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Trained at Hong Kong's Chiu Chiu academy and the Peking Opera, John Lone continued his acting and musical studies at the Pasadena branch of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. The tall, brooding Lone won an Obie award for his performance in the New York stage production FOB, which he also choreographed. Except for a few early make-work parts like the Chinese cook in King Kong (1976), Lone has strived to avoid played stereotypical Asians. He essayed the thawed-Neanderthal title character in Iceman (1984), and portrayed Chinese emperor Pu Yi in Bertolucci's Oscar-winning The Last Emperor (1988). In discussing his choice of roles, Lone has stated that "I don't do Fu Manchu," but came awfully close as megalomaniac villain Shiwan Kahn in The Shadow (1994), though he was careful to season the role with distinctly American wise-guy humor. In addition to his acting accomplishments, John Lone has pursued a satisfying career as a Hong Kong recording artist.