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Khigh Alx Dhiegh (/ˈkaɪ ˈdiː/ KY DEE or /ˈdeɪ/ DAY; born Kenneth Dickerson; August 25, 1910 – October 25, 1991)[1] was an American television and motion picture actor of Anglo-Egyptian Sudanese ancestry, noted for portraying East Asian roles.[2] He is perhaps best remembered for portraying villains, in particular his recurring TV guest role as Chinese agent Wo Fat on Hawaii Five-O (from the pilot in 1968, to the final episode in 1980), and brainwashing expert Dr. Yen Lo in 1962's The Manchurian Candidate.[a]
Khigh Dhiegh | |
|---|---|
 Khigh Dhiegh in trailer for The Manchurian Candidate (1962) | |
| Born | Kenneth Dickerson August 25, 1910 Spring Lake, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Died | October 25, 1991 (aged 81) Mesa, Arizona, U.S. |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1950–1990 |
| Spouse | May Dickerson (?-?) 2 children |
Life and death
editHe was born Kenneth Dickerson in Spring Lake, New Jersey.[3][4] Dhiegh stated his mother was "Chinese, Spanish, English, and Egyptian" and his father was "Italian, Portuguese, and Zulu"; he was raised in New York City, living in all the boroughs except Staten Island.[5]: 6 He moved to Arizona in 1977.[3]
Dhiegh died on October 25, 1991, at Desert Samaritan Hospital of Mesa, Arizona, from kidney and heart failure.[6][7]
Career
editIn the early 1930s, Dhiegh was asked by a customer at his mother's bookshop to understudy the role of a butler in Noël Coward's Design for Living, which led to his long career in acting, producing, and directing.[5]: 1–2
Performance
editOn Broadway, Dhiegh's credits include The Teahouse of the August Moon and Flower Drum Song.[3] Off-Broadway, he received an Obie Award in 1961, for playing Schlink in In the Jungle of Cities.[3]
He also starred in the short-lived 1975 TV series Khan! as the title character.[2][8] In 1988, he was featured as Four Finger Wu in James Clavell's Noble House television mini-series.[9]
In 1965, Dhiegh recorded and released an album on Folkways Records, entitled St. John of the Cross: Volume II, a collection of poems of St. John.[citation needed]
Philosophy
editBesides his acting endeavors, Dhiegh was active in Taoist philosophy, writing a number of books on the subject, including The Eleventh Wing (ISBN 0-385-28371-7).[2] Dhiegh credited his "life long dear friend Chao-Li Chi" with sparking his interest in the I Ching and Taoism, starting in 1935.[5]: 2–3 In 1971, he founded the Taoist Sanctuary (now the Taoist Institute) in Hollywood, California.[5]: 4 At the time, he was living in the San Fernando Valley.[8]
Dhiegh also had a doctorate in theology, and in his later years, was the rector for a Taoist sanctuary in Tempe, Arizona called 'Inner Truth Looking Place.' He held weekly services and sponsored many 'Tea Ceremonies' in the Phoenix metro area. Dhiegh picked up jewelry making as a hobby in the 1970s, later selling pieces to help support the sanctuary.[3] One of his last interviews was on One World in 1990, where he presented the concept of World Citizenry and its benefit to mankind.[10] Dhiegh's contributions to Taoism are discussed in some detail in the book Taoism for Dummies (John Wiley and Sons Canada, 2013).
Select filmography
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1957 | Time Limit | Col. Kim | as Kaie Deei |
| 1962 | The Manchurian Candidate | Dr. Yen Lo | |
| 1963 | 13 Frightened Girls | Kang | |
| 1965 | How to Murder Your Wife | Bald Actor playing Thug | |
| 1966 | Seconds | Davalo | |
| 1968 | The Destructors | King Chou Lai | |
| 1968-1980 | Hawaii Five-O | Wo Fat[11] | 15 episodes |
| 1970 | The Hawaiians | Kai Chung | |
| 1971 | The Mephisto Waltz | Zanc Theun | |
| 1974 | Judge Dee and The Monastery Murders | Judge Dee | |
| 1978 | Goin' Coconuts | Wong |
Notes
edit- ^ Dr. Lo proudly asserted that the subject's minds were not only "brain-washed", but they were also "dry-cleaned".
References
edit- ^ Komjathy, Louis. "Daoist teachers in North America" (PDF). Pacific Lutheran University via Centre for Daoist Studies. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 3, 2007. Retrieved 2008-03-07. Includes short biographical summary of Khigh Dhiegh.
- ^ a b c O’Dell, Cary (17 August 2022). "Remembering TV's "Khan!"". Now See Hear! The National Audio-Visual Conservation Center Blog. Library of Congress. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
- ^ a b c d e Rice, Patrick (June 23, 1981). "Spiritual Side Of Former 'Villain'". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
- ^ "'Five-O' actor had many TV credits". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. June 7, 2010. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
- ^ a b c d Khigh Alx Dhiegh, PhD; Rector of the Taoist Sanctuary (25 July 1974). "Khigh Dhiegh interviewed by Irvin Paik" (Interview). Interviewed by Irvin Paik. USC Digital Library. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
{{cite interview}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "'Hawaii Five-O' villain dies of heart, kidney failure". Deseret News. October 27, 1991. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
- ^ "Khigh Dhiegh". Variety. November 10, 1991. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
- ^ a b Beck, Marilyn (February 2, 1975). "Dhiegh Rejects Glamor, Favors Obscurity". Florida Today. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
- ^ Buck, Jerry (February 21, 1988). "NBC shoots for success with 'Noble House'". The Pittsburgh Press. Associated Press. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
- ^ ONE WORLD - TV for Transcendence w/ Khigh Alx Dhiegh - World Citizenship on YouTube
- ^ Crean, Jeffrey (2024). The Fear of Chinese Power: an International History. New Approaches to International History series. London, UK: Bloomsbury Academic. p. 108. ISBN 978-1-350-23394-2.