More John Lone Bios & Profiles
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Biography #2
The films of John Lone testify to the scope and diversity of his skill. He starred in the title role in David Cronenberg's film adaptation of the Broadway hit M. Butterfly, as the captivating muse who seduces and coerces a French diplomat into duplicity. In The Shadow, he starred as Alec Baldwin's nemesis, Shiwan Khan, the last warrior descendant of Genghis Khan.Lone catapulted to international attention with the title role in Bernardo Bertolucci's Oscar winning The Last Emperor. With a series of starring roles in feature films and two Golden Globe nominations, Lone's artistry as an actor has been highly regarded by critics and audiences alike.
Lone made his theatrical debut portraying a prehistoric man brought back to life in Iceman. He next played a suave Chinese gangster in The Year of the Dragon. Subsequently, he played the enigmatic businessman/art collector living among the expatriates of 1920s Paris in Alan Rudolph's The Moderns, and a Balinese dancer involved in an interracial love affair in Echoes of Paradise. Lone also helped assemble an international creative team for two independent features, Shadow of China and Shanghai 1920.
Lone began life in Hong Kong and was orphaned early on. At a young age, deprived of traditional education opportunities, he was sent to live with the monastic-like company of the Beijing Opera. There he trained in the highly disciplined and rigorous formal arts of Chinese theatre. Lone passed up a ten-year contract with the Hong Kong cinema establishment, and chose instead to pursue his own brand of artistic expression. This determination and a growing interest in the Western culture led him to America.
Lone's initial U.S. success was in David Hwang's play F.O.B. at Joseph Papp's Public Theatre in New York. His performance earned him an Obie Award and the serious attention of the New York theatre world. Hwang wrote his next play, The Dance and the Railroad, specifically for Lone. In this critically heralded production, Lone not only played the lead but also served as director, choreographer and composer. After a successful theatrical run, the production was showcased on television as part of the New York Shakespeare Festival/ABC Arts Productions. Lone made his directorial debut with the PBS/American Playhouse production of Paper Angels based on a play that he had directed for the New York stage.
Lone also starred in the feature film The Hunted with Christopher Lambert in which he played Kinjo, the legendary assassin.
updated 01-Jan-2000
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