Rose Quong
Rose Quong (15 August 1879 — 14 December 1972) was a Chinese Australian actor, performer and writer.
Early life
Rose Quong was born in Melbourne, Australia to Chinese parents Chun Quong and Annie Moy Quong. She grew up in Australia and was employed by the government and performed with the Melbourne Repertory Players until 1924, when she went to study acting in England. She opened in several plays in 1924, receiving excellent reviews from critics. She worked in England and France before coming to the United States for the first time in 1936 on tour. She returned to the United States on a lecture tour in 1940 and remained permanently, settling in New York City.
Life in United States
She continued her acting career in America, and also delivered lectures on Chinese drama, art, and culture. She performed primarily in theater, but had several film roles to her credit, including a small part in "Flower Drum Song". The backbone of Quong's career in the United States was a series of one-woman shows, consisting of recitations, dramatic readings, and scenes from plays. She authored two books: Chinese Characters: Their Wit and Wisdom, and a translation of P'u Sung-Ling's Chinese Ghost and Love Stories. Her last role was in a 1971 film, "Eliza's Horoscope". To supplement her income as an actress, Quong occasionally took on other jobs, working as a secretary.
Interests
Quong was deeply interested in Chinese philosophy, and studied it for much of her life; her presentations frequently included material from the I Ching. She also studied yoga, astrology, and Chinese history. A voracious reader, she maintained reading lists and took copious notes on her reading.
She died in New York City in 1972.
External links
- Rose Quong's Biography
- The Rose Quong Papers, including correspondence, scrapbooks, recordings and writings, are available for research use at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania.
- Rose Quong on IMDB
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