Garrett Richard Wang was born on December 15, 1968, in Riverside, California, to Chinese immigrant parents. His childhood was marked by frequent moves, as he lived in Indiana, Bermuda, and Tennessee with his sister Laura. He eventually settled in Memphis, Tennessee, where he attended Harding Academy High School and graduated with honors.
After high school, Wang moved to Los Angeles to attend the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA),where he majored in Asian studies. During his time at UCLA, he was inspired by theater professor Jenny Roudtree to pursue a career in acting. His first major role was as "John Lee" in the lead role of Chay Yew's "Porcelain" at the Burbage Theater.
Wang continued to hone his craft onstage, performing in productions such as "Model Minority," "Woman Warrior," and "A Language Of Our Own." His early television appearances included a guest role on the pilot episode of the comedy series "All-American Girl" in 1994. One year later, he landed the recurring role of "Ensign Harry Kim" on the sci-fi series "Star Trek: Voyager," which he played for seven years.
Wang's success on "Star Trek: Voyager" earned him recognition as one of People Magazine's 50 most beautiful people in the world in 1997. He was also named one of E! Entertainment Television's "20 Coolest Bachelors" in the country. In addition to his television work, Wang has appeared in a variety of films, including "Flesh Suitcase" (1995),"Angry Cafe" (1995),"Ivory Tower" (1998),"Hundred Percent" (1998),and "Survival Island" (2002),among others.
