B.D. Wong, best known for playing Dr. George Huang on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, has apologised after posting a racist comment on social media. The 65-year-old actor responded to a post by influencer Mike Holston, known as “The Real Tarzan,” who is Black. Holston had shared a photo of himself holding a large animal with the caption: “Name this animal… wrong answers only.”
In a now-deleted reply, Wong wrote: “It appears to be a Black man.” He later addressed the backlash on Threads, calling it a “very bad joke” and saying he tried to follow the “wrong answers only” prompt with the “wrongest answer.” He added: “I know nobody gets a free pass. I’m sorry if this #wtfbd moment tarnished any respect you may’ve had for me.”
In a subsequent post, Wong elaborated: “I want to elaborate on a racist comment I posted, to clarify that I recognise & accept the responsibility for how terrible it is. It’s also wrong to try to ‘explain’ anything.” He acknowledged exploiting a “despicable, racist trope” and expressed regret for causing hurt.
Wong, who joined SVU in season two and left in season 17, recently reprised his role as Huang in the season 27 premiere. He is also known for playing Dr. Henry Wu in the Jurassic Park franchise and appearing in Father of the Bride, Mulan, Mr. Robot, and Gotham. He is one of Hollywood’s few openly gay Asian actors and was the first Asian actor to win a Tony Award in 1988 for M. Butterfly.
