="btva" /> | |
| 2019 | Swimming | Lilian | Short |
| 2020 | Mulan | Esteemed Guest | <ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
| Pearl | Headmistress | ||
| 2021 | DC Showcase: The Losers | Fan Long (voice) | Short film; direct-to-video<ref name="btva" /> |
| 2023 | Glitter & Doom | Ivy | <ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
| 2025 | Karate Kid: Legends | Dr. Fong | <ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
| TBA | Persephone | <ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | |
| TBA | Better Life | Post-production<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Mister Rogers' Neighborhood | Royal Trumpeter #3 | Episode: "1549 & 1550: Music" |
| 1987 | Another World | Abby | Episode: "Episode #1.5950" |
| Template:Nowrap | As the World Turns | Lien Hughes | Regular cast |
| 1994 | All-American Girl | Amy | Episode: "Redesigning Women" |
| 1995–1997 | Template:Sortname | Trudy Sloan | Main cast |
| 1995–2004 | ER | Dr. Jing-Mei "Deb" Chen | Recurring cast (season 1); main cast (seasons 6–11) |
| 1997 | Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child | Lani (voice) | Episode: "Puss in Boots" |
| 1998–1999 | Todd McFarlane's Spawn | Lisa Wu/Jade (voice) | Recurring cast<ref name="btva" /> |
| 1999 | Oh Yeah! Cartoons | Ming Lan (voice) | Episode: "ChalkZone: Chalk Rain"<ref name="btva" /> |
| 2002 | Hollywood Squares | Herself/Panelist | Episode: "April 29, 2002" |
| 2003 | The Bronx Bunny Show | Herself | Episode: "Episode #1.1" |
| House of Mouse | Mulan (voice) | Episode: "Salute to Sports" | |
| 2004 | World Poker Tour | Herself | Episode: "Hollywood Home Game III" |
| Template:Nowrap | Peggy Tsu (voice) | Episode: "The Great Egg Heist"<ref name="btva" /> | |
| Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Li Mei | Episode: "Debt" | |
| 2004–2005 | Template:Sortname | Ellen Yin (voice) | Recurring cast (seasons 1–2)<ref name="btva" /> |
| 2005 | Inconceivable | Rachel Lu | Main cast |
| 2005, 2015 | Robot Chicken | Mary-Kate Olsen/Tina Nguyen/Ming-Ming Duckling (voice) | 2 episodes |
| 2006 | George Lopez | Professor Tracy Lim | Recurring cast (season 5) |
| Vanished | Agent Lin Mei | Main cast | |
| 2007 | American Masters | Narrator (voice) | Episode: "Novel Reflections: The American Dream" |
| 2007–2010 | Two and a Half Men | Judge Linda Harris | Recurring cast (season 5); guest (season 7) |
| 2008 | Private Practice | Kara Wei | Episode: "Let It Go" |
| Boston Legal | Ming Wang Shu | Episode: "Roe" | |
| 2008–2014; 2025–present | Phineas and Ferb | Dr. Hirano (voice) | Recurring cast (seasons 1 & 4); guest (season 2)<ref name="btva" /> |
| 2009 | Ni Hao, Kai-Lan | Gui Nai Nai (voice) | Episode: "Kai-Lan's Trip to China" |
| 2009–2011 | Stargate Universe | Camile Wray | Main cast |
| 2011–2012 | Eureka | U.S. Senator Michaela Wen | Recurring cast (seasons 4–5) |
| 2011 | Celebrity Ghost Stories | Herself | Episode: "Keshia Knight Pulliam, Ming-Na, Chi McBride, Mia Tyler" |
| 2012 | Adventure Time | Finn's Mom (voice) | Guest (season 4); recurring cast (season 5)<ref name="btva" /> |
| 2013 | Nashville | Calista Reeves | Episode: "You Win Again" |
| 2013–2020 | Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. | Agent Melinda May | Main cast |
| 2014–2018 | Sofia the First | Mulan/Vega (voice) | Guest (season 2); recurring cast: (season 4) |
| 2015 | Hollywood Game Night | Herself/Celebrity Player | Episode: "Cedric Gives Niecy a Hand" |
| 2017 | We Bare Bears | Ranger Zhao (voice) | Episode: "Ranger Games" |
| 2017–2018 | Milo Murphy's Law | Savannah (voice) | Recurring cast (season 1); guest (season 2)<ref name="btva" /> |
| 2017–2019 | Fresh Off the Boat | Stephanie/Elaine | Guest (season 3); recurring cast (season 5) |
| 2018 | Iron Chef America | Herself/ICA Judge | Episode: "Guarnaschelli vs. Williams" |
| Celebrity Family Feud | Herself | Template:Nowrap | |
| Guardians of the Galaxy | Phyla-Vell (voice) | Recurring cast (season 3)<ref name="btva" /> | |
| America 2.0 | Helen Chan | Recurring cast | |
| 2018–2019 | Hot Streets | Soo Park (voice) | Recurring cast (seasons 1–2)<ref name="btva" /> |
| 2019 | Marvel Rising | Hala the Accuser (voice) | Episode: "Heart of Iron" |
| Mao Mao: Heroes of Pure Heart | Tanya Keys (voice) | Episode: "Meet Tanya Keys" | |
| 2019–2020 | The Mandalorian | Fennec Shand | Guest (season 1); recurring cast (season 2) |
| 2020 | Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens | Aunt Sandra | Episode: "Vagarina" |
| 50 States of Fright | Susan | Episode: "America's Largest Ball of Twine (Kansas) – Part 1-3" | |
| 2021 | Yasuke | Natsumaru (voice) | Main cast<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="btva" /> |
| Pretty Smart | Jayden's Mom | Episode: "OMG! Jayden's mom is back!" | |
| 2021–2022 | The Book of Boba Fett | Fennec Shand | Main cast<ref name="Book of Boba Fett">Template:Cite web</ref> |
| 2021, 2024 | Star Wars: The Bad Batch | Fennec Shand (voice) | 3 episodes<ref name="Bad Batch">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="btva" /> |
| 2022 | Young Sheldon | Dr. Carol Lee | Episode: "A Free Scratcher and Feminine Wiles"<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
| Hacks | Janet Stone | 2 episodes | |
| 2023–2024 | Velma | Carroll (voice) | Recurring cast |
| 2023 | Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai | Fong Wing (voice) | Main cast<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="btva" /> |
| Mech Cadets | Dolly Yu (voice) | Main cast<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="btva" /> | |
| Blue Eye Samurai | Madame Kaji (voice) | Recurring cast<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | |
| 2024 | Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft | Eva Tong (voice) | Episode: "Living Midnight"<ref name="btva" /> |
| 2025 | The Mighty Nein | Dairon (voice) | <ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
Web series
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Parallel Man: Infinite Pursuit | Major Mackenzie Cartwright | Voice, short film |
| Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Double Agent | Herself | "Infiltrating the Set" | |
| 2016 | Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Academy | Herself | Episodes: "Skydive Challenge", "Commencement" |
| Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Slingshot | Agent Melinda May | 2 episodes | |
| 2020 | 50 States of Fright | Susan | Episode: "Ball of Twine" |
Video games
| Year | Title | Voice role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Street Fighter: The Movie | Chun-Li | |
| 1999 | Disney's Story Studio: Mulan | Mulan | |
| 2006 | Kingdom Hearts II | <ref name="btva" /> | |
| 2015 | Disney Infinity 3.0 | ||
| 2016 | Lego Marvel's Avengers | Agent Melinda May | |
| Disney Magic Kingdoms | Mulan | ||
| 2023 | Disney Speedstorm | ||
| 2024 | Disney Dreamlight Valley |
Awards and nominations
Notes
References
External links
- Pages with broken file links
- 1963 births
- Living people
- 20th-century American actresses
- 21st-century American actresses
- Actresses from California
- Female models from California
- American actresses of Chinese descent
- American people of Malaysian descent
- American film actresses
- American models of Asian descent
- American soap opera actresses
- American Buddhists
- American video game actresses
- American voice actresses
- Annie Award winners
- Carnegie Mellon University College of Fine Arts alumni
- Macau emigrants to the United States
- Macau emigrants to Hong Kong
- Mt. Lebanon High School alumni
- Hong Kong emigrants to the United States
- People from Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania
- 21st-century Macau people
- 20th-century Macau people
- Actresses from Pittsburgh
- People from Portuguese Macau