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Biography
Jack Soo (born Goro Suzuki October 28, 1916–January 11, 1979) was a Japanese-American actor.
Born in Oakland, California, Soo spent the World War II years in a Japanese-American internment camp in Utah. His career as an entertainer began in earnest at the end of the war; first as a stand-up nightclub performer primarily in the Midwestern United States. Interestingly enough, it was during his years playing the nightclub circuit that he would meet and become friends with future Barney Miller producer, Danny Arnold, who was also a performer at the time.
Soo would finally earn his big break in 1958 when he would be cast in the Broadway musical hit, Flower Drum Song, in the role of Sammy Fong, a part that he would be asked to play again in 1961, when the film version of the musical was made. During the next decade, he would appear in films such as The Green Berets and made guest appearances on TV shows such as Hawaii Five-O and M*A*S*H.
Soo world finally be cast in his most memorable role in 1975 on the ABC sitcom Barney Miller as the laid-back, but very wry, Detective Nick Yemana, who was also responsible for making the dreadful coffee the entire precinct had the misfortune to drink every day. Sadly, during the show's fifth season (1978–79), Jack Soo was diagnosed with esophageal cancer, and he died shortly afterwards in Los Angeles, California at age 62.
Because his character was so beloved, a special retrospective episode was made, showing clips of his best moments; it aired at the end of the season. The most poignant moment of the show came at the end, when the cast members would raise their coffee cups in a final farewell toast to the late actor.
