Suzanne Whang

Suzanne Whang was an American actress, author, comedian and TV show host who was best known for hosting the immensely popular reality TV series "House Hunters" (HGTV, 1999-). Whang's parents were from Seoul, South Korea, and Whang was born and raised in Arlington, Virginia. As a young girl, Suzanne was a standout student all throughout grade school and high school, and eventually went on to become the valedictorian at her high school graduation. With a bright future ahead of her, Whang would go on to attend the Ivy League schools of Yale and Brown, earning her B.A. in psychology and Masters in cognitive psychology. By the early 1990s, however, Whang had caught the acting bug, and decided to go all in on a career in show business. She started nabbing small roles in films like "A Matter of Degrees" (1990) and "HouseSitter" (1992), as well as guest spots on shows like "V.I.P." (Syndication, 1998-2002) and "Norm" (ABC, 1999-2001). After nearly a decade of trying to make it as an actor, Whang got her big break in 1999 when she was asked to host the HGTV reality series "House Hunters." The series, which was consistently the network's most watched program, was a big hit with audiences, thus making Suzanne Whang a household name to the show's numerous diehard viewers. Whang hosted the top rated show for over a decade, eventually stepping away to focus on other projects in 2011. Despite hosting "House Hunters" for 12 years, Whang never stopped acting. One of her more memorable roles during this period was as Polly, a randy Korean manicurist on NBC's "Las Vegas" (NBC, 2003-08). From there she went onto nab recurring roles on "General Hospital" (ABC, 1963-) and "From Here on OUT" (Here TV, 2014). In 2006 Whang was diagnosed with breast cancer. Her doctors told her she would not have very long to live, but Whang defied the odds and in 2013 was told by her doctors that she was cancer free. Throughout her battle with cancer, Whang began using humor to cope with the disease. She performed comedy in a one-woman show and also wrote a book that chronicled her experiences living with cancer. She performed her one-woman show all throughout the country and earned both rave reviews and numerous accolades. Throughout the 2010s Whang continued acting on screen and performing her comedy in clubs all across the United States. However, in October of 2018 she was informed that her cancer had returned. Eleven months later, on September 17, 2019, Suzanne Whang lost her 13-year battle with the disease. She was 56.