- Born
- Birth nameLeung Kwok Ng
- Height5′ 7¾″ (1.72 m)
- Born Leung Kwok Ng in Hong Kong October 13, 1952, John Lone was spartanly raised by a single mother until the age of 7 when he was sent off to be schooled with the Peking Opera. He never again saw his mother. The Peking Opera could be a brutal and grueling life for a child but he was a diligent and tireless student and he later received sponsorship to continue his education in the United States as a teenager.
He attended Santa Ana Community College, where he met Nina Savino, an Asian American studying drama and art, and they married in 1972. Lone continued his education at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Pasadena and New York. They divorced in 1979.
John once said that Ng, Lung and Lone were variants of "dragon" in different dialects of Chinese and that he intended to harness the power of the dragon for his life, which was why he adopted the stage name he would become known by.
A theatrical workaholic, John became part of the East/West Players along with other notable Asian actors such as Mako, Sab Shimono and Soon Tek Oh. He performed in "Pacific Overtures" as the Lion Dancer and his discipline and talent blossomed. He danced, sang, wrote and directed. John signed with the then famous Bessie Loo Agency (most of the Asian talent of the day was represented by them). The early years of his career, consisted of small television roles, local theater and lots of study.
His first real break came with the Di Laurentis remake of "King Kong" as the ships cook. It was followed by perhaps the most brilliant performance of his career - "Iceman" which was poignant and powerfully played without dialogue by Lone. The film opened the doors of his career to Michael Cimino (Year of the Dragon) and Bernardo Bertolucci (The Last Emperor) who made him a household name in the United States. Lone directed an acclaimed documentary on the Chinese Railroad workers in America which aired on PBS. He was voted one of the 50 most Beautiful People of the Year by People Magazine in 1990.
The past decade he has spent his time between NY, China and Canada where he continues to act, direct, produce and he has even found time to nurture a singing career.
An intensely private man, it is no wonder so many differing stories about his personal life abound unanswered. Perhaps the mystery of his persona is a large part of his attraction.- IMDb Mini Biography By: Nina Savino - Former Ms. Ng (Lone)
- SpouseNina Savino(1972 - 1979)
- Fluent in several Chinese dialects, although he speaks mainly Cantonese.
- In 1990 was chosen by "People" magazine as one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in the World.
- He was the first choice for the lead role in Farewell My Concubine (1993), but didn't reach a deal with the producers.
- While attending the Peking Opera he grew up with martial arts legends Lam Ching-Ying, Tai Po, Chiang Wing-Fat (aka Mars), Chung Fat and Chan Lung, among others.
- From 2004-06 he was mostly based in China, producing period TV series or costume dramas co-starring with Chinese actresses from Hong Kong, Taiwan or Mainland China.
- [September 1993 interview] I am limited in life, let's face it. I have not lived so abundantly, full of family, full of continuity and history. But that's my choice. I could have had all that, years ago. But I really want to be an artist, so therefore I have to live a little bit like a monk. I really need to be alone. I can't deal with someone sleeping next to me.
- [September 1993 interview] I am truly weird. I don't have the same experience most people have who were trained to be an actor. I grew up with art from the innocent age of ten--with art, but with no sense of identity. I have no prejudice against male or female. I didn't have parents, so I lived in people's homes . . . And because I grew up with no parental role models, I learned to become my own friend, eventually my own father and my own mother. But I never grew up playing a man's role. If you come from a normal family, you immediately start playing the role of a boy, a girl a man or a woman, but I'm sure you'll agree with me that those are only roles, limited roles, at that. The point I'm trying to make is, I'm really quite neutral. I have not been conditioned.
- [5/90, "People" Magazine] I tend to keep the insignificant day-to-day details of my life to myself.
- [5/90, "People" Magazine] On a superficial level, beauty has to do with proportion and harmony. It excites you and makes you more curious. But it doesn't last. Real beauty has to do with the humanity in you, how you communicate beyond words.
- Shadow of China (1990) - $1,000,000
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