Canadian actor, comedian, and activist Tommy Chong is best known for his string of marijuana-themed Cheech and Chong movies with Los Angeles actor, comedian, and activist Cheech Marin. While Chong has gone on to enjoy a fruitful acting career, appearing in thirty-plus films since 1978, the Up in Smoke actor’s eldest daughter Rae Dawn Chong, might not be as recognizable as her father. Although not the most famous actress in the entertainment industry, Chong has worked hard to solidify herself as a skilled actress with minimal involvement from her more popular father.
After Chong enjoyed a successful career throughout the 1980s, her star gradually faded in the 1990s and continued to do so well into the new millennium. As many familiar with Hollywood and its politics know, it is difficult for people to start a career in the entertainment industry, and this is especially true for women and people of color. However, fans of Rae Dawn Chong might be surprised at how busy she’s been through the years, and this article will explore what the actress has been up to lately.
Who Is Rae Dawn Chong?
Rae Dawn Chong is a Canadian-American actress and the oldest daughter of comedy legend Tommy Chong. Chong made her acting debut at thirteen in 1974 as Greta in the television show Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color. Four years later, Chong would make her feature-length debut at seventeen in 1978’s Stony Island, playing the role of Janetta and despite the film’s low box office performance, would enjoy praise from critics.
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After appearing in a slew of films throughout the early '80s, one of which being 1984’s Cheech & Chong’s The Corsican Brothers, Chong’s popularity would increase after co-starring in the Arnold Schwarzenegger action vehicle Commando and the Steven Spielberg period drama The Color Purple, as Cindy and Squeak respectively. Critics and audiences praised Chong’s performances in both films as Cindy wasn’t a damsel in distress, and Squeak showcased Chong’s dramatic range. Chong starred in fifteen movies throughout the '80s, six of them from 1985 alone, but there was one movie in particular, 1986’s Soul Man, that would forever change her career trajectory.
Rae Dawn Chong's Career Slump
Despite the actresses’ prolific work ethic throughout the 1980s, Steve Miner’s mid-80s comedy Soul Man would negatively impact how audiences perceived Chong. Soul Man centers around Mark Watson, a white college-aged student who wants to get into Harvard Law School but can’t because his parents refuse to pay for his tuition. After learning about a scholarship awarded to African American students, he takes tanning pills to darken his skin and get accepted into the prestigious school. Critics and audiences panned the controversial film as it was deemed insensitive and perpetuated stereotypes often associated with blackface. In the movie, Chong plays Mark’s love interest, Sarah Walker, a hard-working African American student who didn’t receive a scholarship because Mark received it on behalf of his tanning pill scheme.
At the time of Soul Man’s release, Chong defended the film and her decision to appear in it, but she would later reveal her decision to do so is likely what contributed to receiving fewer roles. Soul Man would be Chong’s last notable film of the actress’ career, as most of her work since has consisted of low-budget independent films, TV movies, and either guest or recurring roles in obscure television shows. Nevertheless, Chong has kept busy and even received a Women Film Critics Circle Invisible Woman Award for her performance in the 2021 film, The Sleeping Negro.
As if the controversy surrounding Soul Man wasn’t enough, Chong made headlines in 2013 when she expressed a few choice words for former The Color Purple co-star Oprah Winfrey. In 2013, Chong did an interview for Matty P’s Radio Happy Hour, in which she was eventually asked about her acting career, specifically her work in Commando and The Color Purple. Initially, things were cordial, but when the topic of working with Winfrey arose, things got awkward.
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In the interview, Chong seems to flip-flop between praising her former co-star and criticizing her, at points calling her “lovely” and at others, a “great brown-noser.” Despite releasing an apology shortly after the events of the interview, it is widely understood that entertainment professionals respectably conduct themselves and reserve harsh comments for face-to-face interactions. Nevertheless, the actress is still working, and we’re willing to bet Winfrey is unfazed by Chong’s remarks.
Even though Chong’s film career did not reach the heights Commando and The Color Purple could have set her up for, she has remained busy and optimistic. From discovering Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 star Chris Pratt at a Bubba Gumps restaurant in the late '90s to starring in AMC’s remake of Anne Rice’s 1976 novel, Interview with the Vampire, Chong hasn’t allowed any past controversies stop her from pursuing new roles and helping the next generation of actors do the same.
