Jack Soo

Jack Soo

Jack Soo (October 28, 1917 – January 11, 1979) was a Japanese American actor. He was best known for his role as Detective Nick Yemana on the television sitcom Barney Miller. Soo was the first Asian actor to play an American-born Asian character in a regular television series, Valentine's Day (1964).

Soo was born Goro Suzuki on a ship traveling from the United States to Japan in 1917. His parents lived in Oakland, California and they decided that as he was the oldest boy, they wanted to have him born in Japan. He graduated from UC Berkeley with a degree in English. He lived in Oakland, California, until ordered into internment along with other Japanese Americans during World War II. He was sent to the Topaz War Relocation Center in Utah and fellow internees recalled him as a "camp favorite", an entertainer singing at dances and numerous events.

Soo's career as an entertainer began in earnest at the end of the war, first as a stand-up nightclub performer primarily in the Midwestern United States. He changed his name to Soo while working at a Chinese night club called Chin's in Cleveland, Ohio.

During his years playing the nightclub circuit, he met and became friends with future Barney Miller producer Danny Arnold, who was also a performer at the time.

A documentary about Son's life is called You Don't Know Jack: The Jack Soo Story (Documentary), written, directed and produced by Jeff Adachi.

See all Barney Miller appearances here.

Non-Barney Miller Appearances

Show	Episode	Title	Air Date
The Hollywood Squares	S01.E01	Panelist	4 December 1978
Valentine's Day	S01.E01	The Life You Save is Yours	Fri, Sep 18, 1964
Valentine's Day	S01.E02	Triple Trouble	Fri, Sep 25, 1964
Valentine's Day	S01.E03	How to Live Without Dying	Fri, Oct 2, 1964
Valentine's Day	S01.E04	Fraudulent Female	Fri, Oct 9, 1964
Valentine's Day	S01.E05	Call Me No Cabs	Fri, Oct 16, 1964
Valentine's Day	S01.E06	If Africa Speaks, Don't Answer	Fri, Oct 23, 1964
Valentine's Day	S01.E07	The Baritone Canary	Fri, Oct 30, 1964
Valentine's Day	S01.E08	The Old School Tie	Fri, Nov 6, 1964
Valentine's Day	S01.E09	Yen Ku Horowitz	Fri, Nov 13, 1964
Valentine's Day	S01.E010	The Hottest Game in Town	Fri, Nov 20, 1964
Valentine's Day	S01.E011	Bride and Gloom	Fri, Nov 27, 1964
Valentine's Day	S01.E012	Cherry Blossoms in New York	Fri, Dec 4, 1964
Valentine's Day	S01.E013	Teahouse of the Bankrupt Moon	Fri, Dec 11, 1964
Valentine's Day	S01.E014	The Seasick Sailor	Fri, Dec 18, 1964
Valentine's Day	S01.E015	All Through the Night	Fri, Dec 25, 1964
Valentine's Day	S01.E016	Follow the Broken Pretzel	Fri, Jan 1, 1965
Valentine's Day	S01.E017	The Double Shamaguchi	Fri, Jan 8, 1965
Valentine's Day	S01.E018	The Sweet Smell of Wampum	Fri, Jan 15, 1965
Valentine's Day	S01.E019	Which Witch?	Fri, Jan 22, 1965
Valentine's Day	S01.E020	Two Weeks with Pay	Fri, Jan 29, 1965
Valentine's Day	S01.E021	All Right, Louie, Drop That Blue Pencil	Fri, Feb 5, 1965
Valentine's Day	S01.E022	For Me and My Sal (No Jack)	Fri, Feb 12, 1965
Valentine's Day	S01.E023	Sin Has Two Faces	Fri, Feb 19, 1965
Valentine's Day	S01.E024	Mad, Mad Momma	Fri, Feb 26, 1965
Valentine's Day	S01.E025	The Title Fight	Fri, Mar 5, 1965
Valentine's Day	S01.E026	Viva Valentine	Fri, Mar 12, 1965
Valentine's Day	S01.E027	The Man Who Shot the World	Fri, Mar 19, 1965
Valentine's Day	S01.E028	Mama Loathes Papa	Fri, Mar 26, 1965
Valentine's Day	S01.E029	Instant Father	Fri, Apr 2, 1965
Valentine's Day	S01.E030	Tell Me in English	Fri, Apr 9, 1965
Valentine's Day	S01.E031	Farrow's Fling	Fri, Apr 16, 1965
Valentine's Day	S01.E032	A Muffin Is Not a Tart	Fri, Apr 23, 1965
Valentine's Day	S01.E033	I'll Cry at My Wedding	Fri, Apr 30, 1965
Valentine's Day	S01.E034	Cliimb Upon My Knee, Sonny Boy	Fri, May 7, 1965