Nancy Kwan Net Worth: A look into World of Suzie Wong actress’s fortune and career amid memoir release 

Nancy Kwan, the Hong Kong-born American actress who was one of the first actresses of Asian origin to portray a lead character in a Hollywood film, recently released her memoir, The World of Nancy Kwan. Kwan paved the way for performers of Asian ethnicity to be acceptable as screen actors in North America.

She made her debut in Hollywood with the film World of Suzie Wong in 1960. In the film, Kwan portrayed the character of a non conformist pr***itute from Hong Kong who becomes the love interest of an American artist portrayed by William Holden. The film was a success upon its release and helped launch Nancy Kwan’s Hollywood career.

Kwan is considered a significant example of an Asian success story in Hollywood, earning both commercial and critical success. As per Celebrity Net Worth, Kwan’s fortune amounts to $4 million.

Nancy Kwan’s career explored

Nancy Kwan was born in 1939. Her father is of Cantonese origin, whereas her mother’s ancestry is traced back to British-Scottish roots. She was born in Hong Kong, where, according to her memoir, she auditioned for her role in The World of Suzie Wong.

As per a report by Entertainment Weekly, Kwan shares in her memoir that going for the audition was a spontaneous decision. She had intended to attend producer Ray Stark’s audition with the hope that she would be able to encounter some of her favorite Chinese actresses in real life, who Kwan presumed would be attending the Hollywood film’s audition. Little did she know, or hope, that she would be selected for the role.

In her memoir, Kwan shares significant details from her acting experience in her debut film. The report by Entertainment Weekly makes note of a difficult moment during the filming, which, according to Kwan’s memoir, was the only instance when the 20-year-old debutant actress decided to rebel and resisted a demand put forward by Richard Quine, the director of the film. Entertainment Weekly quotes from her memoir, wherein the legendary actress, recalling the incident, says,

“The scene called for [Holden's] character, Robert Lomax, to angrily rip off my dress because he objected to Suzie's fussy Western attire, which she wore to prove her so-called sophistication. Wardrobe had selected sexy black undergarments for the big reveal, but I was modest and secretly substituted a full slip, which was not what Dick Quine expected to see.”

After the success of her debut film, for which she won a Golden Globe award for The Promising Newcomer, Kwan’s career took on a trajectory that would undermine strong held stereotypical representation of Asians in Hollywood.

Following her debut, Kwan starred in Flower Drum Song, which was the first musical produced by a major Hollywood studio that comprised of a nearly all Asian star cast, as per NBC.

The actress, who went on to star in successful films like Tamahine (1963), Fate Is The Hunter (1964) and The Wrecking Crew (1968) eventually left Hollywood and returned to Hong Kong, where she cared for her ailing father, as per a report by New Beverly Cinema. Recalling the limited opportunities for actors of Asian origin, Kwan, during an interview with NBC, said,

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“It was difficult because there were no scripts being written, or interesting roles in order to sustain one’s career. Now more minorities are settled here, the choices are much more.”

In her post-Hollywood career, Kwan appeared in acclaimed TV series such as Hawaii Five-O, Kung Fu, and Fantasy Island, as per IMDb.

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