Keye Luke

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Keye Luke in Charlie Chan publicity photo

Keye Luke (陸錫麒 Pinyin: Lù Xílín) (June 18, 1904–January 12, 1991) was a Chinese-born American actor.

Luke was born in Canton, China, and grew up in Seattle. He became a naturalized citizen of the United States in 1944.

Luke made his film debut in The Painted Veil in 1934, and the following year gained his first big role, as Charlie Chan's eldest son in Charlie Chan in Paris. It was a role he would continue to play, on and off, until The Sky Dragon in 1949, in which, having outlasted two stars of the series, he was older than the actor then playing his father. In 1972, he became the first actor of Chinese descent to play Charlie Chan himself, supplying the voice of "Mr. Chan" in the animated television series The Amazing Chan and the Chan Clan. He was also known for his role of Master Po in the television series, Kung Fu.

Keye Luke as Master Po

[edit] Trivia

He was the first to voice Brak on Space Ghost. Luke was replaced after his death by Andy Merrill.
He did some of the original artwork for the original King Kong pressbook.
He played The Green Hornet's Japanese sidekick Kato in two movies in the early 1940s.
He played the mysterious old Chinatown shopowner Mr. Wing in the two Gremlins movies.
He had a significant role in Woody Allen's 1990 movie Alice.
He was the voice of Zoltar in Battle of the Planets.
He played Governor Donald Cory in a 1969 episode of Star Trek entitled "Whom Gods Destroy."
He was going to play Doctor Noonien Soong in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Brothers", but died before shooting started; Brent Spiner took over the role.
He was the voice of the evil Mr. Han in Enter the Dragon starring Bruce Lee
He costarred in Mr. Moto's Gamble as Lee Chan. The film was reworked as a Mr. Moto film after the death of Warner Oland.