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Wearing tights for the first time was terrifying.
Russell Wong - Tom Chang

We betcha that once you get a dose of Russell Wong in The WB's new action series Black Sash, you'll be hooked. Wong, one of the biggest stars of martial arts action movies, takes center stage as a disgraced narcotics cop who must now pay his bills by serving as a bounty hunter and a teacher of the Chinese martial art Ba Gua. Basically he's a warrior with a heart of gold who winds up being a "surrogate dad" to a motley crew of young, tortured souls in desperate need of a role model.

Playing hero types is nothing new for this native New Yorker. Wong has earned massive kudos for film roles in movies such as James Clavell's Tai-pan, The Joy Luck Club and Romeo Must Die. In addition to his role as Tom Chang on The WB, this summer Wong continues to pack in the action with starring roles in the upcoming movies Takedown, The Tracker and Blackout with Ashley Judd. Here, Wong gives you the first-hand dish on what's headed your way.

My Character: "Has had some bad luck. He used to be a cop but was framed and wound up doing time. Now he's trying to get his life and his daughter back. He teaches martial arts and he also moonlights as a bounty hunter. Basically he goes after bad guys to help pay for his legal battles."

This is not your run of the mill chop shop: "At [my character's school] we practice Ba Gua. It's not about contact and hard style. It's much more theatrical and driven by a sort of performance art kind of style. In order to do it really well, a person would have had to start off studying this form of martial arts when they were five years old. That's not me. I do just enough to enhance the fight scenes but I'm no expert [in this style]."

I'm not your typical fighter: "I started out as a dancer. Yep. The kind who wears tights. I do jazz, ballet, modern. Wearing tights for the first time was terrifying. I thought to myself, there is no way I can go out in public like this! But it's paid off. I met my fiancée because of ballet. She's a member of the Royal Ballet in Hong Kong."

It's A Good Thing I've Paid My Gym Membership: "I've always been pretty dedicated to practicing martial arts. Growing up, Bruce Lee was a big source of inspiration for me. As an Asian actor you either do martial arts or you just won't get cast in anything."
Tom Chang on Black Sash Tom Chang on Black Sash

Russell Wong is one of Hollywood's leading actors. He stars in The WB's new drama Black Sash as Tom Chang, an ex-cop who is trying to rebuild his life after a framed narcotics bust robs him of his family. Taking over his mentor's martial arts studio, the student becomes the teacher when his students look to him for guidance and protection. Russell Wong is one of Hollywood's leading actors. He stars in The WB's new drama Black Sash as Tom Chang, an ex-cop who is trying to rebuild his life after a framed narcotics bust robs him of his family. Taking over his mentor's martial arts studio, the student becomes the teacher when his students look to him for guidance and protection.

Born in Albany, N.Y., Wong's mother encouraged him to pursue his creative interests. He took up ballet and jazz dance and then went on to Hong Kong to focus on martial arts. He soon landed a movie deal with a Hong Kong studio.

Wong made his theatrical debut in the United States in the feature film adaptation of James Clavell's Taipan. He went on to star in Wayne Wang's Eat A Bowl of Tea and Abel Ferrara's China Girl and played leading roles in the box office hit New Jack City and the critically acclaimed The Joy Luck Club. He was nominated for an AMMY award for best actor for his role in Romeo Must Die, co-starring Jet Li, Delroy Lindo, Isaiah Washington and Aaliyah. He also stars in Miramax/Dimension Films upcoming Takedown with Skeet Ulrich, Tom Berenger and Angela Featherstone, as well as The Tracker with Casper Van Dien. Wong recently wrapped production on Paramount's murder mystery Blackout with Ashley Judd and Samuel L. Jackson, scheduled for release in Fall 2003.

On the small screen, Wong played the title role in Hallmark Entertainment's The Monkey King, an adaptation of the ancient Chinese novel Journey to the West by Wu Chen, which co-starred Thomas Gibson and Bai Ling. He is also well known for his role in the series Vanishing Son.

In 1994, Wong was honored with two awards, the Image Award by the Organization of Chinese Americans and the Media Action Network for Asian American's Media Achievement, both in recognition of his outstanding work in the entertainment industry, as well as for being an exceptional role model for Asian Americans. The Asian American Arts Foundation also honored Wong in 1997. He recently received The Bridge Builder Award for his outstanding leadership and for giving back to the community by serving as a role model for youth.

In recent years, Wong has taken classes in film production at New York University in order to broaden his entertainment industry knowledge in all arenas, including directing. Among his many hobbies and skills are photography, golfing, boxing, singing and mime. Wong currently resides in Los Angeles, but has relocated to Vancouver for production on the series.