House Hunters’ Suzanne Whang
Posted by Jon Chattman on April 30th, 2007
House Hunters’ Whang riding high on adrenaline
By Ellen Rosner Feig
Actress, comedian, host Suzanne Whang has been entertaining people for over twenty years, and actually making a living at it. “My first love is really doing stand up. I’m an adrenaline junkie and it’s an incredible high being on stage and making people laugh,” multi-talented Whang relates. Having begun her career as a host on various shows including a spot as a roving morning show field host and a co host of Dick Clark’s TV’s Censored Bloopers on NBC, Whang is probably best known for her current status as the host of the incredibly successful House Hunters and House Hunters International on HGTV. “It’s interesting because both shows have broad appeal. I get stopped all the time by people of all ages, race, and gender who tell me how much they love the show.”
Early in her career, Whang, a Korean-American, was given important advice from an acting coach. “For years, people would approach me and because I was Asian, would feel free to ask me the stupidest questions – how do you dry clean clothes? Do you speak oriental? My acting coach told me that I should embrace the stereotype of the Asian woman that I had always resisted and embrace my anger as part of my artistic palette. I went to Koreatown, bought a traditional gown, fan and shoes and stood in front of my home mirror. What was I going to do with this?” Suzanne, the consummate professional, turned the character into an Asian female Archie Bunker, Sung Hee Park, a woman who speaks her mind even if it is politically incorrect. “People either love her or hate her; it really depends upon the sensitivity of the audience. Most Asian Americans think the character’s funny especially because the intent behind it is pure.” Whang’s portrayal of her alter ego has won her the Andy Kaufman award and numerous accolades; she will perform at the upcoming Los Angeles Comedy Festival on May 11th and May 18th.
Whang, highly educated with a BA (Yale) and MA in Psychology (Brown), has used her training to become a better actress, including her current recurring role as an oversexed spa manager on the hit show Las Vegas. “Having a background in psychology, allows me to break down the psyche of the character. There is no better experience than studying the human nature and then to illuminate it through acting.”
A proponent of the highly regarded The Secret, Whang was the first person to send Oprah Winfrey the DVD. Winfrey then invited Suzanne to Chicago to meet the panelists who appear on the DVD. “It has always been my belief that small gestures with high and clear attention can change the world and that experience simply proved that.”
Whang is studying to become a Science of Mind Minister, studying at the NoHo Center for New Thought. This has transformed everything she does including her recent book on home buying titled Suzanne Whang’s Guide to Happy Home Buying.
“The law of attraction is everywhere in the book because having a good attitude is essential before one buys a home since it can be such a stressful experience.”
The future for Suzanne Whang is glowing as she continues to perform her stand up, appears as an actress, writes books and hosts the number one show on HGTV. “Laughter breaks down all walls,” states this remarkable woman. Check out www.suzannewhang.com for further information.
Sphere: Related ContentTags: Celebrity Interviews
December 21st, 2007 at 5:08 pm
Rorie…
Good work….