Sumi Haru

Sumi Haru
Publicity Photo of Sumi Haru
Born
Mildred Sevilla

(1939-08-25)August 25, 1939[1]
Orange, New Jersey, United States[1]
DiedOctober 16, 2014(2014-10-16) (aged 75)[1]
North Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, United States[1]
OccupationActress
Years active1969–1981, 2008–2014
Websitesumiharu.com

Sumi Haru (also known as Sumi Sevilla Haru; August 25, 1939 – October 16, 2014) was an American film and television actress,[2][3] producer, actor, journalist, poet, and the first national vice-president of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG).[4] Haru is best known for such films and television shows as Krakatoa, East of Java,[5] MASH, The Beverly Hillbillies and Hill Street Blues.

She served as interim president of Screen Actors Guild in 1995, the first and to-date only woman of color to hold the position.[6]

Haru was born Mildred Sevilla in 1939[7] at Orange, New Jersey[7] to Filipino immigrants.[8] After changing her name to Sumi Haru when launching her acting career, she became involved with the film and television labor movement to address issues concerning the lack of opportunities and roles for Asians.[3]

Haru was a board member of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) beginning in 1974, and also served multiple terms as the national recording secretary and first vice president.[8][9][10][11][12][13]

Her autobiography, Iron Lotus: Memoirs of Sumi Sevilla Haru (CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, October 9, 2012; ISBN 978-1479331536), was published in 2012.[1] The following year, she was elected for a two-year term as a member of the first elected national board of the merged SAG-AFTRA.[6][14]

  1. ^ a b c d e Colker, David (October 19, 2014). "Sumi Haru dies at 75; SAG official sought better roles for Asian Americans". Los Angeles Times.
  2. ^ "Sumi Haru". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2012-07-18.
  3. ^ a b Leroy Robinson (June–July 1985). "Media Invisibles". The Crisis.
  4. ^ Notable Asian Americans. Zia, Helen., Gall, Susan B. (1st ed.). New York: Gale Research. 1995. ISBN 0810396238. OCLC 31170596.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  5. ^ "Krakatoa, East of Java". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. 1969. Archived from the original on 2013-01-31.
  6. ^ a b Dave McNary (2009-06-23). "SAG taps Coe, Haru for Morgan Award". Variety.
  7. ^ a b "SAG-AFTRA Remembers Former Interim SAG President Sumi Haru". Broadway World. October 16, 2014.
  8. ^ a b "Vice President Sumi Haru". Aflcio.org. 2002-02-26.
  9. ^ "SAG's Sumi Haru Among LEAP Honorees". Los Angeles Times. 1996-06-11.
  10. ^ "Longtime Screen Actors Guild Members to Receive Hollywood Division's Ralph Morgan Award". Sag.org. 2009-06-23.
  11. ^ Anne-Marie Johnson (2009-07-15). "A Message From The 1st Vice President". Sag.org.
  12. ^ "2010 Los Angeles Film Festival - SAG Diversity Party". Wireimage.com. 2010-06-26.
  13. ^ "Dreamworlds 3" (PDF). Cah.csudh.edu.
  14. ^ Cite error: The named reference hollywoodreporter was invoked but never defined (see the help page).