Promotional photo of Wong, 1930s. Anna May Wong (January 3, 1905 - February 3, 1961) was the first Chinese American movie star, and the first Asian American actress to gain international recognition. Frustrated by the stereotypical supporting roles she played in Hollywood, Wong left for Europe in the late 1920s, where she starred in several notable plays and films. She spent the 1930s traveling between the US and Europe for film and stage work. She was featured in films of the early sound era, such as Shanghai Express (1932) and Daughter of Shanghai (1937). In 1935 MGM refused to consider her for the leading role of the Chinese character in the film version of Pearl S. Buck's The Good Earth, choosing instead the German actress Luise Rainer. In the late 1930s, she starred in several B movies for Paramount Pictures, portraying Chinese Americans in a positive light. During WWII, she devoted her time and money to helping the Chinese cause against Japan. She returned to the public eye in the 1950s in several television appearances as well as her own series in 1951, The Gallery of Madame Liu-Tsong, the first U.S. television show starring an Asian-American series lead. She had been planning to return to film in Flower Drum Song when she died in 1961, at the age of 56.