Overview
Ralph Philander Ahn (September 28, 1926 – February 26, 2022) was an American actor. He was the last surviving son of leading Korean independence activist Dosan Ahn Chang-ho. His father's contributions to the Korean independence movement influenced Ahn's involvement in politics, World War II, and support for the Korean community of Los Angeles.
As an actor, Ahn was known for his roles in Lawnmower Man 2: Beyond Cyberspace (1996), Amityville: A New Generation (1993), and Panther (1995), as well as in the sitcom New Girl as the silent but wise character Tran.
Early life
Ahn was born in Los Angeles on September 28, 1926. He was the youngest child of Ahn Chang-ho and his wife, who were among the first wave of Korean immigrants in 1902. They were the first Korean couple to emigrate from Korea to the U.S. mainland.
Three years after his father's death, the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor and the United States entered World War II. Ahn consequently joined the U.S. Navy in 1944 to fight the Japanese. He is one of an estimated 100 Korean-Americans who served over the course of the war.
From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).