Jimmy Wong
Jimmy Wong | |
---|---|
Wong in 2012 | |
Born |
James Franklin Wong March 28, 1987[1] |
Nationality | American |
Alma mater | Middlebury College |
Occupation | Actor, musician |
Years active | 2010–present |
Known for | Ted in the web series, Video Game High School |
Notable work | "Ching Chong: Asians in the Library Song" |
Home town | Seattle, Washington |
Relatives | Freddie Wong (brother) |
James Franklin Wong (born March 28, 1987) is an American actor and musician. He is best known for his 2011 music video, "Ching Chong: Asians in the Library Song" and for his role as Ted in the web series Video Game High School. In 2017, he and YouTuber Meghan Camarena co-hosted the video game themed variety show Polaris Primetime which was created as part of Disney's "D|XP" programming block on Disney XD.
Early life
James Franklin "Jimmy" Wong, who is the younger brother of filmmaker Freddie Wong,[2][3] grew up in Seattle, Washington. He received his B.A. in theater from Middlebury College in 2009.[4][5] After graduating, he moved to Los Angeles to become an actor.[5]
Career
Wong garnered national news coverage in March 2011, when he uploaded his music video, "Ching Chong: Asians in the Library Song" to YouTube. He created the video as a response to a UCLA student's vlog rant against Asian students using mobile phones in the UCLA library,[2][3] one which MSNBC qualified as "offensive."[6] NPR suggested that Wong's video response was one that "effectively turn[ed] the tables on the original rant," offering an alternative method of defense against cyberbullying.[7] Wong later said in an MSNBC interview that while he was initially frustrated by the video rant, he realized that humor offered a better response, as he hoped to "put a positive spin on all of it." Furthermore, he stated, an eye for an eye approach would only encourage "this behavior to continue."[6] "Ching Chong: Asians in the Library Song" went viral and was covered nationally by the American media.[6][7][8][9][10][11][12]
Wong later portrayed Ted in the Web series Video Game High School.[13] He was also invited by Lionsgate and Google to create the web series District Voices.[14] In 2014, Wong was ranked #73 on New Media Rockstars Top 100 Channels.[15]
Magic: The Gathering
Wong is an avid player of Magic: The Gathering, specifically the Commander format. He hosts a podcast with co-host Josh Lee Kwai called The Command Zone, where he and Josh discuss their experiences playing the commander format. Wong is referred to by his co-host as "Jimmy the Red" due to the fact that he often plays red decks when playing commander.[16] He has also been called upon by Wizards of the Coast to preview new sets at exhibitions and on their YouTube channel.[17]
Partial discography and filmography
Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|
2010 | Secret Weapon | Robby | ||
2011 | "Ching Chong: Asians in the Library Song" | Composer and singer | YouTube Music Video | |
2012 | John Dies at the End | Fred Chu | feature film | |
2012–2013 | MyMusic | Leader | web series | |
2012–2014 | Video Game High School | Ted Wong | web series | |
2014 | The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – District Voices | District 9 Voice | TV mini-series | |
2016 | Edgar Allan Poe's Murder Mystery Dinner Party | Constable Jimmy | YouTube series, 4 episodes | |
2017 | The Circle | Mitch | ||
2017 | Polaris Primetime | Co-host | with Meghan Camarena, broadcast on Disney XD's "D|XP" block | [18] |
Awards
- 2015: Won: International Academy of Web Television Awards – Best Ensemble Performance/Comedy, Video Game High School (shared with other cast members)
- 2014: Won: Streamy Awards – Best Action or Sci-Fi Series, Video Game High School (shared with cast and crew members)
- 2014: Won: Streamy Awards – Best Ensemble Cast, Video Game High School (shared with other cast members)
References
- ↑ Jimmy Wong on Facebook
- 1 2 "Never stop working. If you’re doing something you love, then it shouldn’t be a problem". The Other Asians. July 7, 2011. Retrieved May 18, 2013.
- 1 2 Roderick, Kevin (March 24, 2011). "Jimmy Wong as Internet savior". LA Observed. Retrieved May 9, 2012.
- ↑ "Interview with Jimmy Wong Of Alexandra Wallace Fame". Untemplater. 2011-05-05. Retrieved 2015-10-18.
- 1 2 Nguyen, Stacy (2011-04-07). "Hit singer Jimmy Wong on Alexandra Wallace and why angry responses are unproductive". Northwest Asian Weekly. Retrieved 17 April 2011.
- 1 2 3 "Jimmy Wong makes 'ching chong' a love song". MSNBC. 2011-03-23. Retrieved 2015-10-18.
- 1 2 Pell, Dave (2011-03-21). "Jimmy Wong Saves The Internet". NPR. Retrieved 2015-10-18.
- ↑ All Things Considered (2011-03-24). "A Racial Rant Inspires An Internet Balladeer". NPR. Retrieved 2015-10-18.
- ↑ Chansanchai, Athima (2011-03-18). "UCLA student's 'Asians' rant ignites YouTube responses". Today (U.S. TV program). Retrieved 2015-10-18.
- ↑ Samuel, Sharon (2011-03-17). "'Ching Chong' Shot Heard Around Social Media World". The New York Observer. Retrieved 2015-10-18.
- ↑ Walker, Rob (2012-06-28). "On YouTube, Amateur Is the New Pro". New York Times. Retrieved 2015-10-18.
- ↑ Austen, Ben (2011-12-16). "The YouTube Laugh Factory: A Studio System for Viral Video". Wired. Retrieved 2015-10-18.
- ↑ Sun, Rebecca (2014-12-12). "THR’s at-a-glance look at the week in representation news". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2015-10-18.
- ↑ Vlessing, Etan (2014-10-20). "Jimmy Wong, Rob Czar and iJustine’s Justine Ezarik made videos for Lionsgate and Google". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2015-10-18.
- ↑ "The NMR Top 100 YouTube Channels: 75-51!". New Media Rockstars. Retrieved 6 January 2015.
- ↑ "Podcasts - RocketJump". RocketJump. Retrieved 2016-02-04.
- ↑ Magic: The Gathering (2016-06-20), Access Magic: Eldritch Moon, Episode 1, retrieved 2017-06-13
- ↑ http://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/currency/disney-xd-set-launch-gamer-programming-block/166529
External links
- Jimmy Wong on IMDb
- Jimmy Wong's channel on YouTube
- Jimmy Wong on Twitter
- Jimmy Wong on Facebook