Ralph Philander Ahn (September 28, 1926 – February 26, 2022) was an American actor. He was the last surviving son of leading Korean independence activist Dosan Ahn Chang-ho. His father's contributions to the

Korean independence movement The Korean independence movement was a military and diplomatic campaign to achieve the independence of Korea from Japan. After the Japanese annexation of Korea in 1910, Korea's domestic resistance peaked in the March 1st Movement of 1919, which ...

influenced Ahn's involvement in politics,

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, and support for the Korean community of Los Angeles. As an actor, Ahn was known for his roles in '' Lawnmower Man 2: Beyond Cyberspace'' (1996), '' Amityville: A New Generation'' (1993), and ''

Panther Panther may refer to: Large cats *Pantherinae, the cat subfamily that contains the genera ''Panthera'' and ''Neofelis'' **'' Panthera'', the cat genus that contains tigers, lions, jaguars and leopards. *** Jaguar (''Panthera onca''), found in So ...

'' (1995), as well as in the sitcom ''

New Girl ''New Girl'' is an American television sitcom created by Elizabeth Meriwether and produced by 20th Television for Fox that originally aired from September 20, 2011, to May 15, 2018. The series revolves around a kooky teacher, Jessica Day ( Zoo ...

'' as the silent but wise character Tran.

Early life

Ahn was born in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

on September 28, 1926. He was the youngest child of Ahn Chang-ho and his wife, who were among the first wave of Korean immigrants in 1902. They were the first Korean couple to immigrate from Korea to the U.S. mainland. Three years after his father's death, the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor and the United States entered World War II. Ahn consequently joined the

U.S. Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage o ...

in 1944 to fight the Japanese. He is one of an estimated 100 Korean-Americans who served over the course of the war.

Career

After World War II, Ahn was influenced by his elder brother,

Philip Ahn Philip Ahn (born Pillip Ahn (), March 29, 1905 – February 28, 1978) was an American actor and activist of Korean descent. With over 180 film and television credits between 1935 and 1978, he was one of the most recognizable and prolific Asi ...

, one of the first Asian American actors, and became an actor. He made his film debut in '' Battle Circus'' (1953), in which he played a Korean prisoner. He appeared in ''

Mission Over Korea ''Mission Over Korea'' is a 1953 American war film released by Columbia Pictures, directed by Fred F. Sears, from a story by former war correspondent Richard Tregaskis, author of '' Guadalcanal Diary''. The film stars John Hodiak, John Derek, ...

'' later that same year, and had minor roles in ''

Prisoner of War A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of wa ...

'' (starring alongside

Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...

) and ''

The Bamboo Prison ''The Bamboo Prison'' is a 1954 American Korean War film–drama film directed by Lewis Seiler and starring Robert Francis, Brian Keith, Dianne Foster, and Jerome Courtland. The working title was ''I Was a Prisoner in Korea''. The US Army denied ...

'' the following year. Ahn also opened a restaurant with his family in 1954, which served Cantonese food due to the lack of demand for

Korean cuisine Korean cuisine has evolved through centuries of social and political change. Originating from ancient agricultural and nomadic traditions in Korea and southern Manchuria, Korean cuisine reflects a complex interaction of the natural envi ...

at the time. He later featured in '' Battle Hymn'' (1957), ''

Confessions of an Opium Eater ''Confessions of an Opium Eater'' also known as Souls for Sale and Evils of Chinatown is a 1962 American crime film produced and directed by Albert Zugsmith. It is loosely based on the 1822 autobiographical novel ''Confessions of an English Opium ...

'' (1962), and ''

The Hook The Hook, or The Hookman, is an urban legend about a killer with a pirate-like hook for a hand attacking a couple in a parked car. In many versions of the story, the killer is typically portrayed as a faceless, silhouetted old man wearing a rai ...

'' (1963). During a four-year hiatus from acting between 1964 and 1968, Ahn taught business math and served as head coach of the varsity football team at

Bishop Alemany High School Bishop Alemany High School is a Roman Catholic secondary school located in the San Fernando Valley community of Mission Hills in Los Angeles, California. It is within the San Fernando Pastoral Region of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. The sc ...

in Mission Hills. After the death of his wife, Ahn stopped teaching and returned to manage the family restaurant. He resumed his acting career in 1988, starring in '' It Takes Two'', as well as ''

The Golden Girls ''The Golden Girls'' is an American sitcom created by Susan Harris that aired on NBC from September 14, 1985, to May 9, 1992, with a total of 180 half-hour episodes, spanning seven seasons. With an ensemble cast starring Bea Arthur, Betty White ...

'' series. He gained national recognition as an actor in 2012 when he began portraying the recurring character Tran in season 2 of ''

''. He continued to portray the character until the show ended in 2018. On January 1, 2017, Ahn welcomed the cast members of the popular South Korean variety show ''

Infinite Challenge ''Infinite Challenge'' (; abbreviated as ''Mudo'') is a South Korean television entertainment program, distributed and syndicated by MBC, that ran from 2005 to 2018. As of January 2013, it had the largest market share for its timeslot; with ...

'' to Los Angeles as a representative of the Korean-American community. In March of the same year, he spoke at a ceremony in Riverside, California, honoring Pachappa Camp as the first Korean settlement in the US.

Personal life

Ahn was married to his wife until her death in 1969. Together, they had two daughters. She also had three sons from a previous marriage. Ahn died in Los Angeles on February 26, 2022, at the age of 95. He had been hospitalized with an unspecified illness prior to his death.

Filmography

*'' Battle Circus'' (1953) – Korean Prisoner (uncredited) *''

'' (1953) – Korean Radio Operator (uncredited) *''

'' (1954) – Red Guard *''

'' (1954) – Korean Guard (uncredited) *'' Battle Hymn'' (1957) – ROK Officer (uncredited) *''

'' (1962) – Wah Chan *''

'' (1963) – Major Chun *'' It Takes Two'' (1988) – Wang *''

'' (1988–1989, TV Series) – Mr. Yakamora / Jim Shu *'' Let It Ride'' (1989) – Patron in Chinese Restaurant *'' The Perfect Weapon'' (1991) – Gi *''

Life Stinks ''Life Stinks'' is a 1991 American comedy film co-written, produced, directed by and starring Mel Brooks. It is one of the few Mel Brooks comedies that is not a parody, nor at any time does the film break the fourth wall. It co-stars Lesley Ann ...

'' (1991) – Chinese cook *''

Eyes of an Angel ''Eyes of an Angel'' is a 1991 American drama film starring John Travolta and directed by Robert Harmon. It was released in France, Sweden, and on television in the United States as ''The Tender''. It was released straight-to-video in 1994 und ...

'' (1991) – Liquor Store Clerk *''

Younger and Younger ''Younger And Younger'' is a 1993 American comedy film co-written and directed by Percy Adlon and starring Donald Sutherland, Brendan Fraser and Lolita Davidovich. Synopsis Jonathan Younger owns a self-storage facility, and runs it with his wife ...

'' (1993) – Asian Man *''Come the Morning'' (1993) – Printer *''

'' (1995) – Mr. Yang *'' Lawnmower Man 2: Beyond Cyberspace'' (1996) – Doctor *''

Gilmore Girls ''Gilmore Girls'' is an American comedy-drama television series created by Amy Sherman-Palladino and starring Lauren Graham (Lorelai Gilmore) and Alexis Bledel (Rory Gilmore). The show debuted on October 5, 2000, on The WB and became a flagshi ...

'' (2005–2006, TV Series) – Korean Man *''

'' (2012–2018, TV Series) – Tran

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ahn, Ralph 1926 births 2022 deaths Male actors from Los Angeles Military personnel from California United States Navy personnel of World War II American male actors of Korean descent American military personnel of Korean descent Los Angeles State College alumni