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IMDbPro

Irene Tsu

  • Actress
  • Costume Designer
  • Soundtrack
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
Irene Tsu
Fueled with determination and a passion for science, a bright young girl builds a rocket ship to the moon to prove the existence of a legendary Moon Goddess. Directed by Oscar®-Winning Filmmaker & Animator, Glen Keane, and produced by Gennie Rim and Peilin Chou. Starring Cathy Ang, Phillipa Soo, Robert G. Chiu, Ken Jeong, John Cho, Ruthie Ann Miles, Margaret Cho, Kimiko Glenn, Artt Butler and Sandra Oh.
Play trailer3:03
Over the Moon (2020)
2 Videos
16 Photos
Born in Shanghai, China to a banker father and a painter mother. The family left for Hong Kong where Irene attended parochial school and studied ballet. At 12 the family immigrated to New York City where Irene attended George Washington HS and Quintano's School for young professionals and studied ballet and jazz at Carnegie Hall. She was a teenage dancer in Flower Drum Song (1961), directed by Henry Koster who gave her her first speaking role as a teenage prostitute in his next film, Take Her, She's Mine starring James Stewart which launched her acting career.

Her career spans four decades in most of the popular TV series (50 titles) and 32 feature films. Irene was able to cross over to play not only Chinese parts but roles originally written for other ethnicities with the help of casting directors and creative writers/directors. Director Paul Mazursky cast Irene as Shiela Waltzberg, the Jewish princess wife in Down & Out in Beverly Hills. Director Frank Tashlin cast Irene as Ray Walston's secretary in Caprice Irene played a Malaysian revolutionary in Paper Tiger. She was also the TV spokeswoman for Chevron Island Wiki Wiki Dollars for Standard Oil, as well as Hawaiian Punch for Proctor and Gamble

Irene Speaks 3 dialects of Chinese, she appeared in the Peter Chan Ho-Sun's hit Hong Kong film Comrades: Almost a Love Story (1996) and Golden Chicken (2002).

Irene studied acting with Ned Manderino and Milton Katselas in Los Angeles For the past two decades, Irene has been a successful realtor in Beverly Hills. She enjoys helping people body mind and spirit. She teaches Bikram yoga for the Beverly Hills Department of Parks.
  • IMDB Mini Biography
BornNovember 4, 1945
  • More at IMDbPro
    • Contact info
    • Agent info
    • Resume
BornNovember 4, 1945
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
  • Unlock contact info on IMDbPro
  • Awards
    • 2 wins

Photos16

Irene Tsu
The Marvel look
John Wayne and Irene Tsu in The Green Berets (1968)
Jeff Bridges and Irene Tsu in The Yin and the Yang of Mr. Go (1970)
Buster Keaton and Irene Tsu in How to Stuff a Wild Bikini (1965)
Irene Tsu with Elvis at the Polynesian Culture Center in Hawaii while filming Paradise Hawaiian Style.
With Jimmy Stewart in Paris bistro
Irene Tsu in Sleeping Dogs (2012)
Irene Tsu
Irene Tsu
Irene Tsu
Water Color Self Portrait

Known for

How to Stuff a Wild Bikini (1965)
How to Stuff a Wild Bikini
4.7
  • Native Girl
  • 1965
Airport 1975 (1974)
Airport 1975
5.7
  • Carol
  • 1974
John Agar, Merry Anders, Wendell Corey, Keith Larsen, and Irene Tsu in Women of the Prehistoric Planet (1966)
Women of the Prehistoric Planet
2.5
  • Linda
  • 1966
Robert Beltran, Jennifer Lien, Robert Duncan McNeill, Kate Mulgrew, Robert Picardo, Jeri Ryan, Roxann Dawson, Ethan Phillips, Tim Russ, and Garrett Wang in Star Trek: Voyager (1995)
Star Trek: Voyager
7.8
TV Series
  • Kim's Mother
  • Mary Kim

Credits

Edit
IMDbPro

Actress

  • Atrophy (2021)
    Atrophy
    • Mrs. Sugita
    • Short
    • 2021
  • Ken Jeong, Cathy Ang, Phillipa Soo, and Robert G. Chiu in Over the Moon (2020)
    Over the Moon
    • Grandma (voice)
    • 2020
  • Josh Charles, Hilary Swank, and Talitha Eliana Bateman in Away (2020)
    Away
    • Lu's Mother (Older)
    • TV Series
    • 2020
  • Sleeping Dogs (2012)
    Sleeping Dogs
    • Mrs. Chu (voice)
    • Video Game
    • 2012
  • John Cena, Seth Morris, Daniella Monet, Jake Weary, Ariel Winter, and Lucas Cruikshank in Fred 2: Night of the Living Fred (2011)
    Fred 2: Night of the Living Fred
    • Mrs. Rhee
    • TV Movie
    • 2011
  • Law & Order: LA (2010)
    Law & Order: LA
    • Christina Yu
    • TV Series
    • 2011
  • Cold Case (2003)
    Cold Case
    • Da Chun Lu '09
    • TV Series
    • 2009
  • Alibi
    • Chu Fan
    • 2007
  • The Heart Specialist (2006)
    The Heart Specialist
    • Mrs. Olson
    • 2006
  • Gary Sinise and Melina Kanakaredes in CSI: NY (2004)
    CSI: NY
    • Madam Tuki Song
    • TV Series
    • 2005
  • Patricia Richardson and Rosa Blasi in Strong Medicine (2000)
    Strong Medicine
    • Mrs. Fong
    • TV Series
    • 2004
  • Gregory Hines, Connie Britton, Gavin Fink, Mitch Rouse, Stark Sands, and Leah Pipes in Lost at Home (2003)
    Lost at Home
    • Brenda
    • TV Series
    • 2003
  • The Division (2001)
    The Division
    • Madame Lin
    • TV Series
    • 2003
  • Golden Chicken (2002)
    Golden Chicken
    • Kam's Aunt (as Irene Tsui)
    • 2002
  • Robert Beltran, Jennifer Lien, Robert Duncan McNeill, Kate Mulgrew, Robert Picardo, Jeri Ryan, Roxann Dawson, Ethan Phillips, Tim Russ, and Garrett Wang in Star Trek: Voyager (1995)
    Star Trek: Voyager
    • Kim's Mother
    • Mary Kim
    • TV Series
    • 1997–2001

Costume Designer

  • Talking Walls (1987)
    Talking Walls
    • Costume Designer
    • 1987

Soundtrack

  • How to Stuff a Wild Bikini (1965)
    How to Stuff a Wild Bikini
    • performer: "If It's Gonna Happen" (uncredited)
    • 1965

Videos3

Atrophy (2021) - Irene Tsu
Demo Reel 15:01
Atrophy (2021) - Irene Tsu
Official Trailer #1
Trailer 3:03
Official Trailer #1
You Don't Know Jack: The Jack Soo Story
Trailer 1:46
You Don't Know Jack: The Jack Soo Story

Personal details

Edit
  • Official site
    • Official Site
  • Alternative name
    • Irene Tsui
  • Height
    • 5′ 4″ (1.63 m)
  • Born
    • November 4, 1945
    • Shanghai, China
  • Spouse
    • Ivan NagyAugust 15, 1971 - June 27, 1980 (divorced)
  • Parents
      Z.M. Tsu
  • Other works
    (February 29, 1960) She acted in Paul Osborn's play, "The World of Suzie Wong," at the Hanna Theatre in Cleveland, Ohio with Tom Helmore, Jeri Miyazaki, Robert Elston, John Mamo, Alan Young, Douglas Gordon, Moira Wylie, Bernard Wu, Parke Perine, Linda Ho, Dolores Dicen, Flavia Hsu Kingman, Mary Mon Toy, Wayne Wilson, Chase Crosley, George Latchford, and Andrea Loa in the cast. Jo Mielziner was set designer. Dorothy Jeakins was costume designer. Joshua Logan was director. David Merrick was producer.
  • Publicity listings
    • 1 Print Biography
    • 1 Pictorial

Did you know

Edit
  • Trivia
    Born in China but raised in New York City.

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