Porn’s First Asian Star!

In the early 70’s when the porn industry was beginning to come into its own creating a big buzz among adults it was also breaking many barriers, besides hardcore sex. It would bring about the first interracial sex scenes that were both lauded and panned by viewers and critics. It would bring on board the first Latina porn star in Vanessa Del Rio that was also panned in some narrow minded circles. In 1975 the growing adult porn audience was introduced to its first Asian star in the person of Linda Wong. Once again prejudices showed as there were some who felt only whites belonged in porn.

She was born Linda Carol Ching in Hawaii on September 13,1951. Her family would then move to Mill Valley then San Bruno, in the San Francisco area. Linda had an uneventful childhood, but she was a very popular teenager and very well educated. In 1969 she was voted Homecoming Queen at Kennedy High School. After graduation she began to get work as a fashion model and then spent some time as a dancer on the Broadway stage in New York. She went back to the west coast and put her modeling and dancing aside. She took a job as a bookkeeper and legal secretary in the San Francisco office of famous celebrity attorney Melvin Belli. Linda led a pretty straight life and had a closed mind when it came to porn movies. However, because of her earlier modeling work, exotic looks and sultry demeanor she would catch the eye of porn producers around town. After giving it some very serious consideration Linda decided it was worth giving a try just to see what it might be like. So much for being a legal secretary as another new career was about to get underway for Linda.

At age 24 and with the new stage name of Linda Wong she made her debut in the 1975 film “Black Silk Stockings”. She immediately began to get noticed for her exotic Asian look and sensual sexuality. That debut would be followed by a number of classics such as “China Lust”, “Easy Alice”, “Baby Face”, “Oriental Babysitter” and ‘China De Sade’.  Linda would become the first Asian superstar in porn and co-star with such names as Annette Haven, Leslie Bovee and Candida Royalle. Her performances were always enthusiastic and her pleasure of sex was very obvious. She co starred with two of the 70’s biggest names, John Holmes and Georgina Spelvin in the classic, “Jade Pussy Cat”. In each film her exotic, sultry look would take over the screen and her all out sexual performances always produced major excitement for viewers. Directors, producers and cast members in her films would also quickly see she had the natural talents as a real actress. Ms. Wong could deliver lines very well and convincingly making her scenes extremely realistic and believable. Linda Wong would quickly prove to be much more than a one dimensional performer.

With everything going well for Linda that included a big spread in Playboy in 1980, she suddenly dropped out of the industry in 1982. The word was Linda had gotten into a very serious relationship and the boyfriend gave her the ultimatum of either him or adult films. Then in 1985, with the relationship over, Ms. Wong returned with the self titled “The Erotic World of Linda Wong”. She was now in her mid 30’s but she was also much more sensual than previously. Many have felt and said this film was the best performance in her career and truly defined her and made her one of porn’s early MILFs.

Unfortunately that’s when things began to slide downhill. She had gotten into a very abusive relationship and became addicted to heroin. In 1987 Ms. Wong was facing some very serious personal and medical problems, plus the drugs and problems with the law, she again dropped out of the industry. Sadly, Linda Wong would die of what was called an accidental overdose on December 17, 1987 at the young age of 36. Linda Wong was a beautiful woman who knew how to bring passion and eroticism into a sex scene. Unfortunately, her death put an end to one of porn’s early stars and pioneers.

While she was not a “superstar” by today’s standards and only did about 50 films in her porn career, she was a major name in those early years and will always hold the distinction of being porn’s very first Asian female star. To those who worked with her she was the consummate pro on the set, both as an actress and sexual performer.

Today you can check out www.lindawongxxx.com where she still has her niche of devoted fans as well as many new ones. In 1998 she was inducted as a member of the XRCO Hall of Fame. In 2011, Complex magazine ranked her at #25 in their list of “The Top 50 Hottest Asian Porn Stars of All Time”. Hopefully, in due time,  AVN will finally add Ms. Wong to their Hall of Fame where she belongs. Most of Linda Wong’s films are now available on DVDs so today’s fans can see, and enjoy, this Asian beauty and her great performances.

Art Koch, National Features & DVD Editor, NightMoves Magazine and AAN