'New Girl' Stars Remember Late Ralph Ahn Following His Death at 95
New Girl stars Zooey Deschanel and Jake Johnson were among those mourning after the death of actor Ralph Ahn, who guest-starred as Tran on the Fox sitcom. Ahn died last week at 95. The actor was a World War II veteran and a prolific character actor in Hollywood.
Ahn's death was first reported last week by the Korean news outlet YNA. Johnson, who shared more scenes with Ahn than anyone else on New Girl, was the first to widely share the sad news on Instagram Monday. "RIP. So much fun to work with. He gave so much with literally no lines. I loved when he was on set. I was always expecting to somehow work with him again," Johnson wrote, alongside photos of Ahn on the show. "Condolences to his family/friends." Deschanel later commented on Johnson's post. "Noooooo," she wrote, adding a crying emoji.
Lamorne Morris also posted a tribute to Ahn on his Instagram page. "Damn. RIP to Ralph Ahn," Morris wrote. "He played Tran on New Girl. Always the funniest scenes in the episode. This man lived a lot of life, keep his friends and family in yall thoughts and prayers."
"He was so funny and made everyone in a scene with him funnier. Love to his family and friends," Hannah Simone wrote in response to Morris' post. Olivia Munn, who also had a role on New Girl, shared The Hollywood Reporter's Instagram post about Ahn's death. "Thank you [Ralph Ahn]," Munn wrote on her Instagram Story. "You brought so much joy to our lives and helped pay the way for all of the AAPI actors that would follow you. We love you. RIP."
Ahn's character Tran quickly became a fan-favorite among New Girl viewers. Although he barely ever spoke, Tran provided Nick Miller (Johnson) with plenty of advice and even helped him ask Jess (Deschanel) out on a date. Nick also dated Tran's granddaughter Kai (Greta Lee) at one point in the show.
Ahn was born in Los Angeles and the son of activist Ahn Chang-ho. He and his two older siblings all served in World War II. His sister, Susan Ahn Cuddy, was the first female gunnery officer in the U.S. Navy. His brother, Philip Ahn, was one of the first Asian-American actors in Hollywood, starring in over 180 movies and television shows before his death in 1978. Outside of New Girl, Ahn's acting credits included the movies Battle Hymn, Prisoner of War, It Takes Two, Live Stinks, and Eyes of an Engel, and episodes of Gilmore Girls and The Golden Girls.
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