Barbie honors Hollywood icon Anna May Wong with new doll

Barbie has unveiled a new doll honoring Hollywood legend Anna May Wong on Monday. 

Lisa McKnight, executive vice president and global head of Barbie & Dolls at Mattel, which owns Barbie, said that the company was “proud to continue to increase representation in the toy aisle.” The dolls seeks to commemorate the trailblazing actress as part of Barbie’s inspiring women series and in celebration of Asian American Pacific Islander Month. 

“We’re thrilled to share the journey of an incredible icon who was at the forefront of inclusive progress in Hollywood,” McKnight said in a statement. 

Creators worked with Wong’s niece, Anna Wong, to sculpt a doll that reflects the icon, and she called it an “incredible tribute to my aunt.” 

The doll depicts the actress with her signature chic bangs and smoky eye shadow, while wearing a red gown inspired by the one she wore in the 1934 crime film “Limehouse Blues.” It will be available to buy on Amazon, Target, Walmart and Mattel beginning on Monday for $35, Barbie said. 

Barbie will also donate $25,000 to Asian American LEAD, a nonprofit dear to Wong that serves low-income and underserved Asian Pacific American youth. 

Born in 1905 in Los Angeles, Wong was considered to be the first Chinese-American film star. Over the course of her career, Wong appeared in more than 60 movies, including one of the first films made in Technicolor, achieving international recognition. In 1951, she became the first Asian-American woman to lead a U.S. television show, “The Gallery of Madame Liu-Tsong.” She died in 1961. 

In addition to her accolades in Hollywood, Wong is also the first Asian American to be featured on U.S. currency.