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Woman Crush Wednesday
Well, here we are, folks. Another year that has simultaneously lasted a decade while flying by in the blink of an eye. But before we jump into the clean slate that is 2022, we want to end the year on a high with one last world-class Woman Crush Wednesday to pay homage to an amazing actress who has helped to make 2021 a great year for women in film and television. This week, we’re celebrating a wonderful woman who has spent the last several decades serving up performances that have positively impacted the lives of many in addition to leaving a lasting impression on the entertainment industry as we know it. So, without further ado, give it up for your WCW, the magnificent Ming-Na Wen!
WHO’S THAT GAL: Ming-Na Wen
WHY WE’RE CRUSHING: Wen reprises her The Mandalorian role as Fennec Shand in upcoming Disney+ Original title The Book of Boba Fett, which premieres on the platform today, December 29th. The space Western action-adventure series follows famous Star Wars bounty hunter Boba (Temuera Morrison) Fett and elite mercenary and assassin Fennec Shan (Wen) as they try to make names for themselves in their galaxy’s criminal underworld by taking control of the territory that had been under the thumb (or, more accurately, slimy tail) of Jabba the Hutt. This highly-anticipated spin-off of The Mandalorian stars Morrison, Wen, and Matt Berry, and includes special guests like Jennifer Beals, David Pasquesi, and Sophie Thatcher, so you can trust that between their combined acting excellence and the passion and skill of show creator Jon Favreau, The Book of Boba Fett is guaranteed to be an out-of-this-world hit. Make sure to catch each episode as soon as they drop weekly, only on Disney+.
WHERE YOU’VE SEEN HER BEFORE: Wen’s professional onscreen career began in 1985, when she appeared as a Royal Trumpeter in two episodes of beloved educational children’s show Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. Just three years later, Wen was picking up a recurring role that helped to make her more of a household name while portraying Lien Hughes on CBS soap opera As the World Turns until 1991. And if the actress wasn’t widely known by then, well, she definitely was by 1995, a year that saw her pick up recurring roles as Dr. Jing-Mei “Deb” Chen on NBC medical drama ER, and as Trudy in NBC sitcom The Single Guy (roles she held until 2004 and 1997, respectively). Around this time, Wen was also breaking into feature film work, with roles in movies like 1993 drama The Joy Luck Club, 1994 action-adventure Street Fighter, and 1997 drama One Night Stand.
It was 1998, however, that would see Wen land her biggest role to-date, voicing the titular Fa Mulan in Disney’s animated musical adventure movie Mulan (and for which she won an Annie Award that year). From there, she steadily built up an incredible filmography spanning all sorts of genres and mediums, including shows like The Batman, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Robot Chicken, Inconceivable, Phineas and Ferb, Stargate Universe, Eureka, and Nashville, as well as in films like 2001 sci-fi Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within, 2008 slasher Prom Night, 2009 superhero thriller Push, and 2016 supernatural horror The Darkness, and even in video games like Street Fighter: The Movie, Kingdom Hearts II, and Lego Marvel’s Avengers.
Within the last few years, Wen has continued to kill it on screens big and small, showing off her hard-earned acting repertoire in series like Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., HotStreets, Fresh Off the Boat, The Mandalorian, Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens, Yasuke, and Pretty Smart, and making memorable appearances in movies like 2018 animated comedy Ralph Breaks the Internet, 2020 fantasy action-drama Mulan, and 2020 drama Pearl. Clearly, Wen is a dedicated actress who has been putting in the work for years, and it shows in the memorable performances she has given us again and again. Here’s to years of many more!
WHERE YOU’LL SEE HER AGAIN: Luckily, you won’t have to wait too much longer to see more from Wen. She is set to voice matriarch Fong Wing in 2022 animated adventure-comedy series Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai, which chronicles the adventures of a young Sam Wing (Izaac Wang) and Gizmo (A.J. LoCascio) the Mogwai in China. Wen will also appear as a character named Ivy in upcoming musical movie Glitter & Doom, which follows a musician and a carefree kid as they fall in love at first sight, and also features Alex Diaz, Alan Cammish, Missi Pyle, Tig Notaro, and Lea DeLaria.
For even more from Wen in the meantime, make sure to keep up with the actress by giving her a follow on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, or by checking out her website and blog.
