"Sohn" is her mother's maiden name. She changed her name because her father disapproved of her becoming an actress.
Her father is African-American, and her mother is
Korean-American.
Grew up in Newport News, Virginia.
Graduated from Warwick High School. She was a cheerleader and was voted "most popular" and "most school-spirited.".
During Sonja's tenure on The Wire (2002), her youngest daughter Sophia Wang makes several brief on-screen appearances that made it into the final cut of the show. However, she is only credited for appearing in Not for Attribution (2008) where she plays the part of "Six Flags Girl #2".