Peter Kwong dead at 73: Big Trouble in Little China movie star, martial arts expert & acting veteran dies in his sleep

Scottish Sun

29-05-2025

The star started his career as a TV actor in the 1970s
STAR GONE Peter Kwong dead at 73: Big Trouble in Little China movie star, martial arts expert & acting veteran dies in his sleep
Peter Kwong, the movie star, martial arts expert and acting veteran has died, aged 73.
Kwong died in his sleep on Tuesday night, according to one of his representatives.
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The actor starred in nearly 90 film and television roles
Credit: Splash
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One of his most well known roles was in the classic Big Trouble in Little China
Credit: Shutterstock Editorial
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Kwong died in his sleep aged 73
Credit: Shutterstock Editorial
The actor played Rain in John Carpenter's 1986 action classic Big Trouble in Little China.
Kwong starred in nearly 90 film and television roles over the course of his career.
He began as a TV actor in the late 1970s and 1980s in shows such as The A-Team, Wonder Woman, Little House on the Prairie and Miami Vice.
His first film role came in 1977 in the drama Panic in Echo Park.
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In 1986, Kwong took up one of his most famous roles as Tommy Tong in Eddie Murphy's comedy-adventure The Golden Child.
That same year Kwong appeared in perhaps his most famous movie role in Big Trouble in Little China where he played Rain, one of the three super-powered martial artists.
He starred alongside Kim Cattrall and Kurt Russell.
The film has emerged as a cult classic over time despite failing at the box office at the time of release.
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The 1990s saw Kwong appear in a range of other TV shows, in both drama and comedy, including Renegade, Malcolm & Eddie, The District, My Wife and Kids, JAG and Curb Your Enthusiasm.
He also appeared in other film roles including The Presidio, Gleaming the Cube, I'll Do Anything, Paper Dragons and Cooties.
His final role was the voice of Mike in the comedy series Pepito's Mamadas.
In addition to being a film star, Kwong was also a martial arts expert.
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He worked in Northern Shaolin kung fu, Chinese kata and a range of weapons including swords, staffs, spears, and nunchaku.
Kwong was also a professional dancer which included ballroom, martial arts fusion, disco and breaking.
Outside of Hollywood, he was on the SAG National Board of Directors for more than a decade and was also a member of the AFTRA National Board of Directors.
He also served on the Television Academy Board of Governors and the Actors Branch Executive Committee of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.