When it was revealed that Joss Whedon and Marvel were planning a S.H.I.E.L.D. television series, I immediately figured they'd target a younger demo by featuring a cast of fresh up 'n comers. That may still be the plan, but the first two additions have been proven and recognizable veterans. With Clark Gregg returning as Agent Coulson, he'll now be joined by Ming-Na Wen as Agent Melinda May.
In the character descriptions released a few weeks ago, Melinda May was actually the character named Althea Rice, but a name change was made probably to better fit Ming-Na, who was born in Macau. Melinda May is "known as “The Calvary,” this hard-core soldier has crazy skills when it comes to weapons and being a pilot. But her experiences have left her very quiet and a little damaged."
Ming-Na spent eight sporadic years on NBC's E.R. as Dr. Jing-Mei Chen, and most recently has been a regular on Stargate Universe and Eureka. Although she voiced the title character in Disney's Mulan, she'll probably be forever remembered for playing Chun-Li in that dreadful Street Fighter movie. A personal favorite of mine, she's great in the little seen Wesley Snipes relationship drama, One Night Stand. [Deadline]
