BD Wong
A versatile actor who shattered barriers, becoming the only person to sweep every major theater award for a single, groundbreaking Broadway debut.
Born 1960 (age 66)·American actor·Birthday: October 24·Baby Boomers
Biography
BD Wong's career is a story of precision and breaking molds. He rocketed to fame not with a slow build but with a seismic event: his 1988 Broadway debut as Song Liling in 'M. Butterfly.' His performance, which required him to convincingly portray a female Peking opera star, was a stunning act of theatrical alchemy that earned him an unprecedented clean sweep of every major theater award for a single role. This triumph defined him not as an Asian-American actor, but simply as a great actor. He has since navigated a wide-ranging career with intelligence, moving seamlessly from the stage to film like 'Jurassic Park' and 'Father of the Bride' to television, where his role as the enigmatic psychiatrist Dr. George Huang on 'Law & Order: SVU' provided 12 seasons of nuanced representation. Later, his chilling turn as the transgender hacker Whiterose on 'Mr. Robot' showcased his continued ability to command complex, mysterious characters. Wong has consistently chosen work that challenges expectations, both his own and those of the industry.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
BD was born in 1960, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When BD Was Born
The biggest hits of 1960
#1 Movie
Swiss Family Robinson
Best Picture
The Apartment
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
BD's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1960Born
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1965Started school
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1973Became a teenager
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1976Could drive
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1978Could vote
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1981Turned 21
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1990Turned 30
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
2000Turned 40
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2010Turned 50
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2020Turned 60
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 66 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Achieved a historic sweep, winning the Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, Clarence Derwent, and Theatre World Awards for his Broadway debut in 'M. Butterfly.'
- Played Dr. George Huang for 12 seasons on 'Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,' a landmark recurring role for an Asian-American actor.
- Received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Actor for his role as Whiterose on the series 'Mr. Robot.'
- Voiced Captain Li Shang in Disney's 'Mulan' and provided the voice for the same character in the sequel and video games.
Did You Know?
He is an avid orchid grower and has a greenhouse in his home.
He and his former partner are the first same-sex couple to father children via the same surrogate.
He was originally cast as the Engineer in the Broadway revival of 'Miss Saigon' but left the production during previews.
His initials 'BD' do not stand for anything; he adopted them professionally to distinguish himself from another actor named Brad Wong.
““I think the most important thing for me is to be able to look at myself in the mirror and feel like I'm doing the right thing.””
