Jack Soo

Biography

Jack Soo was born Goro Suzuki on October 28, 1917, in Oakland, California, and attended the University of California, Berkeley, graduating with a degree in English. Following World War II, he began his entertainment career as a stand-up performer, adopting the name Jack Soo to avoid anti-Japanese-American prejudice, eventually landing his breakthrough role as Sammy Wong in the 1958 Broadway musical "Flower Drum Song". He later appeared in films and television shows, including Barney Miller, where he played Detective Sgt. Nick Yemana.