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Michael Paul Chan (born June 26, 1950) is an American actor.[1] He is known for his role as Lieutenant Michael Tao on the TNT series The Closer and Major Crimes. Chan also acted in U.S. Marshals, playing an assassin.[2]
A third-generation Chinese American, Chan was born in San Francisco, California. His brother was the late Jeffery Paul Chan, an author and academic.
Chan is a graduate of San Francisco State University[3] and the American Conservatory Theater.[4][5] He is a founding member of the Asian American Theater Company.[4]
Chan's television work has included roles such as Judge Lionel Ping on Arrested Development, Detective Ron Lu on Robbery Homicide Division, the voice of Jimmy Ho on The PJ's, Mr. Chong on The Wonder Years, a Japanese investor in the 1990 Northern Exposure episode "Dreams, Schemes and Putting Greens", an agent of the Chinese Intelligence Agency on a 2011 episode of The Simpsons, and roles on Bones, Babylon 5, Nash Bridges, and The Young and the Restless.
One of Chan's more notable film roles was as the Korean convenience-store owner in the 1993 film Falling Down, where he refused to give a discount to Michael Douglas' character when he attempted to purchase a can of soda to get change for the pay telephone outside the store. Another was as Data's father in The Goonies. Chan appeared in both of Joel Schumacher's Batman movies, in two different roles - a Wayne Enterprises executive in Batman Forever, and Dr. Lee in Batman & Robin. Other films in his filmography include Americanese, Megiddo: The Omega Code 2, U.S. Marshals, Spy Game, The Protector, Quicksilver, The Joy Luck Club, The Insider, and Thief.