Born in Los Angeles in 1957 to immigrants, Hwang is a successful playwright. He graduated from Stanford University in 1979 and attended Yale in 1980. He is most famous for M. Butterfly (1993), which was adapted for the screen in 1993, directed by David Cronenberg and starring Jeremy Irons and John Lone .

Won Broadway's 1988 Tony Award as author of Best Play winner "M. Butterfly." He was also nominated two other times: in 1998 as author of Best Play nominee "Golden Child," and in 2003 as Best Book (Musical) for a revival and revision of "Flower Drum Song."Nominated for the 1989 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for the play "M. Butterfly" and for the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for the play "Yellow Face".His play, "Chinglish", at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago, Illinois was awarded the 2011 Equity Joseph Jefferson Award for New Work of a Play.His play, "Chinglish", at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago, Illinois was nominated for the 2011 Equity Joseph Jefferson Award for Production of a Play (Large).