Born in China, Kim Chan fled China in 1928 with his father Lem and two older sisters. Settling first in Rhode Island, then in New York, Kim left his family after his father caught him lying about an afternoon spent at the cinema. Faced with an ultimatum, Kim left for years as a day laborer, occasionally homeless, frequently sleeping on vermin-infested ironing boards. Yet when he was not laboring in laundries and restaurants, Kim Chan sought work as an actor in film, television, and the theater. Many roles were small, often reflecting racial stereotypes - casting as a Japanese soldier was common in the 1940s. Chan's big break came only in 1983 with his comedic turn as Jonno, the butler to the late night talk show host Jerry Langford _. Since then he has appeared in numerous roles, seemingly never wanting for work.
Played characters nick-named "Uncle Benny" in two unrelated movies: "Lethal Weapon 4" and "The Corruptor".
(February 2004) Briefly seen in a recent commercial for a wireless telephone company, playing a taxi driver.
I always like comedy. I enjoy making somebody laugh.
