(written from a Production point of view)
Walter Soo Hoo (6 April 1932 – 20 June 2022; age 90) was an actor who played an Enterprise command technician in the Star Trek: The Original Series first season episode "The Man Trap", a Janus VI civilian engineer in "The Devil in the Dark", and a Kohm guard in the second season episode "The Omega Glory".
He filmed his scenes for "The Man Trap" on Friday 24 June 1966 at Desilu Stage 9, and his scenes for "The Omega Glory" on Friday 15 December 1967 and Monday 18 December 1967 at Desilu Stage 11. As a background actor, he received no credit for his appearances.
He stumbled upon the entertainment business when the Hollywood film industry sought Chinatown locals for movies and productions. Soo Hoo, whose six siblings were all actors, started out as a child actor, appearing in the short film The Rainbow Pass (1937) at the age of 5. He joined the Screen Actors Guild in 1954, and his long time career in the film industry inspired his younger generations to pursue careers in arts and entertainment. [1]
He later appeared in films such as Lady from Chungking (1942), Air Force (1943, with Charles Drake), and China's Little Devils (1945). As an adult, he became a bit and background actor, appearing in films like Love is a Many-Splendored Thing (1955, with Torin Thatcher and Keye Luke), Blood Alley (1955, with Paul Fix), Around the World in 80 Days (1956, with Walter Bacon, Al Cavens, Dick Cherney, Noble Chissell, Bill Couch, Sr., Joe Garcio, Joseph Glick, Lars Hensen, Chuck Hicks, Shep Houghton, Max Kleven, Keye Luke, Monty O'Grady, Victor Paul, Edwin Rochelle, Robert Strong, Sally Yarnell, and Ron Veto), The Green Berets (1968, with George Takei, Irene Tsu, Jason Evers, Walker Edmiston, and Vic Toyota), The Man Who Loved Women (1983, with Denise Crosby), and Big Trouble (1986, with Paul Dooley, Richard Libertini, and Conroy Gedeon).
His television credits include background spots in shows as Have Gun – Will Travel, Gunsmoke (with Bill Erwin, Ed McCready, Al Cavens, Pete Kellett, and Max Wagner), and The Wild Wild West (with Barry Atwater, Walker Edmiston, and Gary Epper, directed by Marvin Chomsky). He later appeared in The Number 23 (2007, starring Virginia Madsen and featuring Ed Lauter).
Soo eventually took over the family business Chew Yuen Company, later founded Phoenix Imports in 1975, and established Chinatown's Hop Louie restaurant in 1985.
Star Trek appearances[]
