Garrett Wang
Encyclopedia
Garrett Richard Wang (born December 15, 1968) is an American actor
. Wang is best known for his role in Star Trek: Voyager
as Ensign Harry Kim
.
, to Chinese
immigrant parents who moved to Indiana
and then to Bermuda
. He has a sister named Laura and a cousin named John Kao.
Wang graduated from Harding Academy High School in Memphis, Tennessee
. Wang then moved to Los Angeles
to attend UCLA
to study Asian culture
where he was encouraged by a professor to study theatre
.
, saying, "it’s always more challenging for an actor to play a bad guy."
Wang also made an appearance in the television series All American Girl episode "Submission:Impossible" #1.2 as Raymond Han.
Wang has repeatedly stated that he intends to pursue other projects outside of acting because, as he said in a 2005 interview with Esquire
, "sometimes talent does not measure up to ambition, so you have to seek alternative options."
Wang is also briefly seen in Rage Against the Machine
's music video "Sleep Now in the Fire
".
In 2010 Wang was named the Director of the Star Trek track for Dragon*Con.
and Battlestar Galactica
. After being cast as Harry Kim, Wang had a strained relationship with Voyager executive producer Rick Berman
, who took over from Star Trek inventor Gene Roddenberry
: "When Roddenberry passed the reins over to [Rick] Berman, unfortunately Berman kept the same formula. And he just kept plugging it in. So when I'm asked what made Voyager stand out...you are talking about the same overall formula so it doesn't. It has stayed the same for every single episode." But Wang also added: "But if you put that aside, what sets Voyager apart I think [is] the camaraderie among the cast was stronger with our cast than on the other series."
In a 2007 interview with scifiworld.com, Wang voiced his displeasure about the show. He felt the Harry Kim character was "underused", passive and one-dimensional. Prior to Season 2, he went to the producers and said: "Listen I want to have a stunt double, I want to do some stunts, I want to run, I want to kick; I want to have a love life". He also stated to only have had "minimal" creative impact upon Harry Kim: he desperately wanted Harry Kim to be funnier, but the producers felt that Neelix
or The Doctor
fit better as comic relief. In the end, he described it as unfulfilling, and also spoke of a "rift" between Berman and him. When he complained that every other character on the show got promoted except Kim, he was told that he had to remain the lowly Ensign because "well someone's got to be the ensign".
Wang also was unhappy how the series ended. "I think the first hour [of the final episodes] was brilliant, absolutely brilliant... but the second hour seemed like the abridged version of the ending... Janeway tells Paris to set a course for home I was thinking that there was no real reaction among anyone here to the fact that we are home", which Wang felt was unemotional and a big let-down.
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
. Wang is best known for his role in Star Trek: Voyager
Star Trek: Voyager
Star Trek: Voyager is a science fiction television series set in the Star Trek universe. Set in the 24th century from the year 2371 through 2378, the series follows the adventures of the Starfleet vessel USS Voyager, which becomes stranded in the Delta Quadrant 70,000 light-years from Earth while...
as Ensign Harry Kim
Harry Kim (Star Trek)
Ensign Harry S. L. Kim, played by Garrett Wang, is a character in the television series Star Trek: Voyager. He serves as the USS Voyagers operations officer.-Depiction:...
.
Early life
Wang was born in Riverside, CaliforniaRiverside, California
Riverside is a city in Riverside County, California, United States, and the county seat of the eponymous county. Named for its location beside the Santa Ana River, it is the largest city in the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario metropolitan area of Southern California, 4th largest inland California...
, to Chinese
Han Chinese
Han Chinese are an ethnic group native to China and are the largest single ethnic group in the world.Han Chinese constitute about 92% of the population of the People's Republic of China , 98% of the population of the Republic of China , 78% of the population of Singapore, and about 20% of the...
immigrant parents who moved to Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
and then to Bermuda
Bermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
. He has a sister named Laura and a cousin named John Kao.
Wang graduated from Harding Academy High School in Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
. Wang then moved to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
to attend UCLA
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...
to study Asian culture
Asian culture
Asian Culture may refer to:*Culture of Asia*Asian Culture , the official journal of the Singapore Society of Asian Studies...
where he was encouraged by a professor to study theatre
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
.
Career
Wang is best known for his role as Ensign Harry Kim on Voyager which ran from 1995 to 2001. He was keen to participate in a new role for the 2007 fan production Star Trek: Of Gods and MenStar Trek: Of Gods and Men
Star Trek: Of Gods and Men is a three-part unofficial Star Trek fan mini-series which contains many cast members from the Star Trek TV series and movies. It is described by its producers as a "40th Anniversary gift" from Star Trek actors to their fans. It was filmed in 2006, but its release was...
, saying, "it’s always more challenging for an actor to play a bad guy."
Wang also made an appearance in the television series All American Girl episode "Submission:Impossible" #1.2 as Raymond Han.
Wang has repeatedly stated that he intends to pursue other projects outside of acting because, as he said in a 2005 interview with Esquire
Esquire (magazine)
Esquire is a men's magazine, published in the U.S. by the Hearst Corporation. Founded in 1932, it flourished during the Great Depression under the guidance of founder and editor Arnold Gingrich.-History:...
, "sometimes talent does not measure up to ambition, so you have to seek alternative options."
Wang is also briefly seen in Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1991, the group's line-up consists of vocalist Zack de la Rocha, bassist and backing vocalist Tim Commerford, guitarist Tom Morello and drummer Brad Wilk...
's music video "Sleep Now in the Fire
Sleep Now in the Fire
"Sleep Now in the Fire" is the fifth track from the 1999 album The Battle of Los Angeles by the band Rage Against the Machine. It was released as a single in 2000. The song contains lyrics about greed, such as the conquest of Native Americans, Christopher Columbus' voyage by Nina, the Pinta, and...
".
In 2010 Wang was named the Director of the Star Trek track for Dragon*Con.
Working on Voyager
From early childhood on, actor Garrett Wang was a science fiction fan, in particular Star WarsStar Wars
Star Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
and Battlestar Galactica
Battlestar Galactica
Battlestar Galactica is an American science fiction franchise created by Glen A. Larson. The franchise began with the Battlestar Galactica TV series in 1978, and was followed by a brief sequel TV series in 1980, a line of book adaptations, original novels, comic books, a board game, and video games...
. After being cast as Harry Kim, Wang had a strained relationship with Voyager executive producer Rick Berman
Rick Berman
Richard Keith “Rick” Berman is an American television producer. He is most famous for his work as the executive producer of several of the Star Trek series, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and Star Trek: Voyager; and, several of the Star Trek theatrical productions, and...
, who took over from Star Trek inventor Gene Roddenberry
Gene Roddenberry
Eugene Wesley "Gene" Roddenberry was an American television screenwriter, producer and futurist, best known for creating the American science fiction series Star Trek. Born in El Paso, Texas, Roddenberry grew up in Los Angeles, California where his father worked as a police officer...
: "When Roddenberry passed the reins over to [Rick] Berman, unfortunately Berman kept the same formula. And he just kept plugging it in. So when I'm asked what made Voyager stand out...you are talking about the same overall formula so it doesn't. It has stayed the same for every single episode." But Wang also added: "But if you put that aside, what sets Voyager apart I think [is] the camaraderie among the cast was stronger with our cast than on the other series."
In a 2007 interview with scifiworld.com, Wang voiced his displeasure about the show. He felt the Harry Kim character was "underused", passive and one-dimensional. Prior to Season 2, he went to the producers and said: "Listen I want to have a stunt double, I want to do some stunts, I want to run, I want to kick; I want to have a love life". He also stated to only have had "minimal" creative impact upon Harry Kim: he desperately wanted Harry Kim to be funnier, but the producers felt that Neelix
Neelix
Mr. Neelix is a fictional character in the television series Star Trek: Voyager. He is played by actor Ethan Phillips.-Fictional Biography:Mr. Neelix is a Talaxian originally from Rinax, a moon of the planet Talax, in the Delta quadrant, although his great-grandfather was Mylean. His entire family...
or The Doctor
Doctor (Star Trek)
The Doctor, an Emergency Medical Hologram Mark I , is a fictional character from the television series Star Trek: Voyager, played by actor Robert Picardo...
fit better as comic relief. In the end, he described it as unfulfilling, and also spoke of a "rift" between Berman and him. When he complained that every other character on the show got promoted except Kim, he was told that he had to remain the lowly Ensign because "well someone's got to be the ensign".
Wang also was unhappy how the series ended. "I think the first hour [of the final episodes] was brilliant, absolutely brilliant... but the second hour seemed like the abridged version of the ending... Janeway tells Paris to set a course for home I was thinking that there was no real reaction among anyone here to the fact that we are home", which Wang felt was unemotional and a big let-down.
Filmography
| Start Year | Title | Character | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Star Trek: Voyager Star Trek: Voyager Star Trek: Voyager is a science fiction television series set in the Star Trek universe. Set in the 24th century from the year 2371 through 2378, the series follows the adventures of the Starfleet vessel USS Voyager, which becomes stranded in the Delta Quadrant 70,000 light-years from Earth while... |
Ensign Harry Kim Harry Kim (Star Trek) Ensign Harry S. L. Kim, played by Garrett Wang, is a character in the television series Star Trek: Voyager. He serves as the USS Voyagers operations officer.-Depiction:... |
TV show spanning until 2001 2001 in film The year 2001 in film involved some significant events, including the first of the Harry Potter series and also the first of The Lord of the Rings trilogy... |
| 1995 1995 in film -Top grossing films:-Events:* March 22 - The Dogme 95 movement is officially announced in Paris by Danish directors Lars von Trier and Thomas Vinterberg.* March 28 - Actress Julia Roberts and singer Lyle Lovett announce their plans for separation.... |
Flesh Suitcase | No Name No Name No Name may refer to:* No-Name, a character in the Marvel Comics Universe* No Name , a novel by Wilkie Collins* No Name , a Montenegrin pop group* No Name... |
|
| 1995 1995 in film -Top grossing films:-Events:* March 22 - The Dogme 95 movement is officially announced in Paris by Danish directors Lars von Trier and Thomas Vinterberg.* March 28 - Actress Julia Roberts and singer Lyle Lovett announce their plans for separation.... |
Angry Cafe | No Name No Name No Name may refer to:* No-Name, a character in the Marvel Comics Universe* No Name , a novel by Wilkie Collins* No Name , a Montenegrin pop group* No Name... |
|
| 1998 1998 in film -Events:* February 14 - Sharon Stone marries Phil Bronstein.* Former child star Gary Coleman is charged with assaulting a young female bus driver at a California shopping mall.-Top grossing films:... |
Ivory Tower | Mark Burton Mark Burton Richard Mark Burton is a New Zealand politician. He is a member of the Labour Party. He served as Minister of Defence; Minister of Justice; Minister of Local Government; Minister in Charge of Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations; Deputy Leader of the House; and the Minister Responsible for the Law... |
|
| 1998 1998 in film -Events:* February 14 - Sharon Stone marries Phil Bronstein.* Former child star Gary Coleman is charged with assaulting a young female bus driver at a California shopping mall.-Top grossing films:... |
Hundred Percent | Troy Tashima | |
| 1999 1999 in film The year 1999 in film involved several noteworthy events and has been called "The Year That Changed Movies". Several significant feature films, including Stanley Kubrick's final film Eyes Wide Shut, Pedro Almodóvar's first Oscar-winning film All About My Mother, science fiction The Matrix, Deep... |
The Auteur Theory | Mike Wong/God | |
| 2002 | Star Trek: Voyager Elite Force (game) | Ensign Harry Kim Harry Kim (Star Trek) Ensign Harry S. L. Kim, played by Garrett Wang, is a character in the television series Star Trek: Voyager. He serves as the USS Voyagers operations officer.-Depiction:... |
Voice-over Voice-over Voice-over is a production technique where a voice which is not part of the narrative is used in a radio, television production, filmmaking, theatre, or other presentations... |
| 2002 2002 in film The year 2002 in film involved some significant events. The first significant releases of sequels took place between The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, Men in Black II, Analyze That, Spy Kids 2: The Island of... |
Demon Island Demon Island Demon Island, also called Piñata: Survival Island, is a 2002 horror film that stars Nicholas Brendon and Jaime Pressley.- Plot :... |
Paul | |
| 2005 | Into the West Into the West (TV miniseries) Into the West is a 2005 miniseries produced by Steven Spielberg and Dreamworks, with six two-hour episodes . The series was first broadcast in the U.S. on Turner Network Television on six Fridays starting on June 10, 2005... |
Chow-Ping Yen | TV miniseries |
| 2007 2007 in film This is a list of major films released in 2007.-Top grossing films:Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top grossing films that were first released in the USA in 2007... |
Star Trek: Of Gods and Men Star Trek: Of Gods and Men Star Trek: Of Gods and Men is a three-part unofficial Star Trek fan mini-series which contains many cast members from the Star Trek TV series and movies. It is described by its producers as a "40th Anniversary gift" from Star Trek actors to their fans. It was filmed in 2006, but its release was... |
Garan | |
| 2009 2009 in film The year 2009 saw the release of many films. Seven made the top 50 list of highest-grossing films, and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that as of this year, their Best Picture category would consist of ten nominees, rather than five .- Highest-grossing films :Please note... |
Why Am I Doing This? | Vic |
External links
- Interview about his career and views on Star Trek (GeeksOn): Interview proper starts at 27min50sec
- Garrett Wang Myspace Group