Ralph Ahn

Ralph Philander Ahn (September 28, 1926 – February 26, 2022) was an American actor. He was the last surviving son of leading Korean independence activist Dosan Ahn Chang-ho. His father's contributions to the Korean independence movement influenced Ahn's involvement in politics, World War II, and support for the Korean community of Los Angeles.

As an actor, Ahn was known for his roles in Lawnmower Man 2: Beyond Cyberspace (1996), Amityville: A New Generation (1993), and Panther (1995), as well as in the sitcom New Girl as the silent but wise character Tran.

Early life Ahn was born in Los Angeles on September 28, 1926. He was the youngest child of Ahn Chang-ho and his wife, They were the first Korean couple to emigrate from Korea to the U.S. mainland.

Three years after his father's death, the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor and the United States entered World War II. Ahn consequently joined the U.S. Navy in 1944 to fight the Japanese. He is one of an estimated 100 Korean-Americans who served over the course of the war.

Career

After World War II, Ahn was influenced by his elder brother, Philip Ahn, one of the first Asian American actors, and became an actor. He made his film debut in Battle Circus (1953), in which he played a Korean prisoner. He appeared in Mission Over Korea later that same year, and had minor roles in Prisoner of War (starring alongside Ronald Reagan) He later featured in Battle Hymn (1957), Confessions of an Opium Eater (1962), and The Hook (1963).

On January 1, 2017, Ahn welcomed the cast members of the popular South Korean variety show Infinite Challenge to Los Angeles as a representative of the Korean-American community. In March of the same year, he spoke at a ceremony in Riverside, California, honoring Pachappa Camp as the first Korean settlement in the US.

Personal life Ahn was married to his wife, Rita, until her death in 1967. Together, they had two daughters. She also had three sons from a previous marriage. He had been hospitalized with an unspecified illness prior to his death.

Filmography Battle Circus (1953) – Korean Prisoner (uncredited) Mission Over Korea (1953) – Korean Radio Operator (uncredited) It Takes Two (1988) – Wang Let It Ride (1989) – Patron in Chinese Restaurant Panther (1995) – Mr. Yang

Gilmore Girls (2005–2006, TV Series) – Korean Man