 Hop
Sing - Victor Sen Yung played Hop Sing, the loyal Chinese cook and
housekeeper who worked for the Cartwright family on the Ponderosa ranch near
Virginia City, Nevada in the late 1800's on the western adventure
BONANZA/NBC/1959-73. Hop Sing was fond of reminding his employers "You listen
Hop Sing. Hop Sing 'A' number one cook. Will cook whatever you like."
Hot-tempered at times, Hop Sing would often chase Eric "Hoss" Cartwright (Dan
Blocker) out of his kitchen. Hoss, an easy-going gentle giant with a tremendous
appetite, liked to raid Hop Sing's kitchen for food.
Hop Sing (like all cooks) harbored feelings of resentment when anyone in the
family cast aspersions on his culinary skills. But, if any such comments were
spoken, then apologies were quick in coming from the Cartwright Clan who knew
full-well the true value of Hops Sing's friendship and devotion to the family.
TRIVIA NOTE: During the 1940's Victor played the
role of Charlie Chan's Number 2 son, Jimmy Chan in the 11 of Sidney Toler's
Charlie Chan films.
Victor Sen Yung later appeared as Asian cousin Charlie during the 1961-62
season of BACHELOR FATHER/NBC/CBS/ABC/1959-62.
In the 1970s, Sen Yung (a talented cook in real life) wrote a book on
Cantonese cooking entitled the "Great Wok Cookbook" (Nash Publishing, 1974).
Born Sen Yung on October 18, 1915 in San Francisco, California, Victor Sen
Yung (a.k.a. "Hop Sing") died on November 9, 1980 in North Hollywood, California
from an accidental asphyxiation from a gas leak. He was 65.
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