Sumi Haru Biography

Fast Facts

• Was honored with SAG's Ralph Morgan Award for distinguished service in 2009
• Was the only woman of color to hold the position of Screen Actors Guild president, as well as the first Asian American to serve on the AFL-CIO's executive council
• Made her screen acting debut in the film "Krakatoa: East of Java" in 1969
• Joined the Screen Actors Guild in 1968 and AFTRA in 1972, serving as a national board member for both organizations multiple times since 1974
• As an actress, she appeared in TV series like "The Beverly Hillbillies" and "Hill Street Blues," as well as the film "MASH․"
• Best known as an actress and as the former interim president of the Screen Actors Guild in 1995
• Was co-founder of SAG's Ethnic Employment Opportunities Committee in 1971 and served as the vice president of AFL-CIO from 1995 to 2001
• Published her memoir, "Iron Lotus: Memoirs of Sumi Sevilla Haru," in 2012