Nancy Kwan

Acting

Nancy Kwan

Born 1939-05-19 · Hong Kong, British Crown Colony [now China]

Nancy Kwan Ka-shen (Cantonese: 關家蒨; born May 19, 1939) is a Hong Kong-born American actress, author, and philanthropist. She meteorically rose to fame by starring in the Hollywood films The World of Suzie Wong (1960) and Flower Drum Song (1961), which were among the first to cast Asian actors in major roles. Her dazzling 'oriental' style and signature bob cut became iconic and cemented her status as an exotic sex symbol. Later in life, Kwan became involved in philanthropy for AIDS awareness. In 1997, she published a book about her son who died from the disease and donated its profits to support the promotion of AIDS awareness.

Acting credits

Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story poster
6.9

This film is a glimpse into the life, love and the unconquerable spirit of the legendary Bruce Lee. From a childhood of rigorous martial arts training, Lee realizes his dream of opening his own kung-fu school in America. Before long, he is discovered by a Hollywood producer and begins a meteoric rise to fame and an all too short reign as one the most charismatic action heroes in cinema history.

Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story

1993

The Pacific Connection poster
5.3

Ben is a farm boy who comes into conflict with the Evil Spanish Governor and his two sons. To assist in their oppression the Governor hires a Samurai to teach his son the Japanese Katana sword. To counter this, Ben studies under a blind Franciscan monk to obtain some advanced fighting secrets and develop his warrior senses. Additionally Ben must search for the legendary “Iron Reed”. A mystical stick so strong that grows in the lava of an active Volcano.

The Pacific Connection

1974

Fate Is the Hunter poster
6.5

An airline executive refuses to believe that pilot error, by his friend, caused a fatal crash and persists in looking for another reason.

Fate Is the Hunter

1964

The Wrecking Crew poster
5.7

When Count Contini attempts to destroy the world's economy by masterminding the theft of $1 billion in U.S. gold, ICE chief MacDonald summons secret agent Matt Helm to stop him.

The Wrecking Crew

1968

The Unbeatable Bruce Lee poster
8.4

A look at the life of superstar Bruce Lee.

The Unbeatable Bruce Lee

2001

Flower Drum Song poster
6.3

A young woman arrives in San Francisco's Chinatown, from Hong Kong, with the intention of marrying a rakish nightclub owner, unaware he is involved with one of his singers.

Flower Drum Song

1961

Wonder Women poster
4.7

Dr. Tsu is a brilliant surgeon with her own exotic island off the coast of Manila. Using her sexy, all-girl army of martial-arts experts, Tsu kidnaps some of the world's greatest athletes. She is able to transplant any body part, so she uses the athletes for spare parts to sell to the world's richest men. Mike Harber is a womanizing, wise-cracking insurance investigator for Lloyd's of London sent to Manila to investigate the disappearance of a jai-alai player, and becomes involved with Dr. Tsu's mad mission.

Wonder Women

1973

Miracle Landing poster
5.8

Based on a real, in-flight incident in 1988, a passenger jet loses a portion of its fuselage in flight over Hawaii and is forced to make an emergency landing.

Miracle Landing

1990

Lt. Robin Crusoe U.S.N. poster
5.7

Lt. Robin Crusoe is a navy pilot who bails out of his plane after engine trouble. He reaches a deserted island paradise where he builds a house and begins to adjust to life. He is in for trouble however when a local girl is banished to the island by her father, who then comes after Crusoe.

Lt. Robin Crusoe U.S.N.

1966

The World of Suzie Wong poster
6.6

A Hong Kong prostitute tries modeling and falls for the artist who's painting her.

The World of Suzie Wong

1960

Be Water poster
6.8

In 1971, after being rejected by Hollywood, Bruce Lee returned to his parents’ homeland of Hong Kong to complete four iconic films. Charting his struggles between two worlds, this portrait explores questions of identity and representation through the use of rare archival footage, interviews with loved ones and Bruce’s own writings.

Be Water

2020

Paint It Black poster
5.8

The death of Michael leaves behind the two women he loved, his girlfriend and his mother, both of whom blame each other for his suicide. Joined by their grief, the two women are soon drawn into a twisted relationship.

Paint It Black

2016

Hollywood Chinese poster
NR

Hollywood Chinese is a captivating look at cinema history through the lens of the Chinese American experience. Directed by triple Sundance award-winning filmmaker, Arthur Dong, this documentary is a voyage through a century of cinematic delights, intrigues, and treasures. It weaves together a wondrous portrait of actors, directors, writers, and movie icons who have defined American feature films, from the silent era to the current new wave of Asian American cinema. At once entertaining and enlightening, Hollywood Chinese reveals long-untold stories behind the Asian faces that have graced the silver screen, and weaves a rich and complicated tapestry, one marked by unforgettable performances and groundbreaking films, but also by a tangled history of race and representation.

Hollywood Chinese

2007

Window Horses: The Poetic Persian Epiphany of Rosie Ming poster
6.7

A young Canadian poet with Chinese and Persian parents travels to Iran to perform at a poetry festival.

Window Horses: The Poetic Persian Epiphany of Rosie Ming

2017

The Main Attraction poster
4.0

An affable drifter on the lam for a murder he didn't commit hides out in a circus.

The Main Attraction

1962

Reel Horror poster
3.2

Evil spirits that emerge from cans of old movie film terrorize a neighborhood.

Reel Horror

1985

The McMasters poster
4.6

When a black Civil War veteran becomes co-owner of the southern McMasters ranch, the incensed local Confederate veterans come gunning for him and his Indian wife.

The McMasters

1970

Project: Kill poster
5.1

A former government assassin flees a mind-control program in the Philippines, pursued by his ex-partner, the local police and Asian gangsters.

Project: Kill

1976

For Life or Death poster
5.6

A man named Kaan Woo (James Lew) is escaping his dark past, having been involved with a cult of brown shroud-wearing, druid-like monk warriors that have mystical powers. He apparently wanted out, because their evil queen, Ling Li (Nancy Kwan), has sent her servant, Sir Xavier (Richard Norton), to do her bidding - i.e., eliminate Woo. During a battle with the dark forces, Woo's soul is transferred into the body of homeless drunkard Earl Stockman (Mark Pellegrino). Now this bum is as surprised as anybody to find out he has mystical kung-fu abilities. Now "Superbum" must take on the evil cult and win the day.

For Life or Death

1996

Angkor: Cambodia Express poster
4.0

In a tale of drama and adventure, young journalist Andy Cameron (Robert Walker) has to get into Cambodia (it is assumed this is during the genocidal reign of Pol Pot). Cameron has to smuggle out his girlfriend Mieng (Nit Alisa) before she is killed (along with the other two million Cambodians), but he cannot manage this alone. He enlists the aid of an American Vietnam vet and the help of a few Khmer men. Eventually, Cameron makes his way into Cambodia where he encounters many dangers, some human and some inhuman.

Angkor: Cambodia Express

1981

The Last Ninja poster
3.6

A successful art dealer is sought out by law enforcement after terrorists take some scientists hostage. Finding no possible solution, a law enforcement agent approaches the dealer (Beck). Mr. Cosmo, the agent believes the dealer to be linked to the ninja responsible for tracking down criminals and serving them justice. Mr. Cosmo hopes that the ninja's seemingly supernatural skills will remedy this impossible hostage situation.

The Last Ninja

1983

No artwork available
10.0

The first video to combine international martial arts together with interviews and demonstrations by celebrities of Hollywood.

Encyclopedia of Martial Arts: Hollywood Celebrities

1995

Nobody's Perfect poster
6.3

This military service comedy chronicles the misadventures of the U.S.S. Bustard in Japan. The crew has stolen a Buddha statue from a Japanese village, which if discovered missing, would threaten Japanese/American relations. Doc Willoughby is the ship's petty officer, whose antics are constantly getting him into trouble with his captain. On shore leave, Willoughby falls for a seemingly demure Japanese girl in a kimono shop, who actually turns out to be a Japanese/American nurse in the US Navy, Lt. Tomiko Momoyama. However, it turns out she was betrothed as a child to a traditional Japanese man named Toshi, who fully intends on enforcing tradition. Willoughby divides his time between trying to return the Buddha statue back to the Japanese village it rightfully belongs to, and trying to woo Tomiko from the traditional Japanese man she rightfully belongs to.

Nobody's Perfect

1968

Arrivederci, Baby! poster
5.9

Nick Johnson has wed several times, but all his rich wives were 'accidentally' killed after some time. Now he's married a young Italian widow, but she's not so easy to get rid of, especially when she learns of his plans and tries to turn the tables.

Arrivederci, Baby!

1966

Behind the camera