Kim Chan

Born in China, Kim Chan fled China in 1928 with his father Lem and twoolder sisters. Settling first in Rhode Island, then in New York, Kim lefthis family after his father caught him lying about an afternoon spent at thecinema. Faced with an ultimatum, Kim left for years as a day laborer,occasionally homeless, frequently sleeping on vermin-infested ironingboards.Yet when he was not laboring in laundries and restaurants, Kim Chan soughtwork as an actor in film, television, and the theater. Many roles weresmall, often reflecting racial stereotypes - casting as a Japanese soldierwas common in the 1940s. Chan's big break came only in 1983 with his comedicturn as Jonno, the butler to the late night talk show host Jerry Langford(Jerry Lewis) in Martin Scorsese's _The King of Comedy (1983)_. Since thenhe has appeared in numerous roles, seemingly never wanting for work.