out because he was not paid enough. He spoke with an accent even though the actor was born in the United States. After Bachelor Father'''s cancellation in 1962, Tong was cast as Sammy Ling in the ABC sitcom Mickey, starring Mickey Rooney. Due to low ratings, ABC was considering canceling Mickey. The network was hesitant to cancel the series due to the popularity of Tong's character who had a solid fanbase thanks to Tong's role in Bachelor Father. Tong's death effectively ended any chance for the series' survival and ABC canceled Mickey in December 1964. Tong's final screen appearance was as "Cook" in the 1965 film Fluffy, starring Tony Randall and Shirley Jones. The film was released after Tong's death. Death Tong, who lived alone and never married or had children, was found dead in his Palms, Los Angeles apartment by his close friend, Ben Wong, on October 27, 1964. Tong had died from an intentional barbiturate overdose. Police found an empty bottle of sleeping pills by his body and several notes addressed to his landlady, his attorney and police. In the note addressed to police, he gave no reason why he committed suicide only stating, "I have taken my own life. No one is to blame." Tong is buried in Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California. In his 1991 autobiography, Life is Too Short, Tong's co-star Mickey Rooney claimed that Tong was a heavy gambler and committed suicide over money issues. According to Rooney, Tong became despondent and upset after learning that Mickey'' faced cancellation because he owed money to the mafia. Filmography References External links 1901 births 1964 suicides 20th-century American male actors Male actors from the San Francisco Bay Area American male comedians 20th-century American comedians American people of Chinese descent American male film actors American male television actors Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale) Drug-related suicides in California Barbiturates-related deaths 20th-century American singers 20th-century American male singers