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Rae Dawn Chong in "American Flyers" in 1985. Source: https://www.tvtime.com/movie/7fa2bfbd-8168-418c-b8e5-4d568ef85b1f (May be subject to copyright) |
However, “Quest for Fire” was just the beginning of a career for Rae Dawn Chong that continues to this day. It is a career that has firmly established her as much more than the daughter of her quirky father comedian Tommy Chong.
Today is Rae Dawn Chong’s birthday, and a chance to look back at the great stuff she has been in that started in the ‘80s.
“American Flyers”
The Rae Dawn Chong movie I remember best really tugged at my heart strings. She played Sarah, the live-in love of Dr. Marcus Summers in the 1985 movie “American Flyers”. He was played by a young and relatively unknown actor named – Kevin Costner. Marcus has a strained relationship with his mother and younger brother David, partly over the way they all handled the death of their father. Marcus pays a visit and, ultimately, he and David compete in a grueling three-day bike race in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. David believes he has the same disease that killed his father. It turns out, it is Marcus who has it, and wants to ride with his brother in the race.
The Rae Dawn Chong movie I remember best really tugged at my heart strings. She played Sarah, the live-in love of Dr. Marcus Summers in the 1985 movie “American Flyers”. He was played by a young and relatively unknown actor named – Kevin Costner. Marcus has a strained relationship with his mother and younger brother David, partly over the way they all handled the death of their father. Marcus pays a visit and, ultimately, he and David compete in a grueling three-day bike race in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. David believes he has the same disease that killed his father. It turns out, it is Marcus who has it, and wants to ride with his brother in the race.
“American Flyers” is an emotional movie that really brought a lot of tears to my eyes. Rae Dawn Chong was excellent as Sarah, who was supportive and strong, especially when she stood up to her ex-husband who is a rival of Marcus’. However, she is obviously in pain over the pending death of her soulmate.
She was awesome.
Breakout
Rae Dawn Chong actually got her start with guest roles on “Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Colour” and “Lou Grant”, as well as a TV movie and a feature film.
Rae Dawn Chong actually got her start with guest roles on “Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Colour” and “Lou Grant”, as well as a TV movie and a feature film.
Then she got her breakout role.
“Quest for Fire’ came out in 1981, and is about the struggle for control of fire by early humans, according to Wikipedia. For her efforts in the role of Ika, Chong won the Genie Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role.
Her career took off after that.
Busy
Rae Dawn Chong appeared in four movies in 1984 – “Beat Street”; “Choose Me”; “Fear City”; and “Cheech and Chong’s the Corsican Brothers”, with her father Tommy Chong.
Rae Dawn Chong appeared in four movies in 1984 – “Beat Street”; “Choose Me”; “Fear City”; and “Cheech and Chong’s the Corsican Brothers”, with her father Tommy Chong.
The next year was even busier. In 1985 she appeared in “City Limits”; “American Flyers”; “Commando” with Arnold Schwarzenegger; “Badge of the Assasin”; “The Color Purple”, opposite Whoopi Goldberg, Oprah Winfrey, and Danny Glover, and directed by Steven Spielberg; and “Running Out of Luck”.
She was in “Soul Man” in 1986, where C. Thomas Howell plays a law student who pretends to be Black to gain a scholarship. In 1987, she was in “The Squeeze” and “The Principal”.
I really liked “The Principal”. Jim Belushi plays a high-school principal who restores pride to an inner city school with the help of the school’s head of security played by Lou Gossett Jr.
Rae Dawn Chong rounded out the decade by appearing in “Rude Awakening” in 1989.
She also did some work on TV most notably a recurring role on “St. Elsewhere” from 1983 to 1985.
The years after
Rae Dawn Chong just keeps on acting until today.
Rae Dawn Chong just keeps on acting until today.
Her movies included “Tales from the Darkside: The Movie”; “Amazon”; “Time Runner”; “The Visit”; “Constellation”; “Reborn” and much more.
Most notably, she has done a lot of television work including recurring roles in “Melrose Place”; “Mysterious Ways”; “Zoe Busiek: Wild Card”; “Impeachment: American Crime Story”; “Saturday Morning All Star Hits!”; and “Interview with the Vampire”. She guest starred in “Lonesome Dove: The Series”; “The Outer Limits”; “Highlander: The Series”; “Poltergeist: The Legacy”; “Judging Amy”; “That’s So Raven”; “Better Things”; and “911”.
Parting thoughts
The first time I ever heard Rae Dawn Chong’s name was on “Canada AM” during a review of “Quest for Fire”. Their first reference to her was as Canadian Tommy Chong’s daughter. I get they were saying that for context, but it had no bearing on her performance.
The first time I ever heard Rae Dawn Chong’s name was on “Canada AM” during a review of “Quest for Fire”. Their first reference to her was as Canadian Tommy Chong’s daughter. I get they were saying that for context, but it had no bearing on her performance.
Now, I have seen some of Rae Dawn Chong’s work, but not a lot. What I will always remember is “American Flyers”, because she did such a great job portraying someone so in love but with a relentless sense of impending doom.
That role coupled with her award-winning performance as Ika in “Quest for Fire” make her much more than Tommy Chong’s daughter.
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