People
Chao Li Chi
Acting · follow into films and chains
Biography
Chao-Li Chi (冀朝理; 5 April 1927, Shanxi Province, China – 16 October 2010, Granada Hills, California) was a Chinese-American actor and dancer, one of the first native Chinese actors to break into Hollywood. He fled China at age 12 during the Second Sino-Japanese War, became an accomplished dancer who toured with Maya Deren, and studied acting through Pearl S. Buck's East-and-West Association. He was best known for his 227-episode run as Chao-Li on Falcon Crest (1981–1990). His film credits include Big Trouble in Little China (1986), The Joy Luck Club (1993), Blood Work (2002), and The Prestige (2006, his final film). On television he also appeared in M*A*S*H, Barney Miller, NYPD Blue, and Pushing Daisies. He was also a philosopher and teacher who promoted Taoist philosophy and Tai Chi in the U.S. He died peacefully in his sleep at age 83. No major awards are on record.
Notable films
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Highlights from credits and KinoChain journeys.
Chains
KinoChain journeys
Public chains that pass through their films — or name them as a bridge.
The prestige is the trick you never see coming
A chain of films about magicians, mediums and con artists, tracing the moment cinema learned to lie to us and we learned to love it.
8 films
The Rivalry Within: How Feuds Shape the Soul
From duelling magicians to warring chefs, explore how rivalry reveals our deepest fears and desires. A cinematic journey through competition, obsession, and the...
8 films
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