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Ralph Ahn

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Ralph Ahn
Ahn in his World War II Navy uniform
Born
Ralph Philander Ahn

(1926-09-28)September 28, 1926
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
DiedFebruary 26, 2022(2022-02-26) (aged 95)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Alma materLos Angeles State College
Occupations
  • Actor
  • teacher
Years active1940s–2018
FatherAhn Changho
Relatives
Korean name
Hangul
안필영
Hanja
安必英
Revised RomanizationAn Pilyeong
McCune–ReischauerAn P'iryŏng

Ralph Philander Ahn (September 28, 1926 – February 26, 2022) was an American actor. He was the last surviving son of leading Korean independence activist Dosan Ahn Chang-ho.[1] His father's contributions to the Korean independence movement influenced Ahn's involvement in politics, World War II, and support for the Korean community of Los Angeles.

As an actor, Ahn was known for his roles in Lawnmower Man 2: Beyond Cyberspace (1996), Amityville: A New Generation (1993),[2] and Panther (1995), as well as in the sitcom New Girl as the silent but wise character Tran.

Early life

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Ahn was born in Los Angeles on September 28, 1926.[3][4] He was the youngest child of Ahn Chang-ho and his wife,[3] who were among the first wave of Korean immigrants in 1902.[5] They were the first Korean couple to emigrate from Korea to the U.S. mainland.[6]

Three years after his father's death, the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor and the United States entered World War II. Ahn consequently joined the U.S. Navy in 1944 to fight the Japanese.[7] He is one of an estimated 100 Korean-Americans who served over the course of the war.[8]

Career

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The Ahn siblings, with Ralph (left), Philip (center), and Susan (right)

After World War II, Ahn was influenced by his elder brother, Philip Ahn, one of the first Asian American actors, and became an actor. He made his film debut in Battle Circus (1953), in which he played a Korean prisoner.[9] He appeared in Mission Over Korea later that same year, and had minor roles in Prisoner of War (starring alongside Ronald Reagan)[10] and The Bamboo Prison the following year.[11][12] Ahn also opened a restaurant with his family in 1954, which served Cantonese food due to the lack of demand for Korean cuisine at the time.[13] He later featured in Battle Hymn (1957), Confessions of an Opium Eater (1962), and The Hook (1963).[11][12] During a four-year hiatus from acting between 1964 and 1968, Ahn taught business math, and served as head coach of the varsity football team at Bishop Alemany High School in Mission Hills.[13]

After the death of his wife, Ahn stopped teaching and returned to manage the family restaurant.[13] He resumed his acting career in 1988, starring in It Takes Two,[12] as well as The Golden Girls series.[14] He gained national recognition as an actor in 2012 when he began portraying the recurring character Tran in season 2 of New Girl. He continued to portray the character until the show ended in 2018.[15]

On January 1, 2017, Ahn welcomed the cast members of the popular South Korean variety show Infinite Challenge to Los Angeles as a representative of the Korean-American community.[16] In March of the same year, he spoke at a ceremony in Riverside, California, honoring Pachappa Camp as the first Korean settlement in the US.[17]

Personal life

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Ahn was married to his wife, Rita, until her death in 1967.[18] Together, they had two daughters. She also had three sons from a previous marriage.[13]

Ahn died in Los Angeles on February 26, 2022, at the age of 95.[4][19][20] He had been hospitalized with an unspecified illness prior to his death.[21]

Filmography

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References

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  1. ^ Davé, Shilipa; Nishime, Leilani; Oren, Tasha G. (2006). East Main Street: Asian American popular culture. ISBN 9780814719633. Archived from the original on March 6, 2022. Retrieved January 23, 2017.
  2. ^ "Ralph Ahn". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on March 1, 2022. Retrieved March 1, 2022.
  3. ^ a b Pedersen, Erik (February 28, 2022). "Ralph Ahn Dies: 'New Girl' Actor Whose Credits Date To Early 1950s Was 95". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 2, 2022. Retrieved March 2, 2022.
  4. ^ a b Crowther, Linnea (March 1, 2022). "Ralph Ahn Obituary". Archived from the original on March 2, 2022. Retrieved March 2, 2022 – via Legacy.com.
  5. ^ Ahn, Ralph (November 19, 2013). "Interview with Ralph Ahn". WONGOON (Interview). Interviewed by Josep Cha. Los Angeles: Soo-Young Chin.
  6. ^ Blakemore, Erin (May 3, 2016). "The Officer Who Opened the U.S. Navy for Asian-American Women". Time. New York City. Archived from the original on March 2, 2022. Retrieved March 2, 2022.
  7. ^ "First Female Asian Officer Speaks About Her Naval Service". Archived from the original on February 15, 2017. Retrieved February 13, 2017.
  8. ^ Kim Young Sik, Ph.D. (November 9, 2003). "The Korean Americans in the War of Independence". East Asia. Association for Asia Research. Archived from the original on September 18, 2010. Retrieved November 20, 2009.
  9. ^ Morris, Lauren (March 1, 2022). "New Girl actor Ralph Ahn dies, aged 95". Radio Times. Archived from the original on March 2, 2022. Retrieved March 2, 2022.
  10. ^ a b Beresford, Trilby (February 28, 2022). "Ralph Ahn, Actor on 'New Girl,' Dies at 95". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on March 1, 2022. Retrieved March 1, 2022.
  11. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Ralph Ahn – Filmography". Turner Classic Movies. Archived from the original on March 3, 2022. Retrieved March 1, 2022.
  12. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "Ralph Ahn". American Film Institute. Archived from the original on March 1, 2022. Retrieved March 1, 2022.
  13. ^ a b c d Park, Carol (July 29, 2014). "YOK Oral Histories Project – Ralph Ahn". Young Oak Kim Center for Korean American Studies. University of California, Riverside. Archived from the original on January 13, 2022. Retrieved March 2, 2022.
  14. ^ a b c d e "Ralph Ahn". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on March 1, 2022. Retrieved March 1, 2022.
  15. ^ "New Girl Review: "Menzies" (Episode 2.07)". Pastemagazine.com. November 14, 2012. Archived from the original on December 1, 2017. Retrieved November 29, 2017.
  16. ^ Hyun Kyung Lee. (August 20, 2016). "'무한도전' 도산 안창호 막내아들 안필영 "아버지 얼굴 한 번도 본적 없다"…외손자 필립 안 커디와 만남" ['Infinite Challenge' Dosan Ahn Chang-ho, youngest son Ahn Pil-young "I've never seen my father's face"... Meeting with his grandson Philip Ann Cudy]. Newspim (in Korean). Archived from the original on February 1, 2019. Retrieved January 31, 2019.
  17. ^ Agnes Constante. (March 24, 2017). "California City Honors First Korean Settlement in U.S." NBC News. Archived from the original on February 18, 2019. Retrieved January 31, 2019.
  18. ^ Ancestry.com. U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Place: Los Angeles; Date: 27 Apr 1967; Social Security: 344285098.
  19. ^ "3·1절 앞두고 도산 안창호 선생 막내아들 안필영 옹 별세(종합)". YNA. February 28, 2022. Archived from the original on February 28, 2022. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
  20. ^ Shanfeld, Ethan (February 28, 2022). "Ralph Ahn, Who Played Tran on 'New Girl,' Dies at 95". Variety. Archived from the original on February 28, 2022. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
  21. ^ Parker, Ashley Joy (February 28, 2022). "'New Girl' Actor Ralph Ahn Dead at 95". KNBC. Archived from the original on March 2, 2022. Retrieved March 2, 2022.
  22. ^ Levine, Daniel S. (March 1, 2022). "Beloved 'New Girl' Actor Ralph Ahn Dies at 95 Following Long Career". PopCulture.com. Pop Culture Media. Archived from the original on February 28, 2022. Retrieved March 1, 2022.
  23. ^ a b c d e f g "Ralph Ahn List of Movies and TV Shows". TV Guide. Archived from the original on March 1, 2022. Retrieved March 1, 2022.
  24. ^ "Ralph Ahn". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on March 1, 2022. Retrieved March 1, 2022.
  25. ^ Ross Bonaime (November 14, 2012). "New Girl Review: "Menzies" (Episode 2.07)". Paste Magazine. Archived from the original on March 1, 2022. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
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