Gary "Gedde" Watanabe (; born June 26, 1955) is an American actor. He is known for voicing the character of Ling in the animated film Mulan (1998) and its sequel Mulan II (2004), as well as playing Long Duk Dong in the film Sixteen Candles (1984), Takahara "Kaz" Kazihiro in Gung Ho (1986), and Nurse Yosh Takata in the NBC medical drama ER from 1997 to 2003. He was also an original cast member of the Stephen Sondheim musical Pacific Overtures.

Early life and education Watanabe was born and raised in Ogden, Utah, in a Japanese-American family. His mother worked as a seamstress at the Utah Tailoring Company. He performed in several dramatic productions in high school, both acting and singing. After graduation, Watanabe relocated to San Francisco, where he worked as a street musician while honing his acting skills.

Career In 1976, Watanabe's first role was as a member of the original Broadway cast of Pacific Overtures, originating the roles of Priest, Girl, and The Boy. He has since appeared in a number of films and television series, the first of which was The Long Island Four in 1980.

Many of his roles are caricatured East Asians with heavy accents, though he himself does not speak Japanese.

Watanabe became well known for his role as Long Duk Dong in the film Sixteen Candles (1984). He had a starring role in both the film Gung Ho (1986) and its television spinoff. In the 1989 movie UHF starring "Weird Al" Yankovic, Watanabe co-starred as Kuni, a karate instructor and abusive host of a TV game show called Wheel of Fish. He later reprised this role on The Weird Al Show. Watanabe appeared on Sesame Street from 1988 to 1991 as Hiroshi and had a recurring role as gay nurse Yosh Takata on the television drama from 1997 to 2003. During the nineties, Watanabe studied acting at Theater Theater in Hollywood, California, with Chris Aable, who introduced him to fellow actors Jon Cedar and Steve Burton. He voiced various Japanese characters on the animated television comedy The Simpsons. In 1998, he voiced Ling in the Disney animated film Mulan and reprised the role for the 2004 direct-to-video sequel Mulan II and the 2005 video game Kingdom Hearts II.

Personal life While living as a gay man and in a relationship since 1986, Watanabe did not speak much about his sexuality.

It was not until receiving his role in the 2020 web series The Disappointments that Watanabe spoke of his life as a gay man on the record in a conversation with Disappointments co-stars Trevor LaPaglia and Rich Burns.

Filmography

Film + Film performances Year Title Role Notes 1980The Long Island FourUnknown role 1984Sixteen CandlesLong Duk Dong 1985VolunteersAt Toon 1986Gung HoOishi Kazihiro 1986VampDuncan 1989UHFKuni 1990Gremlins 2: The New BatchMr. Katsuji 1990The SpringMatty 1995Boys on the SideSteve 1995Perfect AlibiDetective Onoda 1996That Thing You Do!Play-Tone Photographer 1997Nick and JaneEnzo 1997Booty CallChanUncredited 1997Psycho SushiYoshi 1998MulanLingVoice 1998ArmageddonAsian TouristUncredited 1999GuinevereEd 1999EDtvGreg 1999The Wacky Adventures of Ronald McDonald: The Visitors from Outer SpaceKarate MasterVoice, direct-to-video 1999Frank in FiveWaiterShort film 2002SlackersJapanese Proctor 2002Thank You, Good NightCafe Owner 2004On the CouchCharlieShort film 2004AlfieWing 2004Mulan IILingVoice, direct-to-video 2005Two for the MoneyMilton 2007Fortune HuntersMr. YuShort film 2007Sunny & Share Love YouEliza's Dad, the Doctor 2008The Onion MovieJames Nakatami 2008Forgetting Sarah MarshallHotel Manager 2009Not ForgottenAgent Nakamura 2009Scooby-Doo! and the Samurai SwordKenjiVoice, direct-to-video 2009All Ages NightDead Head Fred 2012Parental GuidanceMr. Cheng 201347 RoninTroupe Leader 2017The Last WordGardener 2020She Had It ComingShort film; director 2024Kung Fu Panda 4Badger Crime BossVoice 2024Ultraman: RisingHayao Sato/UltradadVoice

Television + Television performances Year Title Role Notes 1976Pacific OverturesPriest / Girl / BoyTelevision film 1978Life at StakeDavid KootookEpisode: "Somewhere Between Cambridge Bay and Yellowknife" 1986–1987Gung HoKaz Kazuhiro Main role 1987The New Adventures of Beans BaxterHo HumEpisode: "Beasn' Home Life Gets UGLI" 1988–1992Sesame StreetHiroshiRecurring role 1989BookerMaxEpisode: "Someone Stole Lucille" 1990GrandTaki Mifune 3 episodes 1990Murphy BrownGuru PremEpisode: "The Bitch's Back" 1990NewhartMr. TagadachiEpisode: "The Last Newhart" 1990On the TelevisionVarious2 episodes 1990–1991Down HomeTranMain role 1991Pacific StationRam ShaEpisode: "Operation!" 1992Miss America: Behind the CrownTakeoTelevision film 1994Count On MeUnknown roleTelevision film 1995–1997Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every ChildNuri / EmperorVoice, 2 episodes 1996DuckmanUnknown voice roleEpisode: "The Mallardian Candidate" 1996Mad About YouSpeech WriterEpisode: "The Grant" 1996SeinfeldMr. OhEpisode: "The Checks" 1997The Weird Al ShowKunoEpisode: "Back to School" 1997–1999The SimpsonsCartoon Squid / Japanese Father / Japanese Man / Factory ForemanVoice, 2 episodes 1997–2003ERNurse Yosh TakataRecurring role 1998–1999RugratsZack / Kangaroo2 episodes 1999Home ImprovementNobo NakamuraEpisode: "Home Alone" 1999–2000Batman BeyondDr. Suzuki / PrincipalVoice, 2 episodes 2000Secret Agent ManLing #2Episode: "Uncle S.A.M." 2000Sabrina the Teenage WitchKenjiEpisode: "Welcome, Traveler" 2001Jackie Chan AdventuresGangster #1Voice, episode: "Mother of All Battles" 2001The Proud FamilyMr. MinVoice, episode: "EZ Jackster" 2001E! True Hollywood StoryHimself (Interviewee)Episode: "Sixteen Candles" 2002L.A. Law: The MovieCyrilTelevision film 2002My Wife and KidsDr. Phil LingEpisode: "Diary of a Mad Teen" 2002–2007Kim PossibleProfessor Bob ChenVoice, 2 episodes 2003What's New, Scooby-Doo?Vincent WongVoice, episode: "Lights! Camera! Mayhem!" 2003Whatever Happened to... Robot Jones?James / Bear / Co-worker Voice, 3 episodes 2003I Love the '80s Strikes BackHimself (Interviewee)Documentary (10 episodes) 2005EverwoodArtEpisode: "Oh, the Places You'll Go" 2005–2007All Grown Up!Nar-do / Nar-Do, Cyber ClauseVoice, 2 episodes 2006Model FamilyTerrenceTV Short 2006Family GuyLong Duk DongVoice, episode: "Mother Tucker" 2008American Dad!Chicken Hatchery ManagerVoice, episode: "Pulling Double Booty" 2010Proposition 8 Trial Re-EnactmentHak-Sing William TamTV documentary 2012The Seven Year HitchMr. FujimuraTelevision film 2014–2017Bravest WarriorsHamster Mitch / Tourist AlienVoice, 3 episodes 2016Pickle and PeanutAdditional voicesEpisode: "90s Adventure Bear / Parking Lot Carnival" 2019Puppy Dog PalsReoVoice, episode: "Land of the Rising Pup" 2019Perfect HarmonyGlennEpisode: "Pilot" 2020The DisappointmentsGary Chen Recurring role 2021Call Me KatHenryEpisode: "Eggs" 2021The Sex Lives of College GirlsProfessor Harpin Episode: "Parents Weekend"

Video games + Video game credits Year Title Voice role Notes 1998Disney's Animated Storybook: MulanLing 1998Mulan Story StudioLing 2005Kingdom Hearts IILing English version 2007Kingdom Hearts II: Final Mix+Ling English version

Stage + Stage performances Year Title Role Notes 1976Pacific OverturesBoy, Girl, Priest, Sailor and Townsperson, Proscenium ServantBroadway debut 1982Poor Little LambsItsu Yoshiro 1994The Good Person of SetzuanWater Seller 2001A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the ForumPseudolus 2008PippinGrandmother Berthe 2009IxnayTadashi Ozaki 2016La Cage aux FollesAlbin 2016The FantasticksHucklebee

See also

References

External links