Benedict Wong

Benedict Wong (born 3 July 1971) is an English actor. He began his career on stage before starring in the film Dirty Pretty Things, which earned him a British Independent Film Award nomination, and the BBC sitcom 15 Storeys High (2002–2004). This was followed by roles in the films On a Clear Day (2005), Sunshine, Grow Your Own (both 2007) and Moon (2009), and the CBBC series Spirit Warriors (2010).

Wong gained further recognition in the 2010s for his roles as Kublai Khan in the Netflix series Marco Polo (2014–2016), Bruce Ng in the film The Martian (2015), and Wong in the Marvel Cinematic Universe since the film Doctor Strange (2016), and the Syfy series Deadly Class (2019). Wong's performance in the film Nine Days (2020) earned him an Independent Spirit Award nomination. As of 2024, he stars in the Netflix series 3 Body Problem. His recent films include Bad Genius (2024) and Weapons (2025).

Early life and education Wong was born in Eccles, Greater Manchester, (then part of Lancashire), He grew up in Salford and attended De La Salle Sixth Form College, where he took a two-year performing arts course.

Career Early career Wong's first role was in the 1993 BBC Radio play Kai Mei Sauce, written by his cousin, Kevin Wong. He appeared as Errol Spears alongside Sean Lock in the situation comedy 15 Storeys High, and as Franklin Fu in the second series of Look Around You. In 2003, he was nominated at the British Independent Film Awards for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Guo Yi in Dirty Pretty Things.

In 2007, Wong starred in the feature film Grow Your Own. He appeared in the second episode of Series 4 of the Channel 4 comedy The IT Crowd as Prime, a previous Countdown contestant who had won the sixteenth Countdown teapot when he was known as Harold Tong. He also appeared in the film Shanghai as Juso Kita, and played Li in the BBC series Spirit Warriors.

In 2012, Wong appeared in the Ridley Scott film Prometheus as the ship's pilot, Ravel. In 2013, he played the lead role in #aiww: The Arrest of Ai WeiWei at the Hampstead Theatre. Shortly after, the Almeida Theatre announced that he had joined the cast of the play Chimerica as Zhang Lin. Also in he played gangster Lau in the BBC Two comedy-drama The Wrong Mans.

International breakthrough

In 2014, Wong played Kublai Khan in the Netflix series Marco Polo, which on 7 January 2015 was renewed by Netflix for a 10-episode second series. The next year, he appeared in another Ridley Scott science fiction film, playing Jet Propulsion Lab director Bruce Ng in The Martian. In 2016, he co-starred as Wong in the superhero film Doctor Strange (2016) and later reprised the role in Avengers: Infinity War (2018), Avengers: Endgame (2019), Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021), Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021), Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022), and the 2022 Disney+ series She-Hulk: Attorney at Law.

He appeared in Hated in the Nation, an episode of the anthology series Black Mirror, playing Shaun Li, an agent with the National Crime Agency in 2016. In 2017 he voiced Alex Yu in the Arkane Studios game Prey and starred in 2036: Nexus Dawn, a promotional short film prequel to Blade Runner 2049 directed by Luke Scott and co-starring Jared Leto. He appeared as the scientist Lomax in the 2018 science fiction horror film Annihilation.

In 2019, he performed the voice of Skeksis general skekVar in the Netflix series The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance and the voice of Bull in the film Lady and the Tramp. In 2020, he appeared as a Necromancer in an episode of the FX television series What We Do in the Shadows. Wong's 2013 political play #aiww: The Arrest of Ai Weiwei was streamed through the news network The Guardian again in May 2020.

In 2021, Wong voiced the warrior giant Tong in the Disney animated film Raya and the Last Dragon. In 2021, he was nominated for a Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male for his performance as Kyo in Nine Days. He joined the cast of the Netflix live action adaptation of the Chinese novel The Three Body Problem by Liu Cixin, which began shooting later that year. In 2022, through BBC Radio, he partnered with Ai WeiWei again as the narrator for Ai's memoir 1000 Years of Joys and Sorrows. In 2024, 3 Body Problem was released. The show was well received, with Wong's performance being singled out.

Personal life Wong is married and has children. In September 2025, Wong signed an open pledge with Film Workers for Palestine pledging not to work with Israeli film institutions "that are implicated in genocide and apartheid against the Palestinian people".

In July 2026, Wong, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Alan Cumming co-authored a statement opposing the proposed Paramount-Warner Bros merger, and encouraging Lisa Nandy, UK's Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, to intervene in the takeover.

Acting credits Film

Year Title Role Notes 2000 Kiss Kiss (Bang Bang) Pat Proudence 2001 Wit Fellow 2 Spy Game Tran 2002 Dirty Pretty Things Guo Yi 2003 Code 46 Medic 2005 On a Clear Day Chan A Cock and Bull Story Ed 2007 Sunshine Trey Grow Your Own Kung Sang 2008 Largo Winch William Kwan 2009 Moon Thompson 2010 Shanghai Juso Kita 2011 The Lady Karma Phuntsho Johnny English Reborn Chi Han Ly Painkiller Jay Short film 2012 Prometheus Ravel2013The CounselorLeescenes deleted 2013 Hummingbird Mr. Choy Kick-Ass 2 Mr. Kim 2015 The Martian Bruce Ng 2016 Doctor Strange Wong 2018 Annihilation Lomax Avengers: Infinity War Wong 2019 Avengers: Endgame The Personal History of David Copperfield Mr. Wickfield Gemini Man Baron Lady and the Tramp Bull (voice) 2020 Nine Days Kyo 2021 Extinct Dr. Chung (voice) Raya and the Last Dragon Tong (voice) Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings Wong Spider-Man: No Way Home 2022Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness 2023 The Magician's Elephant The Magician (voice) 2024 Bad Genius Meng 2025 Weapons Principal Marcus Miller 2026 Rock Springs Ah Tseng The Dog Stars Aaron Wong Post-production TBA Filming Filming

Television Year Title Role Notes 1992 Screenplay Le Van Dong 1 episode 1993 Last of the Summer Wine Chinese Man 1994 The Chief Peng Frank Stubbs Promotes Lee 1995 Cardiac Arrest Radiographer Hearts and Minds Chinese Interpreter 1996 Pie in the Sky Michael Cheung Cracker Peter Yang 1997 Supply & Demand Frankie Li Television film The Bill Li Mann 1 episode Breakout Jerry Television film 2000 Arabian Nights Hassan Miniseries 2000; 2002 The Bill Michael Wei / DS David Chiu 8 episodes 2002 TLC Terry Cheung Recurring role, 6 episodes Look Around You Chess Player 1 episode 2002–2004 15 Storeys High Errol Spears Main role, 12 episodes 2003 State of Play Pete Cheng Recurring role, 6 episodes 2005 Look Around You Dr. Franklin Fu 1 episode 2006 Eleventh Hour Danny 2007 Frankenstein Dr. Ed Gore Television film 2008 The Peter Serafinowicz Show Various characters 4 episodes 2010 Spirit Warriors Li Main role, 7 episodes The IT Crowd Harold "Prime" Tong 1 episode Spooks Kai 2010–2011 Law & Order: UK Eli Smart 2 episodes 2011 Covert Affairs Shen Yue 1 episode 2011–2013 Top Boy Vincent Recurring role, 6 episodes 2013 The Wrong Mans Mr. Lau 4 episodes2013RunGao1 episode 2014 Prey DS Ashley Chan 3 episodes 2014–2016 Marco Polo Kublai Khan Main role, 20 episodes 2016 Black Mirror Shaun Li Episode: "Hated in the Nation" 2017 Philip K. Dick's Electric Dreams Ed Andrews 1 episode 2019 Deadly Class Master Lin Main role, 10 episodes The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance The General (skekVar) (voice) Main role, 9 episodes 2020, 2023 What We Do in the Shadows Wallace the Necromancer 2 episodes 2021 What If...? Wong (voice) Episode: "What If... Doctor Strange Lost His Heart Instead of His Hands?" 2021-2022 Marvel Studios: Assembled Himself 3 episodes 2022 She-Hulk: Attorney at Law Wong Special guest star; 3 episodes 2024 3 Body Problem Da Shi Main role, 8 episodes

Theatre Year Title Role Theatre 1995 The Letter Ong Chi Seng Lyric Theatre 1998 The Merchant of Venice Solanio Shakespeare's Globe The Honest Whore Castruccio 1999 Julius Caesar Gaius Lucilius Antony and Cleopatra Menas / Scarus 2003 In Arabia We'd All Be Kings Vic / Cop Hampstead Theatre 2009 The Pillowman Ariel Curve 2012 Hamlet Laertes Young Vic 2013 Chimerica Zhang Lin Almeida Theatre 2013 #aiww: The Arrest of Ai WeiWei Ai Weiwei Hampstead Theatre

Video games Year Title Voice role Notes 2017 Prey Alex Yu

Awards and nominations Year Award Category Work Result Ref. 2003 British Independent Film Awards Best Supporting Actor Dirty Pretty Things 2018 Behind the Voice Awards Best Vocal Ensemble in a Video Game Prey BAM Awards Best Cast Annihilation 2021 Independent Spirit Awards Best Supporting Male Nine Days 2022 Gold List Best Supporting Actor Saturn Awards Best Supporting Actor Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness