Jodi Long

American actress From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jodi Long[1] (born January 7, 1954)[2][3][4] is an American film, stage, and television actress. She is best known for her roles as Madame Ybarra on Café Americain (1993–1994), Mrs. Kim on the Margaret Cho sitcom All-American Girl (1994-1995), Ok Cha on Sullivan & Son (2012–2014), as well as her portrayal of Wendy Yoshimura in Paul Schrader's biographical thriller film Patty Hearst (1988). She won Best Supporting Actress at the Daytime Emmy Awards for her role in the Netflix series Dash & Lily (2020).

Born (1954-01-07) January 7, 1954 (age 72)
New York City, New York, U.S.
EducationState University of New York at Purchase (BFA)
OccupationActress
Yearsactive1962–present
Quick facts Born, Education ...
Jodi Long
Long in a 1988 production of 1000 Airplanes on the Roof
Born (1954-01-07) January 7, 1954 (age 72)
New York City, New York, U.S.
EducationState University of New York at Purchase (BFA)
OccupationActress
Years active1962–present
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Early life

Long was born in 1954[4] in Manhattan and raised in Queens, New York,[5][6] the daughter of Kimiye "Trudie" Long (née Tsunemitsu; died 2014) and Australian former vaudevillian Lawrence K. Long (stage name Larry Leung).[7] Her mother was born and raised in Portland, Oregon, the daughter of Japanese immigrant parents; despite her brother's service in the U.S. Military during World War II, the Tsunemitsu family was relocated to the Minidoka Internment Camp in Idaho, where Trudie resided for one year before moving to New York City.[7] In New York, Trudie found employment at the American Bible Society and as a dancer at The China Doll night club.[7] Long's father was of mixed Cantonese and Scottish descent, and began his career performing in Australia's vaudeville circuit.[7] After immigrating to the United States, he performed as half of an act called the Wing Brothers in San Francisco.[7] He also had a career as a tap-dancer and later as a PGA golf professional.[8]

Her parents appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show on May 7, 1950 as the singing, dancing, comedy act, Larry and Trudie Leung.[7] They later reunited for a documentary film, Long Story Short, which was written by their daughter and directed by Christine Choy, an Academy Award-nominated director.[7] The documentary won the 2008 Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival's Grand Jury's Honorable Mention for a Documentary Award as well as the Audience Award.[7]

Long's parents divorced during her childhood.[7] She graduated from Manhattan's High School of Performing Arts and earned a BFA in drama from the State University of New York at Purchase, graduating in 1976.[7][9]

Career

Early stage and film roles

Long began acting as a child, appearing in a Sidney Lumet-directed Broadway production of Nowhere to Go but Up in 1962.[10]

In 1979, she appeared again on Broadway as Selina in Loose Ends, followed by The Bacchae (1980), both staged at the Circle in the Square Theatre.[2]

She made her feature film debut in Alan J. Pakula's thriller film Rollover (1981).[11] Towards the end of the music video for the 1986 song "Bizarre Love Triangle" by the English rock band New Order, Long makes a cameo appearance arguing with E. Max Frye about reincarnation.

After minor appearances in Splash (1984) and The Bedroom Window (1987), Long was cast as Wendy Yoshimura, a member of the Symbionese Liberation Army, in Paul Schrader's thriller Patty Hearst (1988), about the abduction of Patricia Hearst.[11] The same year, she starred in Mike Newell's Soursweet.[12] On stage, she toured internationally in 1988 performing the role of M in the drama 1000 Airplanes on the Roof.[13]

Later film, television, and theater

Long had subsequent roles in The Exorcist III (1990), RoboCop 3 (1993), and Striking Distance (also 1993).[11] On television, she appeared as a regular on such series as Café Americain (1993–1994)[14] and All-American Girl (1994).[7] In 1996, Long returned to Broadway, appearing as Nam-Jun Vuong in Stephen Sondheim and George Furth's comedy thriller play Getting Away with Murder.[2]

On television, played a therapist in Desperate Housewives, a "power lesbian" Patty in Sex and the City and a bar owner, Ok Cha, on the TBS series Sullivan & Son, which was cancelled after three seasons on November 20, 2014.[7][15]

She appeared in the 2002 Broadway revival of Flower Drum Song, winning an Ovation Award for her performance during the Los Angeles tryout.[9] Long also had a supporting role in the comedy film The Hot Chick (2003). In 2010, Long appeared in Mike Mills' comedy film Beginners.

In 2018, she had a supporting role in HBO Films' drama The Tale, starring Laura Dern, Ellen Burstyn, and Jason Ritter. In 2021, Long had a role in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, and subsequently played the role of Madame Armfeldt in the 2023 revival of A Little Night Music at the Pasadena Playhouse.[1] In early 2026, Long starred in the play Chinese Republicans for the Roundabout Theatre Company.[16]

Filmography

Film

More information Year, Title ...
Year Title Role Notes Ref.
1980 Nurse Gail Television film [17]
1981 Rollover Betsy Okamoto [11]
1984 Splash Reporter [11]
How to Be a Perfect Person in Just Three Days Mrs. Yamata Television film [17]
1987 The Bedroom Window Cocktail Waitress [11]
1988 Patty Hearst Wendy Yoshimura [11]
Soursweet Mui [12]
1989 New York Stories T.V. Interviewer [11]
Born on the Fourth of July Reporter #1 [11]
1990 The Exorcist III First Dream Woman [11]
How to Murder a Millionaire Check Cashing Teller Television film [17]
1993 Amos & Andrew Wendy Wong [11]
The Pickle Yakimoto Yakimura [11]
RoboCop 3 Nikko's Mom [11]
Striking Distance Kim Lee [11]
Firestorm: 72 Hours in Oakland Linda Chong Television film [17]
1997 His & Hers Corey Chang
Murder in Mind Helen
1998 Celebrity Father Gladden's Fan
2002 New Suit Feng Shui Woman
The Hot Chick Mrs. Jackson
2008 Mask of the Ninja Kumioko Television film [17]
2010 Beginners Dr. Long
2013 A Picture of You Mother
2016 5 Doctors Dr. Suzuki
2018 The Tale Rebecca
2021 Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings Mrs. Chen
2023 The Monkey King Wangmu Voice role [1]
2024 Night Swim Lucy Summers [1]
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Television

More information Year, Title ...
Year Title Role Notes Ref.
1982 Another World Officer Noguchi Episode #1.4498 [17]
1985 The Equalizer Mrs. Lin Episode: "China Rain" [17]
1986 Scarecrow and Mrs. King Jin Sung Episode: "Three Little Spies" [17]
1988, 1990 The Cosby Show Joann 2 episodes [17]
1990 Mancuso, F.B.I. Beth Kurland Episode: "Daryl Ross & the Supremes" [17]
Roseanne Woman in Line Episode: "April Fool's Day" [17]
1991 L.A. Law Christina Leong Episode: "Speak, Lawyers, for Me" [17]
1992 Designing Women Eileen Arata Episode: "Trial and Error" [17]
1993–1994 Café Americain Madame Ybarra Main role [14]
1994–1995 All-American Girl Katherine Kim [17]
1995 The Wayans Bros. Angelique Episode: "Blood Is Thicker Than Watercolor" [17]
1997 Michael Hayes Joan Recurring role [17]
1999 Sex and the City Patty Aston Episode: "The Cheating Curve" [17]
2000 Chicken Soup for the Soul Rhonda Episode: "Destiny in a Bottle" [17]
2001 So Little Time Neptune's Net Owner Episode: "Manuelo in the Middle: Part 2" [17]
2002 The Division Polly Seager Episode: "Unfamiliar Territory" [17]
2003 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Center Director Episode: "Tortured" [17]
Miss Match Claire Main role [17]
2005 Without a Trace Mrs. Kim Episode: "Honor Bound" [17]
2005, 2009 American Dad! Woman (voice) 2 episodes [17]
2006 House Judge Episode: "Finding Judas" [17]
2008 Cashmere Mafia Susan Mason Episode: "The Deciders" [17]
2008–2009 Eli Stone Judge Marcia Phelps Recurring role [17]
2009 The Beast May Nan Nhung Episode: "Bitsy Big-Boy" [17]
Eastwick Mrs. Yang Episode: "Madams and Madames" [17]
2010–2011 Law & Order: LA Judge Sonya Cruz 3 episodes [17]
2011 Desperate Housewives Dr. Lunt Episode: "Assassins" [17]
2012 Franklin & Bash Judge Noreen Poggi Episode: "Jango and Rossi" [17]
Made in Jersey Judge Meisner Episode: "Payday" [17]
2012–2014 Sullivan & Son Ok Cha Sullivan Main role [17]
2015 Young & Hungry Mrs. Park Episode: "Young and Unemployed" [17]
2016 The Blacklist Col. Wright Episode: "Dr. Adrian Shaw (No. 98)" [17]
2016–2018 Falling Water Kumiko Recurring role [17]
2019 Elementary Mrs. Tseng Episode: "Unfriended" [17]
2020 Curb Your Enthusiasm Dr. Bahn Episode: "Side Sitting" [17]
Dash & Lily Mrs. Basil E 3 episodes [17]
2023 The Mandalorian Warlord Episode: "Chapter 23: The Spies" [17]
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Music videos

More information Year, Song ...
Year Song Artist Ref.
1986 "Bizarre Love Triangle" New Order [9]
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Selected stage credits

More information Year, Title ...
Year Title Role Notes Ref.
1962 Nowhere to Go But Up Hop Family Member Winter Garden Theatre [2]
1978 Hamlet Ophelia Everyman Company, Brooklyn [18]
1979 Loose Ends Selina Circle in the Square Theatre [2]
1980 The Bacchae Chorus of Bacchae [2]
1983 A Midsummer Night's Dream Titania Pan Asian Repertory Theatre [19]
1985 Helena Musical Theater Works [20]
1988 1000 Airplanes on the Roof M Touring production [13]
1989 Nothing Sacred Anna Odintsov Hartford Stage [12]
1996 Getting Away with Murder Nam-Jun Vuong Broadhurst Theatre [2]
2002 Flower Drum Song Madam Liang Virginia Theatre [13]
2019 Fern Hill Michiko 59E59 Theaters [21]
2023 A Little Night Music Madame Armfeldt Pasadena Playhouse [1]
2026 Chinese Republicans Phyllis Roundabout Theatre Company [16]
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Accolades

More information Award/association, Year ...
Award/association Year Category Nominated work Result Ref.
Daytime Emmy Awards 2021 Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Daytime Fiction Program Dash & Lily Won [22]
Ovation Awards 2002 Featured Actress in a Musical Flower Drum Song Won [22]
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References

External links

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