Khigh Dhiegh

KHIGH DHIEGH, 'HAWAII FIVE-O' VILLAIN, DIES MESA, ARIZ. -- Khigh Dhiegh, 81, the actor best known as the villain Wo Fat on the long-running television series "Hawaii Five-O," died of heart and kidney ailments Oct. 25 at a hospital here. He had lived in Chandler, Ariz. A generation of television viewers knew him as an evil master criminal who repeatedly eluded Steve McGarrett, head of a law enforcement organization known as Five-O. McGarrett, played by Jack Lord, finally brought Wo Fat to justice near the end of the show's run. In real life, Mr. Dhiegh wrote 11 books, crafted jewelry, taught philosophy for six years at UCLA, and had once owned a Taoist sanctuary in Tempe, Ariz. Born in Spring Lake, N.J., he lived most of his life in New York. He worked in his mother's bookstore there before becoming a character actor on the Broadway stage. Khigh Dhiegh (/ˌkaɪˈdiː/ KY DEE or /ˌkaɪˈdeɪ/ KY DAY) (born Kenneth Dickerson; August 25, 1910 - October 25, 1991) was an American television and motion picture actor of Anglo-Egyptian Sudanese ancestry, noted for portraying East Asian roles. He is perhaps best remembered for portraying villains, in particular his recurring TV guest role as Chinese agent Wo Fat on Hawaii Five-O (from the pilot in 1968 to the final episode in 1980), and brainwashing expert Dr. Yen Lo in 1962's The Manchurian Candidate. He also starred in the short-lived 1975 TV series Khan! as the title character. In 1988, he was featured as Four Finger Wu in James Clavell's Noble House television mini-series. In 1965, Dhiegh recorded and released an album on Folkways Records, entitled St. John of the Cross: Volume II, a collection of poems of St. John. Besides his acting endeavors, Dhiegh was active in Taoist philosophy, writing a number of books on the subject, including The Eleventh Wing (ISBN 0-385-28371-7). He founded the Taoist Sanctuary (now the Taoist Institute) in Hollywood, California. Dhiegh also had a doctorate in theology, and in his later years, was the rector for a Taoist sanctuary in Tempe, Arizona called 'Inner Truth Looking Place.' He held weekly services and sponsored many 'Tea Ceremonies' in the Phoenix metro area. One of his last interviews was on One World in 1990, where he presented the concept of World Citizenry and its benefit to mankind. Dhiegh's contributions to Taoism are discussed in some detail in the book Taoism for Dummies (John Wiley and Sons Canada, 2013). Select filmography Year Title Role Notes 1957 Time Limit Col. Kim 1962 The Manchurian Candidate Dr. Yen Lo 1963 13 Frightened Girls Kang 1965 How to Murder Your Wife Bald Actor playing Thug 1966 Seconds Davalo 1968 The Destructors King Chou Lai 1968-1980 Hawaii Five-O Wo Fat 15 episodes 1970 The Hawaiians Kai Chung 1971 The Mephisto Waltz Zanc Theun 1974 Judge Dee and The Monastery Murders Judge Dee 1978 Goin' Coconuts Wong References