Johnny Yune
Johnny Yune (born Yune Jong-seung, October 22, 1936 – March 8, 2020) was a Korean-American actor, singer, and comedian.[1][2] He played the lead in the 1980s films They Call Me Bruce?[3] and They Still Call Me Bruce.[4]
Johnny Yune | |
|---|---|
자니윤 | |
| Born | 윤종승 Yoon Jong Seung October 22, 1936 |
| Died | March 8, 2020 (aged 83) |
| Occupation | Actor, singer, comedian, writer, host |
| Years active | 1974 - 2004 |
| Spouse(s) | Julia Yune
(m. 1999; div. 2010) |
Early life
Johnny Yune was born Yune Jong-seung in 1936 in Eumseong County, Chungcheongbuk-do Province, South Korea[5] (then under Japanese rule). He graduated from Sungdong High School[6] in Sindang-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul, and came to Massachusetts, U.S. on an ROK Navy scholarship in 1962. He studied vocal music at Ohio Wesleyan University.[7] He became a U.S. citizen in 1978, at which point he Anglicized his first name to "John", due to its phonetic similarity.[8]
Career
In 1964, Yune practiced his stand-up routine in places such as the Cafe Tel Aviv at 250 West 72nd Street, New York City. In 1977, he was discovered at a Santa Monica comedy club by comedian Johnny Carson and was invited to appear on his talk show, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.[7] Yune was the first guest of Asian descent on the show. His first appearance on the show, in February 1979, became his big break because actor Charlton Heston, who was supposed to be the main guest for the night, did not arrive on time. As a result, Yune was given over 20 minutes on the show, during which he performed a stand-up set, spoke with Carson and sang "'O sole mio".[9] Carson liked Yune and had him on the show 34 times in the 1970s and 80s, making Yune one of the show's most frequent guests for a stand-up comedian.[10][11]
Yune also appeared in his own special on NBC.
He played a Mongolian named "Jon Yune" in the 1979 movie Meteor, and performed as a stand-up comedian in the 1980s.
Yune performed at the 1988 Summer Olympics at Seoul, along with Bob Hope and Brooke Shields.
From 1989-90, he hosted The Johnny Yune Show (자니윤쇼), the first Americanized talk show in Korea.[10] Singer Jo Young-nam was a co-MC.[12] The show was a hit, but only after a year, Yune decided to leave KBS due to limited freedom of the media.
Politics
Yune was an alternate delegate at the 1988 Republican National Convention, where he sang the US National Anthem on August 16, 1988.[13]
He was appointed auditor of the Korea Tourism Organization in 2014 by the Park Geun-hye administration.[11] His appointment provoked controversy, as his critics questioned his lack of business experience and close ties to the then president.[2] He held the job for two years.[7]
Personal life
He married a Korean-American named Julia Yune in 1999; they divorced in 2010.
Yune regained his Korean citizenship, becoming a dual citizen, in 2013.[10]
Yune was diagnosed with dementia in 2017.[7] He died in Southern California on March 8, 2020 at the age of 83.[11]
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | Meteor | Siberian man | (as Jon Yune) |
| 1980 | The Love Boat | Korean Stand-up Comedian | Episode: "Not So Fast, Gopher/Haven't We Met Before?/Seoul Mates" (not "Foreign Exchange", per The Love Boat opening credits) |
| 1981 | The Cannonball Run | TV Talk Show Host | |
| 1982 | They Call Me Bruce? | Bruce / Grandfather | |
| 1985 | Gidget's Summer Reunion | Johnny Soon | TV movie |
| 1986 | Nothing in Common | Mr. Yung | |
| 1987 | They Still Call Me Bruce | Bruce | |
| 1988 | Hamburger Johnny | ||
| 1989 | The Johnny Yune Show | TV Talk Show Host | KBS |
| 1993 | Western Avenue |
References
- "Johnny Yune Profile". New York Times. Archived from the original on November 3, 2012. Retrieved March 8, 2020.
- "Ailing Korea Tourism Organization Plagued with Ongoing Parachute Appointments". 비즈니스코리아 - BusinessKorea (in Korean). September 15, 2014. Retrieved March 10, 2020.
- Shepard, Richard F. (January 16, 1983). "Korean Comic in 'They Call Me Bruce'" – via NYTimes.com.
- "MOVIE REVIEWS : 'BRUCE'--YOU CAN'T CALL IT FUNNY". Los Angeles Times. June 2, 1987.
- "ěž?ë‹ˆěœ¤ : 네ě?´ë˛„ í†ľí•Šę˛€ěƒ‰". Search.naver.com. December 21, 2017. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
- ko:분류:성동고등학교 동문
- Jung, Ha Soo (March 10, 2020). ""Talk show legend" Johnny Yune dies at 84". Vlive. Osen. Retrieved March 14, 2020.
- "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson: 02/14/1979.Johnny Yune". YouTube.
- Kwak, Yeon-soo (March 10, 2020). "Comedian Johnny Yune dies at 84". koreatimes. Retrieved March 14, 2020.
- "미국인 웃겼던 코미디언 자니윤 별세…이제 무대는 천국으로". 미주중앙일보. March 9, 2020. Retrieved March 10, 2020.
- Yoon, So-Yeon (March 12, 2020). "Pioneering comedian Johnny Yune dies at 84: After finding success in the U.S., he brought a new form to Korea". Korea JoongAng Daily. Retrieved March 14, 2020.
- C-Span (August 16, 1988). Call to Order, Natl. Anthem & Opening Remarks (video). New Orleans, Louisiana.
