Kenneth Choi is an American actor best known for his roles in The Wolf of Wall Street, American Crime Story: The People v. O. J. Simpson, and the Sons of Anarchy. Perhaps the most interesting thing about Kenneth Choi is that his career path did not follow the stereotypical path one would expect from Asian-American actors. Since the beginning of his career, the actor has always chosen roles that are versatile and defy stereotypes. He has the kind of career that many other actors dream of. The fact that he is extremely talented and unyielding has certainly contributed to this.
Kenneth Choi Biography
The actor was born in Chicago, Illinois as the son of Korean immigrants. His mother was a registered nurse who became a housewife, while his father was a businessman and professor of electrical engineering.
Kenneth was the middle child of three. He attended Longwood Elementary School in Glenwood; then he attended Brookwood School District 167 for Junior High School. During his time in junior high, he began to perform as a breakdancer. When he joined Homewood-Flossmoor High School, he became a gymnast and even ran cross country.
Kenneth Choi’s Career
As already mentioned, Kenneth Choi has managed to make a versatile and varied career. Although he grew up in Illinois, his career began in Portland, Oregon when he appeared in the 1998 Disney channel movie Halloweentown starring Debbie Reynolds – the famous actress, businesswoman, and mother of Princess Leia actress Carrie Fisher.
As a film actor, he appeared primarily as Chester Ming in The Wolf of Wall Street. He also appeared in Red Dawn, Suicide Squad, Gringo, Hotel Artemis, Harsh Times, and the sci-fi movie Bright. He has also appeared in several television shows, including Sons of Anarchy, Ironside, Allegiance, The Newsroom, American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson, Chicago Med, Counterpart, and most importantly, The Last Man on Earth.
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He also lent his voice to the role of a gangster in the video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.
Currently, he can be seen in FOX TV’s hit series, 9-1-1, as Howie “Chimney” Han, fireman and paramedic. The 9-1-1 show also features Connie Britton, Angela Bassett, Peter Krause, and Oliver Stark. It was created by Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, and Tim Minear.
5 Random Facts About Kenneth Choi
1. MCU Legacy
The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is undoubtedly one of the greatest cinematographic universes of all time, and as such, many people want the chance to be a part of it. Kenneth Choi was lucky enough to get not just one, but two roles in the MCU. He made his first appearance in Captain America: The First Avenger, where he played Jim Morita – a Japanese-American soldier, a friend of Captain America, and a member of the Howling Commandos.
He reappeared in the MCU when Spiderman was indoctrinated in Marvel Cinematic Universe; he played the principal Jim Morita, the grandson of his Captain America character.
2. Record Holder
In high school, he held the second record for the pommel horse. The pommel horse, also known as the side horse, is a gymnastics apparatus normally used by male gymnasts. It consists of a metal frame, a wooden body, and a leather cover.
3. Accountant In The Making
His parents strongly discouraged him from pursuing a career. His father advised him to pursue an apparently responsible career in accounting. He initially intended to follow his parents’ advice and began specializing in accounting at Purdue University in Indiana. However, he decided to follow his childhood dreams of acting and dropped out of school. He compared this act to running away from home. He broke the connection to his family and had to do this on his own.
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4. He Had To Learn To Be Great
The actor spent the years after leaving Purdue University studying and training with various acting teachers in Portland. One of his acting teachers was Paul Werner. Paul is an American film and theater director known for his directorial work In The Name Of The Father and Fall Time – the 1995 film starring Mickey Rourke, David Arquette, and Stephen Baldwin. Until 2013 he worked as an artist at Baryshnikov Arts Center.
5. Building A Legacy
Kenneth Choi moved to Los Angeles in 1999 and since then has appeared in over 25 films and over 40 television shows – a pretty impressive resume for any actor, but especially for a colorful actor.
