ACF 020: Kelly Hu on the Tube

Beautiful and talented Asian-American film and television star Kelly Hu is once again viewable on a weekly television series, ABC's mid-season comedy In Case of Emergency. It's on Wednesday nights at 9:30 PM Eastern Time.

A former Miss Teen USA, Kelly got her start on the Growing Pains television show in the late '80s, and has since appeared in numerous shows and films. Her first noticeable film role was in Oliver Stone's The Doors, where she was billed as Kelly Ann Hu. I first became aware of her when she played Chen Pei Pei in the initially fantastic TV series Martial Law. Kelly's character was named after the famous Hong Kong actress Cheng Pei-pei who is best known to general Western audiences for her portrayal of the nefarious Jade Fox in Ang Lee's Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

In Martial Law, Kelly's character was the protoge of Hong Kong policeman Sammo Law, played by the great Sammo Hung. The show ran for two seasons from 1998 to 2000, but was ruined after the network suits brought in Arsenio Hall in an attempt to make a solid success into a break-out hit. Instead, they changed the dynamics from a fish-out-of-water to a buddy movie [think Rush Hour on TV]. Unfortunately they failed to realize that Hall, a has-been-who-never-was, certainly was no Chris Tucker. With this change, the show went straight into the toilet.

Anyway, after Marshal Law, Kelly went on to appear in The Scorpion King {2002]. Cradle 2 the Grave [2003], X2 [2003], in some significantly lesser movies, and in episodes of several TV shows.

In Case of Emergency is a 30 minute sitcom about four graduates from the same high school who are now in their thirties and who find that their lives have turned out differntly, and far worse, than they'd planned, hoped and expected. Kelly was the class valedictorian, but instead of becoming a top-notch lawyer, she's working in a "massage parlor." There she speaks to customers in a hilarious pseudo-Korean accent. The three male leads are all what one might charitably refer to as losers
I began watching this show just to see Kelly again. My expectations were low, but I was quite pleasantly surprised. The show is far better than I had ever dreamed. In fact, it's pretty damn good, especially for being fresh out of the gate. And Kelly, it turns out, is a terrific comedienne.

I say check it out. This show deserves to succeed, if for no other reason than so we can get our weekly fresh fix of Kelly Hu. Yummy!!!!!

Update 02.25.07 - For the past couple of weeks In Case of Emergency has been supplanted by special 2 hour episodes of the returning Lost series. ICoE is scheduled to return on Wednesday, February 28th, 2007, still at 9:30 E.S.T. on ABC. Be there, for Kelly, for yourself, and for some good laughs.

P.S. - I've got to mention that one episode that already aired featured David Carradine (Kill Bill, the various incarnations of Kung Fu) in a hilarious role as "Guru Danny." Here's hopin' it'll be a recurring role.

Kelly Hu links:
- Internet Movie DataBase
- Wikipedia
- Cult Sirens