Actor Peter Kwong, best known for playing Rain in the 1986 cult classic “Big Trouble in Little China,” has died. He was 73.
Kwong died in his sleep Tuesday night, May 27, one of the actor’s representatives told Variety. No other information about his death was shared.
Producer Sean Clark wrote in an Instagram post that he believes Kwong’s death “was an accident because the man was in amazing shape.”
“Peter was one of the nicest guys you could ever have the pleasure of meeting. A true gentleman and class act,” Clark wrote. “You will be missed. Rest easy my friend.”
Kwong appeared in more than 100 film and television roles, the actor’s IMDb biography states.
He got his start in the late-’70s and ’80s with stints in shows such as “The A-Team,” “Wonder Woman,” “Little House on the Prairie,” “Miami Vice,” “The Greatest American Hero,” “Cagney & Lacey,” “Dynasty,” “MacGyver” and “227,” Variety reported.
He starred alongside Eddie Murphy and Charles Dance in 1986’s “The Golden Child,” and also Christian Slater in 1989’s “Gleaming the Cube.”
His most notable role, however, came as Rain in John Carpenter’s cult classic “Big Trouble in Little China,” starring Kurt Russell and Kim Cattrall.
The movie was a box office failure, grossing $11 million against a $20 million budget, but has since gained notoriety as an ’80s action classic, according to Variety.
Kwong also appeared in “Never Too Young to Die,” “Skeleton Coast,” and one episode each of “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “Full House,” “MacGyver,” “The Wayans Bros.” and “Knightwatch.”
In addition to his on-screen appearances, Kwong served on the Screen Actors Guild National Board of Directors for more than 10 years. He also was a member of the AFTRA National Board of Directors, the Television Academy Board of Governors, and the Actors Branch Executive Committee of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
“He was a great supporter of everything. I always ran into him at Academy events and it was a joyous occasion,” makeup artist Howard Berger wrote in an Instagram post. “He attended every Makeup & Hair event as he loved it so. Such a great loss to everyone who knew him. RIP Peter we will miss you greatly.”
In 2023, Kwong was the recipient of the Snow Leopard Award for Outstanding Cinematic Achievement at the Asian World Film Festival, according to Entertainment.
“He had a wonderful life and career,” Kwong’s longtime friend Peter R.J. Deyell told Deadline. “I watched him fight for the things he believed in, and I championed him for that. At the TV Academy, we were both very active and sometimes joked about being in the Pin Club as we always wore our pins. He was always a gentleman and willing to help.”