Lucille Soong is a Chinese-American actress with a career spanning several decades in both film and television. She is best known for her role as Jenny Huang, the matriarch of the Huang family, on the popular TV series Fresh Off the Boat (2015–2020). Her portrayal of the loving and sometimes overbearing mother earned her recognition and made her a standout on the show.
Soong was born on September 5, 1935, in Tianjin, China, into a wealthy family. Her early life was deeply affected by the political changes following the Chinese Communist Revolution, and at the age of 21, she managed to escape to Hong Kong during the relaxation of border controls. This marked the beginning of her journey in the entertainment industry.
While in Hong Kong, Soong was discovered by the renowned Shaw Brothers Studio. She was signed to an acting contract, but she famously convinced the studio’s head, Run Run Shaw, to tear up the agreement after being introduced to British director Lewis Gilbert. This led to her role in Gilbert’s 1959 film Ferry to Hong Kong, where she starred alongside Orson Welles. Though her role was uncredited, it paved the way for more international work. She later appeared in the American-Japanese film Three Weeks of Love (1965), which was released several years after its production, where she played the girlfriend of the lead character.
In addition to her acting career, Lucille Soong is also an author, having written her autobiography Wild Orchid: From Beijing to La-La Land, in which she recounts her journey from China to Hollywood and her experiences in the entertainment industry.
