Leonard Strong (actor)
Encyclopedia
Leonard Clarence Strong (b. 12 August 1908, Utah - d. 23 January 1980, Glendale, California
was a prolific American character actor specialising in playing Asian roles.
Beginning with Little Tokyo, U.S.A in 1942
, Strong played a gamut of roles as Japanese, Chinese, Koreans, Thais, etc. in films such as Dragon Seed (1944), Up in Arms (1944), Jack London (1943), Salute to the Marines (1943), Behind the Rising Sun (1943), Night Plane from Chungking (1943), Bombardier (1943), Underground Agent (1942), and Manila Calling (1942). He played the Thai interepreter in both Anna and the King of Siam and its musical remake The King and I
.
Strong achieved some pop culture notoriety for his role on television as "The Claw" on Get Smart
. Another notable television role was his portrayal of the title character in the original Twilight Zone
episode, "The Hitch-Hiker"
, which is often listed as one of the ten best episodes of the series.
Glendale, California
Glendale is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2010 Census, the city population is 191,719, down from 194,973 at the 2000 census. making it the third largest city in Los Angeles County and the 22nd largest city in the state of California...
was a prolific American character actor specialising in playing Asian roles.
Beginning with Little Tokyo, U.S.A in 1942
1942 in film
The year 1942 in film involved some significant events, in particular the release of a film consistently rated as one of the greatest of all time, Casablanca.-Events:...
, Strong played a gamut of roles as Japanese, Chinese, Koreans, Thais, etc. in films such as Dragon Seed (1944), Up in Arms (1944), Jack London (1943), Salute to the Marines (1943), Behind the Rising Sun (1943), Night Plane from Chungking (1943), Bombardier (1943), Underground Agent (1942), and Manila Calling (1942). He played the Thai interepreter in both Anna and the King of Siam and its musical remake The King and I
The King and I (1956 film)
The King and I is a 1956 musical film made by 20th Century Fox, directed by Walter Lang and produced by Charles Brackett and Darryl F. Zanuck. The screenplay by Ernest Lehman is based on the Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II musical The King and I, based in turn on the book Anna and the King...
.
Strong achieved some pop culture notoriety for his role on television as "The Claw" on Get Smart
Get Smart
Get Smart is an American comedy television series that satirizes the secret agent genre. Created by Mel Brooks with Buck Henry, the show starred Don Adams , Barbara Feldon , and Edward Platt...
. Another notable television role was his portrayal of the title character in the original Twilight Zone
Twilight zone
-Television series and spinoffs:*The Twilight Zone, the anthology television series and its franchise:**The Twilight Zone , the 1959–1964 original television series***Twilight Zone: The Movie, a 1983 film based on the original series...
episode, "The Hitch-Hiker"
The Hitch-Hiker (The Twilight Zone)
"The Hitch-Hiker" is an episode of the American television anthology series The Twilight Zone.-Synopsis:The story begins with Nan Adams, whose vehicle gets a flat tire on a cross-country road trip from New York City to Los Angeles. A mechanic puts a spare tire on her car and directs her to the...
, which is often listed as one of the ten best episodes of the series.