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Ellen Wong

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Ellen Wong
Wong at GalaxyCon Raleigh in 2024
Born (1985-05-31) 31 May 1985 (age 39)
Scarborough, Ontario, Canada
OccupationActress
Years active2005–present
Children1[1]
Ellen Wong
Traditional Chinese愛倫·王
Simplified Chinese爱伦・王
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinÀi lún · Wáng
Wade–GilesAi4lun2 Wang2

Ellen Wong (born 31 May 1985) is a Canadian actress. She portrayed Knives Chau in the film Scott Pilgrim vs. the World and the animated Netflix series Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, Jill "Mouse" Chen in The CW's series The Carrie Diaries, and Jenny Chey in the Netflix series GLOW.

Early life

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Wong was born in Scarborough, Ontario[2] on May 31, 1985 to Teochew-speaking Chinese Cambodian parents who fled to Canada during the Cambodian genocide.[3][4] She began acting in community theatre while attending L'Amoreaux Collegiate Institute and worked in a variety of television production jobs from the age of 14.[2] She later studied radio and television arts at Ryerson University (now Toronto Metropolitan University).[5]

Career

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Wong continued acting while at university, and in 2005, she landed a role in the television series This Is Wonderland followed by Runaway in 2006.[5] She also has a black belt in taekwondo,[3] but had to stop sparring competitively due to her acting schedule.[6] Wong's martial arts background helped her land the role of Knives Chau in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World in January 2009.[7] She auditioned for the part three times. On her second audition director Edgar Wright was surprised to find out that she studied taekwondo and was intrigued by this "sweetfaced young lady being a secret badass".[8] Wong expressed that the role of Knives Chau caught her eye because "it's not every day that as an Asian female, you get to be able to read a role that's empowering, that has a great arc, and that's so integral to the story as a whole".[9]

Wong also appeared in the television show Unnatural History.[10] In 2011, she had a recurring role as Nurse Suzy Chao in the Global/ABC series Combat Hospital.[11] In January 2012, she was nominated for an ACTRA Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female for her work portraying an illegal immigrant smuggled across the ocean in a shipping container in the short film Silent Cargo.[12] In February 2012, Wong was cast in the Sex and the City prequel series The Carrie Diaries, playing Jill "Mouse" Chen, Carrie's best friend from high school who is described as "pragmatic, bright, and super loyal".[13] In 2012 she also starred in Silent Night, a loose remake of the 1984 horror film Silent Night, Deadly Night.[14]

In June 2016, Wong was cast in the second season of the Syfy series Dark Matter,[15] and in October, she was cast in the Netflix comedy series GLOW, which was inspired by the 1980s female professional wrestling league of the same name. In the series, Wong plays Jenny, an immigrant from Cambodia who is obsessed with pop culture.[16] Wong was initially dismayed to find out the character's wrestling persona was named "Fortune Cookie" but stated, "What is really awesome about GLOW is that we play these two characters. In the ring, you are these stereotypes. But then you see who these characters are in real life outside of the ring and how they feel... Jenny is trying to be this all-American girl in the '80s, and she's basically trying to fight all these stereotypes and at the same time here she is playing this stereotype." The creators of the series wrote the character's background as Cambodian after several meetings with Wong.[3]

In 2017, Wong appeared in the thriller film The Circle, starring Emma Watson and Tom Hanks,[17] and in Katy Perry's music video for "Swish Swish" as her character from GLOW.[18] That August, Wong joined the Audience television network series, Condor, in a recurring role.[19] In December 2019, Wong joined the cast of the Michael Caine and Aubrey Plaza comedy Best Sellers.[20]

In 2020, she appeared in the Christmas television film The Christmas Setup.[21]

Filmography

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Film
Year Title Role Notes
2010 Scott Pilgrim vs. the World Knives Chau
2011 Silent Cargo Daiyu Short film
2012 Silent Night Brenda
2016 The Void Kim [22]
2017 The Circle Renata
2018 In the Life of Music Hope
2021 Best Sellers Rachel Spence
Television
Year Title Role Notes
2005 This Is Wonderland Amy Li Season 2, episode 5
2006 Runaway Macy Episode: "End Game"
2010 Unnatural History Hoshi Episode: "Heart of a Warrior"
2011 Combat Hospital Major Suzy Chao 12 episodes
2013–2014 The Carrie Diaries Jill "Mouse" Chen Main cast; 26 episodes
2015 Castle Zhu Yin Episode: "Hong Kong Hustle"
2016–2017 Dark Matter Misaki Han-Shireikan Season 2 & 3
2016 Son of Zorn Nancy Episode: "Return to Orange County"
2017–19 GLOW Jenny Chey Recurring role
2018 Condor Sarah Tan Recurring role
2020 The Christmas Setup Madelyn TV movie
2023 Scott Pilgrim Takes Off Knives Chau Voice role[23]
2024 Beacon 23 Iris "B67" Season 2, episode 3 (bilingual English/Teochew character)

Awards and nominations

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Year Award Category Work Result Ref.
2011 Scream Awards Best Supporting Actress Scott Pilgrim vs. the World Nominated [24]
2012 ACTRA Awards Outstanding Performance by a Female Silent Cargo Nominated [12]

References

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  1. ^ "ELLEN WONG on Instagram: "As I emerge from this fragile time, it's become clear to me how terribly anxious I've been to get back to "who I was". The past two years have been the most rewarding, but also the most difficult of my life. Within the midst of the pandemic, while we were isolated from family and friends, I got pregnant, gave birth, and became a mother. The fourth trimester/Postpartum was a total shock that nothing could have prepared me for, and I've recently realized that there's just no way I can ever go back to who I was, nor do I want to. The more I am on this journey, the more I see that who I am will always be changing. And as I watch my daughter start to crawl, babble away, and squeal with excitement when she pulls herself up to stand, my heart is so full, it's bursting with joy. Our growing and evolving is forever. I am present, and so grateful for who I get to be today, and for all that we have. I'm learning to embrace and be comfortable with being in process. I hope everyone out there is staying healthy and safe. Sending so much love. Thank you @kaylaroccaphoto for capturing this precious moment for us. You're a gem!xo ✨💖✨"".
  2. ^ a b Linda Barnard (2010-08-13). "Ellen Wong: Toronto actress gets her Knives out". Toronto Star. Retrieved 2010-08-15.
  3. ^ a b c Pham, Jason (August 16, 2017). "In 'GLOW,' Actress Ellen Wong Brings Her Cambodian Heritage to the Screen". NBC News. Retrieved August 18, 2017.
  4. ^ Boesveld, Sarah; Chatelaine (Jul 5, 2018). "Canadian Actor Ellen Wong is Smashing Stereotypes in GLOW Season 2 and Beyond". Flare. Archived from the original on August 3, 2018. Retrieved August 3, 2018.
  5. ^ a b Bob Thompson (2010-08-16). "Ellen Wong plays to ADD generation: Actress stars opposite Michael Cera in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World". Canada.com. Archived from the original on 2010-08-19. Retrieved 2010-08-17.
  6. ^ Lynn Barker. "Scott Pilgrim's ladies dish: Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Ellen Wong". SheKnows. Archived from the original on 2012-07-22. Retrieved 2010-08-15.
  7. ^ Edward Douglas (2010-05-25). "On the Set of Scott Pilgrim vs. the World - Ellen Wong/Knives Chau". Superhero Hype!. Retrieved 2010-08-15.
  8. ^ Swerdloff, Alexis (July 16, 2010). "The Girls of Summer". Paper. Archived from the original on March 24, 2012. Retrieved July 18, 2010.
  9. ^ "Living Life on the Edge: an interview with Scott Pilgrim actress Ellen Wong". Asia Pacific Arts. 2010-11-18.
  10. ^ Dennis Ivarsson (2010-08-13). "Scott Pilgrim vs. Ellen Wong". MovieMaker. Archived from the original on December 10, 2010. Retrieved 2010-08-17.
  11. ^ "Ellen Wong". TV.com. Archived from the original on 2013-01-27. Retrieved 2012-05-15.
  12. ^ a b Calum, Shanlin (2012-01-31). "Ellen Wong on Her ACTRA Award Nomination". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 2012-05-15.
  13. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (2012-02-27). "Pilots 'Only Fools & Horses', 'Carrie Diaries' & 'Zero Hour' Add To Casts". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 2012-05-15.
  14. ^ Miska, Brad (2012-04-19). "Full Cast For Santa Slasher 'Silent Night'". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved 2012-05-15.
  15. ^ Ahr, Michael (2016-06-02). "Dark Matter Season 2 Announces New Cast as Premiere Nears". Den of Geek. Retrieved 2016-10-06.
  16. ^ Denise, Petski (2016-10-21). "Ellen Wong Joins Netflix's 'G.L.O.W.; 'She's Gotta Have It' Adds Sydney Morton". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 2016-10-21.
  17. ^ Van de Wall, Virginia (2016-06-13). "See What the Cast of 'Scott Pilgrim vs. the World' is Up to Now". Life & Style. Retrieved 2016-01-29.
  18. ^ "Katy Perry Leads Star-Studded, Bumbling Basketball Team in 'Swish Swish' Video (Watch)". Variety. 2017-08-24. Retrieved 2017-08-25.
  19. ^ Denise, Petski (2017-08-25). "'Condor': Mouna Traoré & Ellen Wong Join Audience Network Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 2018-07-02.
  20. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (2019-12-18). "'Glow' Star Ellen Wong Joins 'Best Sellers' Opposite Michael Caine & Aubrey Plaza". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 2020-12-21.
  21. ^ Hank Stuever, "TV’s gay Christmas movies are as benign, charming and cliche as we always hoped they’d be". The Washington Post, December 9, 2020.
  22. ^ Newman, Kim (February 13, 2017). "'The Void': Review". Screen Daily. Retrieved April 3, 2017.
  23. ^ "'Scott Pilgrim' Netflix Anime Series Reunites Film's Cast, from Michael Cera to Chris Evans". 30 March 2023.
  24. ^ "AMC's The Walking Dead Nabs Six Scream Nominations. Vote Today!". AMC. 2011-09-08. Retrieved 2017-01-31.
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