Anna May Wong Cause of Death: How did Anna May Wong Die?

Anna May Wong, the first Chinese American Hollywood movie star, died of a heart attack on February 3, 1961, while sleeping at home in Santa Monica, at the age of 56, just two days after her final screen appearance on The Barbara Stanwyck Show.

Wong had appeared in another story in the same series the previous year. Her cremated remains were interred in her mother’s grave at Rosedale Cemetery in Los Angeles.

Her mother’s Anglicized name is at the top of the headstone, with the Chinese names Anna May on the right and Mary on the left along the sides.

Following her death, the Asian-American Arts Awards and the Asian Fashion Designers Association named annual awards in her honour.

Wong’s image and career have left an indelible mark. She helped to humanise Chinese Americans to mainstream American audiences through her films, public appearances, and prominent magazine features during a period of intense racism and discrimination.

Anna May Wong is the first Asian American to appear on US currency as one of the first women depicted on the reverse of the quarter in the 2022-2025 American Women quarters series.