Sze Irene Ng (born July 28, 1974) is an American actress, teacher, banker and founder and director of Mencius Mandarin Preschool in Greenwich, Connecticut. She is best known for her role as Shelby Woo in The Mystery Files of Shelby Woo.
Irene Ng | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | Sze Irene Ng (黃敏) July 28, 1974 | ||||||||||||||
| Occupation(s) | Actress (formerly), teacher and banker | ||||||||||||||
| Spouse | David Rosa (2008–present) | ||||||||||||||
| Children | 2 | ||||||||||||||
| Chinese name | |||||||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 黃敏 | ||||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 黄敏 | ||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
Early life
editNg was born July 28, 1974, in Penang, Malaysia.[1] For the first five years of her life, she was raised by her maternal grandparents as her parents were at the United States for their higher studies.[2][3] She immigrated from Malaysia to Allentown, Pennsylvania, in 1989, at age 15, with her parents and her sister and brother. Following immigration to the United States, her father worked as a general manager for a Chinese fire-resistant filing cabinets manufacturing factory while her mother worked as a nurse at a hospital in Allentown.[3] She attended Allentown's William Allen High School and in 1993, she and her sister graduated as valedictorians from high school.[4] At age 16, she was discovered by television agents when she won a Pennsylvania beauty contest.[5]
Acting career
edit| External videos | |
|---|---|
 Irene Ng speaking on Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month (15 May 2022), Facebook (Nickelodeon) |
Ng's first acting role was in ABC soap opera All My Children in 1991, where she starred in 18 episodes.[1][6] In 1993, she starred in films The Joy Luck Club and Heaven & Earth.[1][7] Ng has guest starred on Law & Order and Teen Angel.[6] In 1996, she was cast as the main protagonist in the Nickelodeon TV series Mystery Files of Shelby Woo, reportedly making her at that time the second Asian American to star as title character in a TV series after Margaret Cho in the All-American Girl.[8][9] The show ran for three seasons till 1998.[2] In 1997, she took part in Nickelodeon game show Figure It Out.[10] Her last film role was in the 1999 film The Sterling Chase.[11] Following the start of the 21st century, Ng ended her entertainment career, and only had a minor role in an episode of season 19 of Law & Order in 2008 and episode of the fourth season of Showtime series The Affair in 2018.[2]
Later and personal life
editDuring her entertainment career in the 1990s, she began her studies at Harvard University and graduated with BA in economics in 1997, and was elected member of Phi Beta Kappa and was finalist for Rhodes Scholarship. She later received certification in childcare management at New York University and also Child Development Associate credential. Following her studies, she worked as a banker at Merrill Lynch for seven years and travelled frequently to China for business. In 2009, she founded the Mencius Mandarin Preschool in Greenwich, Connecticut and currently serves as the director of the school.[5][12]
In 2008, Ng married David Rosa and had two children, a son and daughter. The family currently resides in Greenwich.[3][13]
Filmography
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | The Joy Luck Club | 15-year-old Lindo | |
| Heaven & Earth | Torture Girl #1 | ||
| 1999 | The Sterling Chase | Cathy |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | All My Children | An Li Chen Bodine #1 | 18 episodes |
| 1996-1998 | The Mystery Files of Shelby Woo | Shelby Woo | Main role |
| 1996-2008 | Law & Order | Xuan-Lan Nguyen | Episode: "Double Blind" |
| Employee | Episode: "Knock Off" | ||
| 1997 | Figure It Out | Herself | 1 episode |
| 1998 | Teen Angel | Nia | Episode: "Look Ma, No Face" |
| 2018 | The Affair | Ms. Ma | Episode: #4.2 |
References
edit- ^ a b c Moore, Scott (1996-03-16). "Success Is No Mystery To Shelby Woo' Star". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 18, 2023.
- ^ a b c "PaleyMatters Interview with Irene Ng". YouTube (Paley Matters). 2018-06-20. Retrieved November 29, 2023.
- ^ a b c "Irene Ng, David Rosa". The New York Times. 2008-07-27. Retrieved 2013-02-25.
- ^ "Sisters Share Valedictorian Honors At Allen High School Graduation". The Morning Call. 1993-06-16. Retrieved 2023-11-29.
- ^ a b "Staff". Mencius Mandarin Preschool. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
- ^ a b "Irene Ng (Resume)". Historical Images Outlet. Retrieved 2023-11-29.
- ^ "L.v.'s Irene Ng Finds Joy At Harvard Not In Hollywood Lucky Star". The Morning Call. 1993-10-10. Retrieved November 29, 2023.
- ^ Roberts, Flethcer (1997-02-16). "Shelby Woo, Relentless Girl Detective". The New York Times. Retrieved 2023-11-29.
- ^ Heffley, Lynne (1996-03-16). "TV Reviews : Teen Heroine Propels 'Files of Shelby Woo'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2023-11-29.
- ^ "Figure it Out Season 1 Slime Compilation". Wayback Archive. Retrieved November 29, 2023.
- ^ Harvard Magazine - Volume 101. Circulation Department (Harvard University). 1998.
- ^ Zielinski, Kymberle J. (1996-03-18). "Harvard Student Starring In New Nickelodeon Show". The Harvard Crimson. Retrieved 2023-11-29.
- ^ Chua, Joselynn. "Irene Ng's Move from Manhattan to Greenwich, CT". Suburbs 101. Retrieved 2023-11-29.