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Irene Tsu is one of the first very successful Asia American actresses in Hollywood.

 

Ms. Tsu was born in Shanghai raised in New York.  At 15 she made her first film debut as a dancer in Flower Drum Song, the director Henry Koster ( Havey w Jimmy Stewart, The Robe w Richard Burton) spotted something unique in the teenager and asked her to read for a part in his next film again with Jimmy Stewart “Take Her She’s Mine” He casted Irene as a French prostitute. Irene got her Screen Actors Guild card. Over the next several decades her striking beauty and acting talents lead to roles in many major motion pictures with actors such as Elvis Presley in “Paradise Hawaiian Style” John Wayne in the Green Barets”, Jeff Bridges in “The Yin and Yan” and Toshiro Mifune in “Paper Tiger” Bette Midler in “Down and Out in Beverly Hills”. Despite the limited roles available to Asian actors in Hollywood Irene has over 80 film and TV credits all through the 70s, 80s, 90 s. Prime time TV shows include “Star Trek: voyager” “Man from U.N.C.L.E.” “I Spy” “Hawaii Five O” “Mission Impossible” “CSI: NY” “Law & Order :LA” “Cold Case” “Division” IMDB Irene Tsu

 

​She was also the first Asian actress to explode into the American hearts and living rooms through the successful TV commercial “Chevron Island” “Wiki Wiki Dollars” where she was the spokeswoman of three years for the Standard Oil Company as well as the spokeswoman for “ Hawaiian Punch”  for the RJ Reynolds Tobacco Company

 

Ms Tsu speaks English and three different varieties of Chinese.

 

Irene’s most valued film experience happened when famed Hong Kong director Peter Chan Ho Sun asked Irene to appear in his highly acclaimed Hong Kong production “Comrades an almost love story” w Maggie Cheung, Irene played Leon Lai’s auntie and later “Golden Chicken” w Sandra Kuen Yu

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When she was introduced the idea of establishing film academy for aspiring actors & filmmakers from around the world, she got immediately intrigued about the idea. After Chinese students were mentioned, she knew that her language skills, her creatvity and business relationships with the biggest names of Chinese showbiz and her personal life story can definitely contribute to help young Chinese artists to learn about the great thrill of being part of Hollywood movie making that she has been able to enjoy it since her first speaking role in 1963. 

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Ms. Tsu is extremely excited to be a part of this project, to meet students from China, to share her Hollywood experiences, to help usher them on this unique journey and prepare them for their successful career in movies.