OVERLAY REPORT

The oldest cast member of the film **Turning Red** (2022) at the time of filming (recording) was the legendary character actor **James Hong**. ### **Actor and Age** James Hong was born on **February 22, 1929**. Since the voice recording for *Turning Red* occurred primarily between **2018 and 2021**, Hong was approximately **89 to 92 years old** during the production. By the time the film was released in March 2022, he had just turned **93 years old**. Hong is well-known as one of the most prolific actors in Hollywood history, with over 650 film and television credits. Notably, in 2022 (the same year as the film's release), he became the oldest person to ever receive a star on the **Hollywood Walk of Fame** at age 93. ### **Role and Detail** James Hong provided the voice for **Mr. Gao**, a local elder, shaman, and close family friend of the Lee family in Toronto. Specific details of his role include: * **The Ritual Expert:** Mr. Gao is a recurring presence at the Lee family’s temple. He is the one who performs the complex **Chanting Ritual** (specifically the incantation to open the Astral Realm) to help Mei and her female relatives seal their red panda spirits into personal items. * **The "Loogy" Scene:** He is humorously depicted as having a deep, "soulful" cough (or "loogy") that he uses to clear his throat before beginning the spiritual chants. * **Key Plot Contribution:** He facilitates the film's climax at the SkyDome, where he helps the Lee family matriarchs perform the ritual to save Mei’s mother, Ming, from her oversized panda form. While other veteran actors in the film included **Wai Ching Ho** (as Grandma Wu, aged 78 at release) and **Lori Tan Chinn** (as Auntie Chen, aged 73 at release), James Hong was significantly older than any other member of the cast.