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You've Seen Me Before: Over 700 Roles and 70 Years in Hollywood
Not yet published
Expected 22 Sep 26 An Atria Book. Atria Books has a great book for every reader.
- GenresMemoirNonfiction
288 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication September 22, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Short but honest memoir of a remarkable Chinese- American actor whose career spans seventy years - he’s writing this at age 97 with co-author Jeff Yang.
James Hong is an actor I remember from many of the movies and TV shows I’ve seen. So I was excited to be able to read this book (my thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for granting me access to this ARC). I loved him in Big Trouble in Little China and those old Perry Mason TV episodes.
The book is chocked full of references to the times and events that impacted Hong’s life. Such as:
- Born in Minneapolis before Chinese Exclusion Act was repealed in 1943, his family could not be considered citizens.
- The impact of Hollywood’s Hayes Code where if one leading actor was white, his/her counterpart had to be white meant that since Paul Muni had been contracted for the male lead in The Good Earth, the female lead could not go to Anna May Wong, the most famous Chinese actress of her day, and so Luise Rainier was given the role - and later win an Oscar for it.
- His advocacy for Asian actors and efforts to achieve this. In 1965 he started the East-West Players to five opportunities for Asian American actors. This spring’s in part from the Hayes Code but also from the J. Carroll Naish episode of outright racism and Hong being fired. Naish, whom I never could relate to in anything I saw him in, was playing the role of Charlie Chan - irony or ironies. This firing stayed with Hong as it violated not only his stellar work genetic but highlighted Hollywood’s racism.
- Hong became the oldest actor at age 93 to get a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame due to the efforts of Daniel Dae Kim.
- The book is, of course, a name dropper of “who’s who” during the many years of Hong’s career. It was fun to read too for that reason.
I came off with an impression of Hong as a decent and honorable man. He didn’t slam anyone - called names or the like. It’s a straightforward story. Jamie Lee Curtis’s intro was wonderful. While some might say the book glosses over details, I don’t think Hong was interested in them - just telling an honest story.
I gave this book five stars for its honesty, for Hong’s advocacy of Asian American actors, for the delightful memories it brought back to me and for the great time I had reading it. It’s not going to win a prize but I did prize reading it.
James Hong is an actor I remember from many of the movies and TV shows I’ve seen. So I was excited to be able to read this book (my thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for granting me access to this ARC). I loved him in Big Trouble in Little China and those old Perry Mason TV episodes.
The book is chocked full of references to the times and events that impacted Hong’s life. Such as:
- Born in Minneapolis before Chinese Exclusion Act was repealed in 1943, his family could not be considered citizens.
- The impact of Hollywood’s Hayes Code where if one leading actor was white, his/her counterpart had to be white meant that since Paul Muni had been contracted for the male lead in The Good Earth, the female lead could not go to Anna May Wong, the most famous Chinese actress of her day, and so Luise Rainier was given the role - and later win an Oscar for it.
- His advocacy for Asian actors and efforts to achieve this. In 1965 he started the East-West Players to five opportunities for Asian American actors. This spring’s in part from the Hayes Code but also from the J. Carroll Naish episode of outright racism and Hong being fired. Naish, whom I never could relate to in anything I saw him in, was playing the role of Charlie Chan - irony or ironies. This firing stayed with Hong as it violated not only his stellar work genetic but highlighted Hollywood’s racism.
- Hong became the oldest actor at age 93 to get a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame due to the efforts of Daniel Dae Kim.
- The book is, of course, a name dropper of “who’s who” during the many years of Hong’s career. It was fun to read too for that reason.
I came off with an impression of Hong as a decent and honorable man. He didn’t slam anyone - called names or the like. It’s a straightforward story. Jamie Lee Curtis’s intro was wonderful. While some might say the book glosses over details, I don’t think Hong was interested in them - just telling an honest story.
I gave this book five stars for its honesty, for Hong’s advocacy of Asian American actors, for the delightful memories it brought back to me and for the great time I had reading it. It’s not going to win a prize but I did prize reading it.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I love a good show biz memoir, and James Hong's You've Seen Me Before checks all of the boxes. I do remember seeing him in many movies and TV shows--both dramas and comedies--and always recognized him and knew his name. Because he frequently used an Asian accent in his roles, I assumed he came to the US from China. I didn't realize that he was actually born in Minnesota, although he and his family spent a few years living in Hong Kong during his early childhood. Hong's parents didn't want James to have a career in show business, but after completing am engineering degree and working in the field for a brief time, he convinced them when he started having success in garnering performing roles.
James Hong showed himself to be a thoughtful actor, coming up with different ways to deliver his dialogue and create a memorable character. He played opposite many of the great actors in movies such as Chinatown, Flower Drum Song, The Sand Pebbles, Blade Runner, and most recently, the Oscar-winning Everything Everywhere All at Once He could often be seen as a guest actor in such popular TV series as Friends, Seinfeld, and The Big Bang Theory, and he has won awards for his voiceover acting, including the Kung Fu Panda series and Mulan.
When Hong's career began, white actors often played the leading roles of Asian characters, using prosthetics on their eyes. But over the years, James Hong was a part of changing the way Asian actors were regarded and appreciated. He co-founded an all-Asian acting troupe and served on the board of the Screen Actors' Guild headed by Charlton Heston.
In this book, Hong focuses mostly on his career, and what a career it has been! Recently he received a star on the Walk of Fame in Hollywood, which was long overdue for this now-97-year-old actor with more than 700 roles to his credit. I found the book very entertaining and enjoyed every page.
My review is based on a complimentary pre-release copy of this book.
James Hong showed himself to be a thoughtful actor, coming up with different ways to deliver his dialogue and create a memorable character. He played opposite many of the great actors in movies such as Chinatown, Flower Drum Song, The Sand Pebbles, Blade Runner, and most recently, the Oscar-winning Everything Everywhere All at Once He could often be seen as a guest actor in such popular TV series as Friends, Seinfeld, and The Big Bang Theory, and he has won awards for his voiceover acting, including the Kung Fu Panda series and Mulan.
When Hong's career began, white actors often played the leading roles of Asian characters, using prosthetics on their eyes. But over the years, James Hong was a part of changing the way Asian actors were regarded and appreciated. He co-founded an all-Asian acting troupe and served on the board of the Screen Actors' Guild headed by Charlton Heston.
In this book, Hong focuses mostly on his career, and what a career it has been! Recently he received a star on the Walk of Fame in Hollywood, which was long overdue for this now-97-year-old actor with more than 700 roles to his credit. I found the book very entertaining and enjoyed every page.
My review is based on a complimentary pre-release copy of this book.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Yes, I have seen James Hong before...many times in many movies and TV shows. This is a pretty typical "celebrity memoir" filled with biographical information and memories of his life in and out of Hollywood as an Asian actor.
If you're a movie fan, you will likely find this memoir interesting and a quick read. There are many new things to learn about this prolific actor's life and work since he has not been fodder for the tabloids. His experiences as a Chinese-American growing up in Minnesota (!) and as an aspiring actor in Hollywood are told with humor and evoke empathy from the reader. Especially interesting and informative are his efforts to bring Hollywood out of the era of always casting white actors as Asian characters. There's plenty of name-dropping and anecdotes about almost every movie set, director, and fellow actors Hong worked with over the years. He shares some stories of his personal life (parents, siblings, spouses, children) too, but the bulk of the text is about his career. A worthy effort that gives insight into the life of this well known face (even if you didn't know his name). There's nothing remarkable about the writing, not are there any "blockbuster" revelations, just a good story of a long career and a long, well lived life.
NOTE -- This book is very up to date including Hong's responses to the deaths of some of his fellow actors and his recent accolades stemming from the movie Everything Everywhere All at Once. Also, on a personal note -- it was nice to read a celebrity "tell all" that didn't really "tell all". I'm pretty tired of reading the sexual escapades of Hollywood stars. James Hong is apparently a quiet family man with many loyal friends and family members
If you're a movie fan, you will likely find this memoir interesting and a quick read. There are many new things to learn about this prolific actor's life and work since he has not been fodder for the tabloids. His experiences as a Chinese-American growing up in Minnesota (!) and as an aspiring actor in Hollywood are told with humor and evoke empathy from the reader. Especially interesting and informative are his efforts to bring Hollywood out of the era of always casting white actors as Asian characters. There's plenty of name-dropping and anecdotes about almost every movie set, director, and fellow actors Hong worked with over the years. He shares some stories of his personal life (parents, siblings, spouses, children) too, but the bulk of the text is about his career. A worthy effort that gives insight into the life of this well known face (even if you didn't know his name). There's nothing remarkable about the writing, not are there any "blockbuster" revelations, just a good story of a long career and a long, well lived life.
NOTE -- This book is very up to date including Hong's responses to the deaths of some of his fellow actors and his recent accolades stemming from the movie Everything Everywhere All at Once. Also, on a personal note -- it was nice to read a celebrity "tell all" that didn't really "tell all". I'm pretty tired of reading the sexual escapades of Hollywood stars. James Hong is apparently a quiet family man with many loyal friends and family members
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC
James Hong's memoir is a insightful account of his journey into making a name for himself in the entertainment industry at a time when Asians and Asian Americans were not seen as marketable or favorable, juxtaposed with his pursuit of living up to his parents' expectations of living 'the American Dream".
His life is a living document of what the Chinese-American experience in the 20th Century was like, and the subtle ways he (and fellow Asian-American actors) made strides to lessen the use of Yellowface and to showcase Asian-American actors as complex people (and not as the usual stereotypes). I enjoyed reading about his interactions with the slew of legendary Hollywood actors and directors, and his matter-of-fact accounts that were neither overly praising or slanderous.
I'm so glad he has lived such a long rich life and to get all his flowers, seeing how his efforts to help advocate for Asian Americans in the entertainment industry has made an impact.
James Hong's memoir is a insightful account of his journey into making a name for himself in the entertainment industry at a time when Asians and Asian Americans were not seen as marketable or favorable, juxtaposed with his pursuit of living up to his parents' expectations of living 'the American Dream".
His life is a living document of what the Chinese-American experience in the 20th Century was like, and the subtle ways he (and fellow Asian-American actors) made strides to lessen the use of Yellowface and to showcase Asian-American actors as complex people (and not as the usual stereotypes). I enjoyed reading about his interactions with the slew of legendary Hollywood actors and directors, and his matter-of-fact accounts that were neither overly praising or slanderous.
I'm so glad he has lived such a long rich life and to get all his flowers, seeing how his efforts to help advocate for Asian Americans in the entertainment industry has made an impact.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I was happy to see the talented actor, James Hong wrote his memoir. He picked the perfect title for his book because If anyone has watched any movies or tv shows over the decades, they have definitely seen this awesome actor. He writes of mostly growing up in Minneapolis Minnesota and living for a couple years in China. HIs career spans seven decades to the tune of over 700 acting credits. It would be impossible to write of every thing he has acted in so he does write of some well known movies ending with the movie that won an Oscar Everything Everywhere all at once. I was delighted for Mr. Hong to finally get is star on the walk of fame. He writes of the good and bad parts of being an Asian man trying to have a career in a business that caters to White actors. I know i have seen him in countless roles from Tv and movies. I was happy to get a copy from NetGalley.. A very well written memoir. Glad I go to know more about this wonderful actor.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I received a free copy of, You've Seen Me Before, by James Hong, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. James Hong is an actor, Ive seen Mulan which he was in but that is all ive seen of his many movies. This was an enjoyable read.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews