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Aki Aleong

Aki Aleong is a Trinidadian-American actor whose career moves freely between film, television, theatre and music. Born Assing Aleong in Port of Spain on December 19, 1934, he relocated with his mother to Brooklyn in 1949 after his parents divorced. He later attended Brooklyn College and was working part-time in a hardware store when he answered a casting call for the Broadway production of The Teahouse of the August Moon. Cast as Goat Boy, Aleong had found his way into acting. His first important film role came in the 1957 drama No Down Payment, starring Joanne Woodward and Jeffrey Hunter. From there, Aleong built the kind of screen career that rewards viewers who pay attention to the supporting cast. He appeared in two episodes of The Outer Limits, playing Harry Akada in one, and later took on recurring or notable television roles as Senator Hidoshi in the first season of Babylon 5 and Mr. Chiang in V: The Series. His television credits also include Hazel, The Virginian, Walker, Texas Ranger and Curb Your Enthusiasm. On film, Aleong played Major Ngo Doc in The Hanoi Hilton and Colonel Mitamura in Farewell to the King. These parts placed him comfortably within dramas shaped by military, political and cultural tensions, while his wider television work showed his ability to move between genres and formats. He also played Agent X in Wong Fu Productions’ short Agents of Secret Stuff. Acting is only one part of Aleong’s working life. He has also been active as a singer, songwriter, composer, screenwriter, director and producer. In music, he co-wrote and produced Sheriff and the Ravels’ 1958 doo-wop record “Shombalor,” recorded “Trade Winds, Trade Winds,” and was the featured vocalist on the 1963 album Come Surf With Me. After holding several record-industry positions and working with artists including The 5th Dimension, The O’Jays and Bobby Womack, he left the music business in 1983 to concentrate on acting full time. He has also served as executive director for Asians in Media and was a member of the Media Action Network for Asian Americans.