'Young and the Restless' star Elizabeth Sung dies aged 63
TV and film actress, Elizabeth Sung, who starred in 'The Young and the Restless' died on Tuesday at the age of 63.
Sung was best known to her fans as Luan Violen Abbott, owner of the Saigon Shack restaurant.
A veteran of the long-running soap series, Sung appeared from 1994 to 1996 and the news of her demise was first reported on Soaps.com, where the cause of her death was not confirmed.
Besides this, Sung made multiple television appearances including roles on 'Hawaii Five-O,' 'The Sopranos,' 'Bones,' 'Curb Your Enthusiasm,' 'NCIS: Los Angeles,' and 'Charmed'. In films, she is most remembered for her role in Wayne Wang’s 'The Joy Luck Club,' 'Memoirs of Geisha,' and 'Lethal Weapon 4'.
Her most recent film credits are in Asian-American comedies including 'Anita Ho', 'Front Cover' and Vivian Bang's 'White Rabbit' that screened at the Sundance Festival this year.
Her biography reads that she was born and raised in Hong Kong and was fluent in both Cantonese and Mandarin.
She studied ballet from a young age and graduated from the Julliard School in New York City with a degree in dance. After graduation, Sung danced for an American company before transitioning to television acting
She also earned an MFI in directing from the American Film Institute. Sung was known for her work with the Asian Pacific American entertainment community in Los Angeles.
Visual Communications, a non-profit dedicated to supporting AAPI filmmakers and media artists, tweeted; “Thank you for being a generous soul, a champion in our AAPI (Asian American Pacific Islander) community. You will be deeply missed but your legacy will continue to inspire us.”
Sung was socially and politically active and devoted her time to AIDs charities ever since her older brother Philip, a fashion designer, died of the disease in 1985. She was also active in various groups that promoted gender and racial diversity in the entertainment industry.
In 2016, Sung was one of 683 new members to join The Academy as part of a push to broaden the diversity and gender mix of the body. Sung was married to screenwriter Peter Tulipan.
