'Mulan' and 'The Mandalorian' star Ming-Na Wen is honored with Hollywood star
Disney legend and Star Wars newcomer, Ming-Na Wen was honored with her Hollywood Walk of Fame star Tuesday in the category of television.
Ming-Na Wen's acting career's latest achievement brought her to the Star Wars franchise, but it all began in a third-grade play – when she made the audience laugh.
Wen spent her early years in Macau and Hong Kong with her mother and older brother. They came to America when she was about six years old and lived in Queens, New York, where she learned English.
"My mom was a single mom from China who sacrificed everything to bring my older brother Jonathan and me to America. We were immigrants who came to this country in hopes of having a better life … Mom, thanks to you, we are all living the American dream," said Wen.
The actress spent quite some time working with theatre groups after graduating from the School of Drama at Carnegie Mellon University. She fulfilled her dream to be on Broadway in 1998 with David Henry Hwang's "Golden Child;" which received a Tony nomination and won an Obie for Best Play.
Wen moved on to television, starring in "As the World Turns," becoming the first contract role for an Asian American actor in a daytime drama.
She continued to pave the way for Asian Pacific Islander actors, winning roles that were not originally written for Asians, including her role as Dr. Jing-Mei "Deb" Chen in the television series "ER."
In 2019, Wen was named a Disney Legend, one of the highest honors and awards given by Disney, for giving life to such characters as 'Mulan' in the Mulan franchise, Agent May in "Marvel's Agents of Shield" and for her role in the movie, "The Joy Luck Club."
"The Joy Luck Club changed my life in so many ways, her (Amy Tan) words made me realize that I wasn't alone in my struggles growing up as an Asian woman in America," said Wen.
Wen has since reprised her role as Mulan in numerous projects, including "Kingdom Hearts II," "Mulan 2" and "Ralph Breaks the Internet," which grossed over half a billion dollars.
Wen joined the Star Wars family as the mercenary assassin Fennec Shand in "The Mandalorian," and again in "The Book of Boba Fett." The two successful series brought in a combined total of 43 Emmy nominations and 18 Emmy wins.
"It's a really special way to celebrate AAPI heritage month by ending it with something as tremendous as this," said Wen at Tuesday's ceremony.