Lauren Tom
Lauren Tom is an American actress and voice actress. Her roles include Lena St. Clair in The Joy Luck Club, Julie in the NBC sitcom Friends, Dot in the final season of Grace Under Fire, and the voices for Amy Wong in Futurama, Minh and Connie Souphanousinphone in King of the Hill, and Numbuh 3 in . She portrayed Celia Mack in the Disney Channel series Andi Mack.
Early life
Tom was born in the Chicago suburb of Highland Park, Illinois, the daughter of Nancy and Chan Tom, Jr., who worked in the frozen food business. She has a brother named Chip. Their parents were born in Chicago, and their grandparents came from Kaiping, Guangdong, China. Raised in Highland Park, she grew up as a Catholic in a largely Jewish neighborhood. Tom was bullied as a child about her Chinese heritage, making her introverted and eventually inspiring her to study dance.Career
Theatre
At the age of 17, Tom landed a spot with a touring company of A Chorus Line and was cast in the Broadway production of the show less than a year later in the role of Connie. She won an Obie Award for her Off-Broadway acting and was cast in the Broadway shows Hurlyburly and '. In Chicago she starred in the Goodman Theater's production of Tis Pity She's a Whore''.Film
Tom had several small roles in movies including Nothing Lasts Forever, Wall Street, See No Evil, Hear No Evil and Blue Steel. Her biggest role up until that point was as a waitress in the Robin Williams/Tim Robbins film Cadillac Man. This role led to being a guest on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.Tom landed a lead role in the film The Joy Luck Club in 1993, which led to roles in other films such as When a Man Loves a Woman and North.
Since the mid-1990s, Tom has focused primarily on voiceover roles. She has appeared in a few live-action films, including the 2003 comedy Bad Santa and the critically acclaimed 2004 film In Good Company.
Television
Lauren Tom's first role in television was that of Miko Wakamatsu on The Facts of Life. She subsequently appeared on The Equalizer, Catfish With Black Bean Sauce, thirtysomething, Quantum Leap, Chicago Hope, ', Grace Under Fire, Friends, The Nanny, The Middle, DAG, The Division, Monk, My Wife and Kids, ', Grey's Anatomy, The Closer and Men in Trees. She also had a supporting role on the 8th and 9th season of the drama series Supernatural as prophet Kevin Tran's mother, Linda Tran. In 2018, she appeared in the second season of the Amazon Prime drama series Goliath.Voice acting
Tom began vocal work in the animated series ' playing Angela Chen. From there on, she voiced Dana Tan in Batman Beyond and had minor roles on Pinky and the Brain, Extreme Ghostbusters, The Zeta Project before landing her regular roles on King of the Hill, where she voiced Minh and Connie Souphanousinphone and later Futurama, where she voices Amy and Inez Wong.Since first playing the character on stage in the 1983 Doonesbury musical, Tom has periodically voiced the character Honey Huan in media related to Doonesbury, most notably in a series of animated shorts satirizing the 2000 U.S. presidential election.
She has also lent her voice to All Grown Up!, Rocket Power, Max Steel, Handy Manny as Mrs. Lee and Nelson, Samurai Jack, Johnny Bravo, Justice League Unlimited, Kim Possible and Legion of Super Heroes.
She has also voiced the villains Gizmo and Jinx on Teen Titans, Yan Lin, Susan, Alchemy on W.I.T.C.H., Tasumi on The Replacements, Jake's mom, Counselor Chang on ', and as Joo Dee on '. She also guest-starred in The Penguins of Madagascar as Chuck Charles's co-anchor, Bonnie Chang, in "Gator Watch" and "All Tied Up With a Boa".
In 2010, she did the voice of Song, Bai Li and Ming on the animated series, ' and also played the role of Jessica in the animated film, Scooby-Doo! Camp Scare.
Other animated movies Tom has voiced include Mulan II, ', ', ' and the four Futurama movies: ', ', ' and '.
She voiced Li Li Stormstout in ' and played Hayaku on an episode of Turbo FAST.
Personal life
Tom married Glenn Lau-Kee on October 23, 1982. Following the end of that marriage, she wed actor Curt Kaplan in October 1999. She and Kaplan have two sons.Filmography
Film
Television
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
1982 | ' | Miko | Episode: "The Americanization of Miko" Episode: "Runaway" |
1984 | ABC Afterschool Special | Sarah | Episode: "Mom's on Strike" |
1985 | CBS Schoolbreak Special | Kim | Episode: "The Exchange Student" |
1985 | ' | Mrs. Tom | Episode: "China Rain" |
1985 | ' | Episode: "Children of a Tempest Storm" | |
1985 | ' | Mrs. Gwynne | Episode: "Denise's Friend" |
1990 | Angel of Death | Julie | TV movie |
1990 | thirtysomething | Gail | Episode: "The Distance" |
1991 | Lenny | Nurse | Episode: "G.I. Joe" |
1991 | Quantum Leap | Sophie | Episode: "Southern Comforts" |
1991 | Palace Guard | Episode: "Eye of Newt" | |
1991 | Anything but Love | Episode: "First Lady Sings the Blues" | |
1994 | 704 Hauser | Margaret | Episode: "Triskaidekaphobia" |
1994 | ' | Emma Zoole | Episode: "A Model Citizen" Episode: "Happy to Be Here" |
1994 | Chicago Hope | Nurse Julia | Episode: "You Gotta Have Heart" and Episode: "Love and Hope" |
1995 | ' | Julie's Mom | Episode: "Family Fun" |
1995 | ' | Lily Yee | TV movie |
1995 | Escape to Witch Mountain | Claudia Ford | TV movie |
1995 | ' | Kim | Episode: "The Chatterbox" |
1995 | If Not for You | Claire | Episode: "Pilot" |
1995–1996 | Friends | Julie | 7 episodes |
1996 | ' | Angela Chen | TV movie |
1996–1999 | Superman | Angela Chen | 14 episodes |
1997 | ' | Angela Chen | TV movie |
1997 | ' | Soon-He / Mrs. Fun | 3 episodes |
1997 | Tell Me No Secrets | Connie Ching | TV movie |
1997 | Murder Live! | Marge Fong | TV movie |
1997 | Tracey Takes On... | Weng | Episode: "Race Relations" |
1997 | Pinky and the Brain | Shopper | Episode: "Brain Acres" |
1997 | ' | Ice Maiden #3 | Episode: "Cold Comfort" |
1997 | Extreme Ghostbusters | Episode: "Fallout" Episode: "Eyes of a Dragon" | |
1997–1998 | Grace Under Fire | Dot | 12 episodes |
1997–2010 | King of the Hill | Connie Minh Various | 98 episodes |
1998 | Adventures from the Book of Virtues | Mother | Episode: "Charity" |
1998 | Dexter's Laboratory | Teacher | Episode: "Last But Not Beast" |
1998 | Vengeance Unlimited | Samantha | Episode: "Dishonorable Discharge" |
1999 | ' | Dana Tan | TV movie |
1999 | Early Edition | Amy Hunter | Episode: "Play It Again, Sammo" |
1999 | Rocket Power | Trish and Sherry | Episode: "Fall and Rise of Sam / Typhoid Sam" |
1999 | Y2K | Ann Lee | TV movie |
1999–2001 | ' | Jordan | TV series |
1999–2001 | Batman Beyond | Dana Tan Various | 22 episodes |
1999–2003 2008–2013 | Futurama | Amy Wong Inez Wong Various | 125+ episodes |
2000 | City of Angels | Episode: "Unhand Me" | |
2000 | Teacher's Pet | Younghee Additional voices | TV series |
2000 | ' | Candace | Episode: "Real Fake" |
2000 | Pepper Ann | Alice Kane | Episode: "Complementary Colors" Episode: "A Is for Average/Alice Kane Went Down to Calcutta" |
2000 | ' | Dana Tan | Video |
2000–2001 | DAG | Ginger Chin | 17 episodes |
2000–2001 | Clerks | 2 episodes | |
2001 | Max Steel | Laura Chen | Episode: "Strangers" |
2001 | Johnny Bravo | Ting | Episode: "Enter the Chipmunk" |
2001 | No P in the O.O.L. | Numbuh 3 | TV movie |
2001–2002 | ' | Agent Lee | 8 episodes |
2002 | ' | TV movie | |
2002 | ChalkZone | Flunke/Robin | 1 episode |
2002 | The Division | Nora Chen | 6 episodes |
2002 | What's New, Scooby-Doo? | Various | 4 episodes |
2002 | My Wife and Kids | Hostess | Episode: "Table for Too Many: Part 1" Episode: "Table for Too Many: Part 2" |
2002–2005 | Kim Possible | Yoshiko | 4 episodes |
2002–2003 | Totally Spies! | Lady Dragon Keiko Sunny | Episode: "Game Girls" Episode: "Man or Machine" Episode: "Here Comes the Sun" |
2002–2004 | Fillmore! | Karen Tehama/Various | 16 episodes |
2002–2008 | ' | Kuki 'Numbuh 3' Sanban Genki Sanban Additional voices | 78 episodes |
2003 | All Grown Up! | Bean | Episodes: "Interview with a Campfire” parts 1 and 2 |
2003 | Monk | Mrs. Ling | Episode: "Mr. Monk and the 12th Man" |
2003 | Duck Dodgers | Dr. Yoshimi | Episode: "The Spy Who Didn't Love Me" |
2003 | Samurai Jack | Samurai Jack's mother Additional characters | 3 episodes |
2003 | Line of Fire | Korean Jury Member | Episode: "This Land Is Your Land" |
2003–2005 2006 | Justice League Unlimited | Chung Kid Dana Tan Dr. Light | Episode: "Epilogue" Episode: "The Great Brain Robbery" Episode: "Eclipsed" |
2003–2005 | Teen Titans | Gizmo Jinx | 6 episodes |
2004 | ' | Darcy Chang | TV series |
2004 | 30 Days Until I'm Famous | Carla | TV movie |
2004 | My Wife and Kids | Annie Hoo | Episode: "Jr. Sells His Car" Episode: "Restaurant Wars" |
2004–2006 | W.I.T.C.H. | Yan Lin Various | 51 episodes |
2005 | ' | Yoshiko | TV movie |
2005 | Danger Rangers | Various | Episode: "Fires & Liars" |
2005 | Barbershop | Dana | 4 episodes |
2005 | Threshold | Janet Tam | Episode: "The Order" |
2005 | Clifford's Puppy Days | Shun | 2 episodes |
2005–2006 | ' | Joo Dee Additional Voices | 3 episodes |
2005–2007 | ' | Susan Long Counselor Chang | 25 episodes |
2006 | Courting Alex | Jan | Episode: "Everything I Know About Men" |
2006 | Let Go | Beverly | TV movie |
2006 | Grey's Anatomy | Audrey | Episode: "Begin the Begin" |
2006 | In from the Night | Dr. Myra Chen | TV movie |
2006 | ' | Kuki 'Numbuh 3' Sanban | TV movie |
2006 | ' | Dr. Tann | Episode: "Borderline" |
2006 | Me, Eloise | Episode: "Eloise Goes to School" | |
2006–2008 | Men in Trees | Mai Washington | 26 episodes |
2006–2009 | ' | Tasumi | 43 episodes |
2007 | Billy & Mandy's Big Boogey Adventure | Numbuh Three | TV movie |
2007 | ' | Numbuh 3 | TV movie |
2007–2008 | Legion of Super Heroes | Zyx | Episode: "Child's Play" Episode: "Trials" |
2008 | ' | Bae Chin | Episode: "Say Uncle" |
2009 | Without a Trace | Kim Tan | Episode: "Devotion" |
2009 | Hawthorne | Mrs. Tanaka | Episode: "The Sense of Belonging" |
2010–2011 | ' | Bonnie Chang | Episode: "Gator Watch" Episode: "All Tied Up With a Boa" |
2010 | Phineas and Ferb | Additional Voices | Episode: "Phineas and Ferb: Summer Belongs to You!" |
2010 | Fish Hooks | Barb | Episode: "Bea Becomes an Adult Fish" |
2010–2013 | Pound Puppies | Various | |
2011 | Curious George | Mei | |
2011 | ' | Song/Ming/Bai Li | TV series |
2012 | Napoleon Dynamite | Tokiko | Episode: "Scantronica Love" |
2012–2014 | Supernatural | Mrs. Linda Tran | Episode: "What's Up, Tiger Mommy?" Episode: "A Little Slice Of Kevin" Episode: "Captives" |
2013–present | Teen Titans Go! | Gizmo Jinx | Episode: "Laundry Day" Episode: "Girl's Night Out" |
2014–2016 | Turbo FAST | Hayaku Translator | Episode: "Turbo Drift" Episode: "He Got Game Night" |
2014 | The Simpsons | Amy Wong | Episode: "Simpsorama" |
2015 | ' | Sashi's Mom | Episode: "Flurgle Burgle" |
2015 | Pretty Little Liars | Rebecca | |
2016–2018 | ' | Mary Wang | 17 episodes |
2017–2019 | Andi Mack | Celia Mack | Main Character |
2018 | Mighty Magiswords | Toni Sento | Episode: "Let's Team Up Because We Aren't Bad Friends" |
2018 | Big City Greens | Various | |
2018 | Disenchantment | Stacy LeBlatt | Episode: “The Princess of Darkness” |
2018-2019 | The Loud House | Cici Ms. Pham Burping Burger Mom | Episode: “Middle Men” Episode: “Hero Today, Gone Tomorrow” |
2018-2019 | ' | Mary Wang | 9 episodes |
2018-2019 | Goliath | Applebees | 5 episodes |
2019 | Pinky Malinky | Bus Driver Tina | Episode: "Gym" |
2019 | ' | Traci Thirteen, additional voices | Episodes: “Away Mission” Episode: “Illusion Of Control” |
2019 | The Rookie | Mrs. Chen | Episode: "Tough Love" |
2020 | Last Man Standing | Fiona | Episode: "Keep the Change" |