Elizabeth Sung, known for her roles in two critically acclaimed motion pictures and as a resident of The Young and the Restless' Genoa City, has died.
Elizabeth Sung, who soap fans will instantly recognize as The Young and the Restless' Luan Volien, has died. The actress died on Tuesday, May 22, 2018 after a brief battle with lymphoma. Sung was 63.
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Born and raised in Hong Kong, Sung studied ballet as a child before relocating to the United States to study dance at the prestigious Julliard School in New York. After graduating from Julliard, Sung was recruited by the Alvin Ailey Repertory Dance Company, where she performed in many of Ailey's most iconic works. She eventually transitioned to television acting. From 1994 to 1996 she starred as Luan Volien on CBS's The Young and the Restless. She also made appearances on Bones, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Hawaii Five-0, and The Sopranos.
Sung may, however, be best known for two memorable film roles. She appeared in The Joy Luck Club as well as Rob Marshall's adaptation of Memoirs of a Geisha.
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Sung devoted much of her time to political and charitable causes, particularly those focusing on HIV/AIDS. Sung's older brother Phillip died of AIDS in 1985. Sung also worked with groups that were committed to promoting racial diversity in the entertainment industry. In 2016, Sung was one of nearly 700 new members of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences as the Academy pushed to broaden the diversity of its membership.
She is survived by husband, actor/screenwriter Peter Tulipan, and her sisters, Diana Sung and Margaret Au-Yeung, as well as her niece and nephew, Elizabeth Sieverding and Philip Sieverding. The family asks that those wishing to honor her make a donation to the Elizabeth Sung Memorial Scholarship Fund at Visual Communications. Proceeds will be used to expand opportunities for emerging Asian-Pacific-American talent.
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