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Soon-Teck Oh

Korean Background:

Korean-born American

오순택

Soon-Tek Oh was a Korean-born Korean-American actor, director, playwright, and pioneer of Asian-American theatre. Born in Mokpo in 1932, Oh studied at Yonsei University before moving to the United States, where he pursued professional theatre training and earned an MFA from UCLA. In 1965, he co-founded East West Players to create opportunities beyond the stereotypical roles then available to Asian-American actors. Oh joined the original Broadway cast of Pacific Overtures, beginning with previews in 1975, playing Tamate, a Samurai, a Storyteller, and a Swordsman while also creating the production’s martial-arts sequence. Alongside an extensive stage and screen career, including The Man with the Golden Gun and the voice of Fa Zhou in Disney’s Mulan, he founded the Korean-American theatre group Society of Heritage Performers and later worked as an educator in South Korea.

Broadway or West End Debut

Debut Marktet:

Broadway

Debut Year:

1976

Debut Production:

Pacific Overtures

Debut Role:

Tamate / Samurai / Storyteller / Swordsman

Debut Theatre:

Winter Garden Theatre

Company Entry:

Original Cast

Credit Type:

Multiple Roles

Pacific Overtures

Winter Garden Theatre

Martial Arts Sequence — Additional Credit (Original) | Jan 11, 1976 - Jun 27, 1976
Samurai — Original | Jan 11, 1976 - Jun 27, 1976
Storyteller — Original | Jan 11, 1976 - Jun 27, 1976
Swordsman — Original | Jan 11, 1976 - Jun 27, 1976
Tamate — Original | Jan 11, 1976 - Jun 27, 1976
Martial Arts Sequence — Additional Credit (Original) | Aug 31, 1976 - Dec 18, 1976
Samurai — Original | Aug 31, 1976 - Dec 18, 1976
Storyteller — Original | Aug 31, 1976 - Dec 18, 1976
Swordsman — Original | Aug 31, 1976 - Dec 18, 1976
Tamate — Original | Aug 31, 1976 - Dec 18, 1976

Broadway

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Last update: September 19, 2026

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