Rae Dawn Chong
Encyclopedia
Rae Dawn Chong is a Canadian-American
actress.
, Alberta
, Canada
, the daughter of Maxine Sneed and Tommy Chong
. She and her sister Robbi were raised by her grandmother, Tommy Chong's mother. Chong's father is of Chinese
and Scottish
-Irish
ancestry and her mother is of Afro-Canadian descent. Her sister Robbi Chong
is a model and actress.
Chong is known for appearing in the films Quest for Fire
(1981), The Color Purple
(1985), Choose Me
(1984), Beat Street
(1984), Commando
(1985), Cheech & Chong's The Corsican Brothers
(1984), and Far Out Man
(1990), in the latter two appearing with her father. Chong won the Genie Award
for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in 1983 for Quest for Fire
. Chong saw her most active period in films during the late 1980s and throughout the 1990s. However, she continues working in television and film.
Chong also played the love interest in Mick Jagger
's video "Just Another Night".
Chong has been married twice and has one son named Morgan. Her second husband was actor C. Thomas Howell
, her co-star in the feature film Soul Man. They divorced in 1990.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actress.
Life and career
Chong was born in EdmontonEdmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
, Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, the daughter of Maxine Sneed and Tommy Chong
Tommy Chong
Tommy Chong is a Canadian-American comedian, actor, writer, director, activist, and musician who is well known for his stereotypical portrayals of hippie-era stoners...
. She and her sister Robbi were raised by her grandmother, Tommy Chong's mother. Chong's father is of Chinese
Chinese Canadian
Chinese Canadians are Canadians of Chinese descent. They constitute the second-largest visible minority group in Canada, after South Asian Canadians...
and Scottish
Scottish Canadian
Scottish Canadians are people of Scottish descent or heritage living in Canada. As the third-largest ethnic group in Canada and among the first to settle in Canada, Scottish people have made a large impact on Canadian culture since colonial times...
-Irish
Irish Canadian
Irish Canadian are immigrants and descendants of immigrants who originated in Ireland. 1.2 million Irish immigrants arrived, 1825 to 1970, at least half of those in the period from 1831-1850. By 1867, they were the second largest ethnic group , and comprised 24% of Canada's population...
ancestry and her mother is of Afro-Canadian descent. Her sister Robbi Chong
Robbi Chong
Robbi Lynn Chong is a Canadian actress and former model.-Early life:Chong was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, the daughter of Maxine Sneed and Tommy Chong, a comedian, actor, writer and director. Chong's father is of Chinese and Scots-Irish ancestry and her mother is of African and Cherokee...
is a model and actress.
Chong is known for appearing in the films Quest for Fire
Quest for Fire (film)
Quest for Fire is a 1981 film adaptation of the 1911 Belgian novel by J.-H. Rosny aîné . Directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud and adapted by Gérard Brach, the film stars Everett McGill, Ron Perlman, Nameer El-Kadi, and Rae Dawn Chong. It won the Academy Award for Makeup. Michael D...
(1981), The Color Purple
The Color Purple (film)
The Color Purple is a 1985 American period drama film directed by Steven Spielberg, based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name by Alice Walker. It was Spielberg's eighth film as a director , and was a change from the summer blockbusters for which he had become famous...
(1985), Choose Me
Choose Me
Choose Me is a 1984 American comedy-drama film directed and written by Alan Rudolph. It was rated R by the MPAA. The film's tagline is In the middle of the night, when there's no one else...-Synopsis:...
(1984), Beat Street
Beat Street
Beat Street is a 1984 drama film, following Wild Style in featuring New York City hip hop culture of the early 1980s; breakdancing, DJing, and graffiti.-Plot:...
(1984), Commando
Commando (film)
Commando is a 1985 American action film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Vernon Wells, Rae Dawn Chong, Alyssa Milano, Bill Duke, Dan Hedaya and James Olson. It was directed by Mark L...
(1985), Cheech & Chong's The Corsican Brothers
Cheech & Chong's The Corsican Brothers
Cheech & Chong's The Corsican Brothers is the sixth feature-length film starring the comedy duo Cheech and Chong. Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong star as the two brothers in a parody of various film adaptations of the classic Alexandre Dumas novel, The Corsican Brothers.The film was not a critical...
(1984), and Far Out Man
Far Out Man
Far Out Man was a 1990 comedy film written, directed by and starring Tommy Chong. It was filmed in Los Angeles, California, USA. Cinetel Films produced the movie and it was distributed in USA theaters by New Line Cinema, Sony Video , Platinum Disc , and RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video...
(1990), in the latter two appearing with her father. Chong won the Genie Award
Genie Award
Genie Awards are given out to recognize the best of Canadian cinema by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television. From 1949-1979, the awards were named the Canadian Film Awards...
for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in 1983 for Quest for Fire
Quest for Fire (film)
Quest for Fire is a 1981 film adaptation of the 1911 Belgian novel by J.-H. Rosny aîné . Directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud and adapted by Gérard Brach, the film stars Everett McGill, Ron Perlman, Nameer El-Kadi, and Rae Dawn Chong. It won the Academy Award for Makeup. Michael D...
. Chong saw her most active period in films during the late 1980s and throughout the 1990s. However, she continues working in television and film.
Chong also played the love interest in Mick Jagger
Mick Jagger
Sir Michael Philip "Mick" Jagger is an English musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist and a founding member of The Rolling Stones....
's video "Just Another Night".
Chong has been married twice and has one son named Morgan. Her second husband was actor C. Thomas Howell
C. Thomas Howell
Christopher Thomas "Tommy" Howell , known by his stage name C. Thomas Howell, is an American actor and film director. He starred in the films The Outsiders as Ponyboy Curtis and in The Hitcher as Jim Halsey. He has appeared in The Da Vinci Treasure,Soul Man, Red Dawn, Secret Admirer, Gettysburg, H. G...
, her co-star in the feature film Soul Man. They divorced in 1990.
Films
- Quest for FireQuest for Fire (film)Quest for Fire is a 1981 film adaptation of the 1911 Belgian novel by J.-H. Rosny aîné . Directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud and adapted by Gérard Brach, the film stars Everett McGill, Ron Perlman, Nameer El-Kadi, and Rae Dawn Chong. It won the Academy Award for Makeup. Michael D...
(1981) - Choose MeChoose MeChoose Me is a 1984 American comedy-drama film directed and written by Alan Rudolph. It was rated R by the MPAA. The film's tagline is In the middle of the night, when there's no one else...-Synopsis:...
(1984) - Cheech & Chong's The Corsican BrothersCheech & Chong's The Corsican BrothersCheech & Chong's The Corsican Brothers is the sixth feature-length film starring the comedy duo Cheech and Chong. Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong star as the two brothers in a parody of various film adaptations of the classic Alexandre Dumas novel, The Corsican Brothers.The film was not a critical...
(1984) - Beat StreetBeat StreetBeat Street is a 1984 drama film, following Wild Style in featuring New York City hip hop culture of the early 1980s; breakdancing, DJing, and graffiti.-Plot:...
(1984) - Fear CityFear CityFear City is a 1984 American action-thriller directed by Abel Ferrara. The lead roles are played by Billy Dee Williams and Tom Berenger.-Plot:...
(1984) - City Limits (1985)
- American FlyersAmerican FlyersAmerican Flyers is a 1985 film starring Kevin Costner, David Marshall Grant, Rae Dawn Chong, Alexandra Paul and Janice Rule about bicycle racing....
(1985) - CommandoCommando (film)Commando is a 1985 American action film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Vernon Wells, Rae Dawn Chong, Alyssa Milano, Bill Duke, Dan Hedaya and James Olson. It was directed by Mark L...
(1985) - The Color PurpleThe Color Purple (film)The Color Purple is a 1985 American period drama film directed by Steven Spielberg, based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name by Alice Walker. It was Spielberg's eighth film as a director , and was a change from the summer blockbusters for which he had become famous...
(1985) - Soul ManSoul Man (film)Soul Man is a comedy film made in 1986 about a man who undergoes racial transformation with pills to qualify for a Black only scholarship at Harvard Law School. It stars C. Thomas Howell, Rae Dawn Chong, Arye Gross, James Earl Jones, Leslie Nielsen, James B...
(1986) - Running Out of Luck (1987)
- The SqueezeThe Squeeze (1987 film)The Squeeze is a 1987 comedy film, starring Michael Keaton, and co-starring Rae Dawn Chong.-Plot:After retrieving a mysterious parcel for his ex-wife, eccentric down-on-his-luck artist Harry Berg enlists the help of private eye Rachel Dobs when he suddenly becomes embroiled with thugs and a...
(1987) - The PrincipalThe PrincipalThe Principal is a 1987 action film, starring James Belushi and Louis Gossett, Jr. It was written by Frank Deese and directed by Christopher Cain, and filmed in Oakland, California.-Plot:...
(1987) - Walking After Midnight (1988)
- Rude AwakeningRude Awakening (1989 film)Rude Awakening is a 1989 comedy film directed by David Greenwalt and Aaron Russo.-Plot:In 1969 New York City, two hippies, Fred Wook and Jesus Monteya, flee the US to avoid arrest by the FBI and hide out in the jungles of Central America...
(1989) - Tales from the Darkside: The MovieTales from the Darkside: The MovieTales from the Darkside: The Movie is a 1990 movie directed by John Harrison based on the anthology television series Tales from the Darkside...
(1990) - Far Out ManFar Out ManFar Out Man was a 1990 comedy film written, directed by and starring Tommy Chong. It was filmed in Los Angeles, California, USA. Cinetel Films produced the movie and it was distributed in USA theaters by New Line Cinema, Sony Video , Platinum Disc , and RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video...
(1990) - ChaindanceChaindanceChaindance is a 1990 Canadian drama film. The film stars Michael Ironside, Brad Dourif, Rae Dawn Chong, and Don S. Davis as "Sergeant".- Plot :...
(1990) - DenialDenial (1990 film)Denial is a 1990 American drama film, written and directed by Erin Dignam. The film features Robin Wright as "Sarah," a sometime actress and tall, dark, handsome loner, "Michael" , as lovers, as they were in real life,...
(1990) - The BorrowerThe BorrowerThe Borrower is a 1991 American science fiction / horror film directed by John McNaughton. The film is a B-movie about an alien serial killer, who is sent to Earth to live among humans as a form of penalty...
(1991) - Prison Stories: Women on the Inside (1991)
- When the Party's Over (1992)
- Amazon (1992)
- Time RunnerTime RunnerTime Runner is a 1993 science fiction film starring Mark Hamill. The film is currently streaming on Netflix.-Plot:During an alien invasion in the year 2022, fighter pilot Michael Raynor is sent back in time to the year 1992. Raynor enlists the help of scientist Karen Donaldson in an attempt to...
(1993) - BoulevardBoulevard (1994 film)Boulevard is a 1994 crime thriller film starring Rae Dawn Chong and Lou Diamond Phillips.-Plot:The film is about a woman named Jennefer who runs from her abusive husband, gives her baby up for adoption and ends up on the streets during a grim and cold winter in Toronto. She's taken in by a...
(1994) - Boca (1994)
- Power of AttorneyPower of attorneyA power of attorney or letter of attorney is a written authorization to represent or act on another's behalf in private affairs, business, or some other legal matter...
(1995) - Crying FreemanCrying Freeman (film)Crying Freeman is a 1995 French and Canadian produced action film, directed by Christophe Gans, based on the "Portrait of a Killer" arc of the best-selling manga of the same name by Kazuo Koike and Ryoichi Ikegami....
(1995) - The BreakThe BreakThe Break is a 1995 film directed by Lee H. Katzin. It stars Vincent Van Patten and Rae Dawn Chong.-Cast:*Vincent Van Patten as Nick Irons*Rae Dawn Chong as Jennifer Hudson*Martin Sheen as Gil Robbins*Valerie Perrine as Delores Smith...
(1995) - HideawayHideaway (film)Hideaway is a 1995 horror film directed by Brett Leonard and based on the novel of the same name by Dean Koontz. It stars Jeff Goldblum, Alicia Silverstone, Christine Lahti, and Jeremy Sisto. In the movie Goldblum plays a man who dies in a car accident, only to be revived two hours later. After...
(1995) - Starlight (1996)
- Mask of Death (1996)
- HighballHighball (film)Highball is a 1997 film directed by Noah Baumbach, co-written by Baumbach, Carlos Jacott, and Christopher Reed. The film is credited as having been directed by "Ernie Fusco" and written by "Jesse Carter".-Plot:...
(1997) - Goodbye AmericaGoodbye AmericaGoodbye America is a 1997 drama film that examines how the closing of the U.S. naval base at Subic Bay, Philippines affected the local Filipino community and the Americans who had served there. Goodbye America is a United States and Philippine co-production, and was directed by Thierry...
(1997) - Small Time (1998)
- Dangerous Attraction (1999)
- The Black And The White (1999)
- The VisitThe Visit (2000 film)The Visit is the story of Alex Waters , a dying young man serving out a prison sentence for a rape he says he didn't commit. The movie follows Alex, his family, and his girlfriend as they try to come to an emotional resolution....
(2000) - ConstellationConstellation (film)Constellation is a film that was released by Codeblack Entertainment and 20th Century Fox in 2007. Prior to theatrical release the film won several Audience and Jury Awards at Festivals. It had its French Premiere in Cannes,...
(2005) - Force of Impact (2006)
- CyrusCyrus (2010 horror film)Cyrus is an American horror film from 2010. It was directed and written by Mark Vadik, starring Brian Krause and Lance Henriksen.- Cast :* Brian Krause : Cyrus* Danielle Harris – Maria* Lance Henriksen – Emmett* Wylie Allen – Young Cyrus...
(2010) - Jeff Who Lives At Home (2011)
Television series
- Top of the HillTop of the HillTop of the Hill is a short-lived political drama series aired by CBS as part of its 1989 fall lineup.-Synopsis:Top of the Hill starred William Katt as U.S...
(1980) - Badge of the Assassin (1985)
- Curiosity Kills (1990)
- Nitecap (1992)
- Melrose Place (1992–1993)
- Father & Son: Dangerous Relations (1993)
- Highlander: The SeriesHighlander: The SeriesHighlander: The Series is a fantasy-adventure television series featuring Duncan MacLeod of the Scottish Clan MacLeod, as the Highlander. It was an offshoot and another alternate sequel of the 1986 feature film with a twist: Connor MacLeod did not win the prize and Immortals still exist post-1985...
(1996) - Valentine's DayValentine's DaySaint Valentine's Day, commonly shortened to Valentine's Day, is an annual commemoration held on February 14 celebrating love and affection between intimate companions. The day is named after one or more early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine, and was established by Pope Gelasius I in 496...
(1998) - Mysterious Ways (2000–2002)
- Wild CardWild Card (TV series)Wild Card is an American comedy-drama series starring Joely Fisher. It was broadcast in the United States on Lifetime, and on the Global Television Network in Canada from August 2003 to July 2005.-Synopsis:...
(2003) - Deadly SkiesDeadly SkiesDeadly Skies is a 2005 joint American/Canadian sci-fi television film starring Antonio Sabato, Jr., Rae Dawn Chong, Dominic Zamprogna, Michael Boisvert, Rob LaBelle and Michael Moriarty. The plot concerns the effort of two astronomers and two military men to stop the threat of a giant asteroid on a...
(2005) - That's So RavenThat's So RavenThat's So Raven is an American cable television teen sitcom/fantasy series. The show premiered on the Disney Channel on January 17, 2003, and ended on November 10, 2007. The show spawned Disney Channel's first spin-off series: Cory in the House...
(2007)