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Hong Kong's cheeky, lovable and best-known film star, Jackie Chan endured many years of long, hard work and multiple injuries to establish international success after his start in Hong Kong's manic martial arts cinema industry.
Jackie was born Kong-sang Chan on April 7, 1954, on Hong Kong's famous Victoria Peak, to Charles and Lee-Lee Chan, and the family immigrated to Canberra, Australia, in early 1960. The young Jackie was less than successful scholastically, so his father sent him back to Hong Kong to attend the rigorous China Drama Academy, one of the Peking Opera schools. Chan excelled at acrobatics, singing and martial arts and eventually became a member of the "Seven Little Fortunes" performing troupe and began lifelong friendships with fellow martial artists / actors Sammo Kam-Bo Hung and Biao Yuen. Chan journeyed back and forth to visit his parents and work in Canberra, but eventually he made his way back to Hong Kong as his permanent home. In the early 1970s, Chan commenced his movie career and interestingly appeared in very minor roles in two films starring then rising martial arts superstar Bruce Lee: Fist of Fury (1972) (aka "The Chinese Connection"), and the Warner Bros. production Enter the Dragon (1973). Not long after Lee's untimely death, Chan was often cast in films cashing in on the success of Bruce Lee by utilizing words like "fist", "fury" or "dragon" in their US release titles.
Chan's own film career was off and running and he swiftly appeared in many low-budget martial arts films that were churned out at a rapid-fire pace by Hong Kong studios eager to satisfy the early 1970s boom in martial-arts cinema. He starred in Shaolin Wooden Men (1976), To Kill with Intrigue (1977), Half a Loaf of Kung Fu (1978) and Magnificent Bodyguards (1978), which all fared reasonably well at the cinemas. However, he scored a major breakthrough with the action comedy Drunken Master (1978), which has become a cult favorite among martial arts film fans. Not too long after this, Chan made his directorial debut with The Young Master (1980) and then "Enter the Dragon" producer Robert Clouse lured Jackie to the United States for a film planned to break Jackie into the lucrative US market. Battle Creek Brawl (1980) featured Jackie competing in a "toughest Street fighter" contest set in 1940s Texas; however, Jackie was unhappy with the end result, and it failed to fire with US audiences. In a further attempt to get his name known in the United States, Jackie was cast alongside Burt Reynolds, Sir Roger Moore and Dean Martin in the Hal Needham-directed car chase film The Cannonball Run (1981). Regrettably, Jackie was cast as a Japanese race driver and his martial arts skills are only shown in one small sequence near the film's conclusion. Stateside success was still a few years away for Jackie Chan!
Undeterred, he returned to East Asia to do what he did best--make jaw-dropping action films loaded with amazing stunt work. Chan and his legendary stunt team were without parallel in their ability to execute the most incredible fight scenes and action sequences, and the next decade would see some of their best work. Chan paired with the dynamic Sammo Kam-Bo Hung to star in Winners & Sinners (1983), Project A (1983), Wheels on Meals (1984), My Lucky Stars (1985) (aka "Winners & Sinners 2"), Twinkle Twinkle Lucky Stars (1985) (aka "Winners & Sinners 3"). Chan then journeyed back to the United States for another shot at that market, starring alongside Danny Aiello in The Protector (1985), filmed in Hong Kong and New York. However, as with previous attempts, Jackie felt the US director--in this case, James Glickenhaus--failed to understand his audience appeal and the film played to lukewarm reviews and box-office receipts. However, Jackie did decide to "harden" up his on-screen image somewhat and his next film, Police Story (1985) was a definite departure from previously light-hearted martial arts fare, and his fans loved the final product!
This was quickly followed up with the Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)-influenced Armour of God (1986), during filming of which Jackie mistimed a leap from a wall to a tree on location in Yugoslavia and fell many quite a few feet onto his head, causing a skull fracture. It was another in a long line of injuries that Chan has suffered as a result of doing his own stunt work, and he was soon back in front of the cameras. Project A 2 (1987), Police Story 2 (1988), Miracles: The Canton Godfather (1989) (aka "Mr. Canton and Lady Rose)", Armour of God 2: Operation Condor (1991) (aka "Armour of God 2") and Supercop (1992) (aka "Police Story 3") were all sizable hits for Jackie, escalating his status to phenomenal heights in Asia, and to his loyal fanbase around the globe. US success was now just around the corner for the hard-working Jackie Chan, and it arrived in the form of the action film Rumble in the Bronx (1995) (though it was actually filmed in Canada) that successfully blended humor and action to make a winning formula in US theaters.
Jackie did not waste any time and went to work on First Strike (1996) (aka "Police Story 4"), Mr. Nice Guy (1997), Who Am I? (1998), which all met with positive results at the international box office. Jackie then went to work in his biggest-budget US production, starring alongside fast-talking comedian Chris Tucker in the action comedy Rush Hour (1998). The film was a bigger hit than "Rumble in the Bronx" and firmly established Jackie as a bona fide star in the United States. Jackie then paired up with rising talent Owen Wilson to star in Shanghai Noon (2000) and its sequel, Shanghai Knights (2003), and re-teamed with Tucker in Rush Hour 2 (2001), as well as starring in The Tuxedo (2002), The Medallion (2003) and the delightful Around the World in 80 Days (2004). Not one to forget his loyal fanbase, Jackie returned to more gritty and traditional fare with New Police Story (2004) and The Myth (2005). The multi-talented Chan (he is also a major recording star in Asia) shows no sign of slowing down and has long since moved out of the shadow of Bruce Lee, to whom he was usually compared early in his career.
Chan is truly one of the international film industry's true maverick actor / director / stuntman / producer combinations - he has done this the hard way, and always his way to achieve his dreams and goals to be an international cinematic star. Off screen, he has been directly involved in many philanthropic ventures providing financial assistance to schools and universities around the world. He is a UNICEF GoodWill Ambassador, and he has campaigned against animal abuse and pollution and assisted with disaster relief efforts to the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami victims.- Actor
- Producer
- Art Department
Andy Lau Tak-wah, (born 27 September 1961) is a Hong Kong actor, singer-songwriter, presenter, and film producer. Lau has been one of Hong Kong's most commercially successful film actors since the mid-1980s, performing in more than 160 films while maintaining a successful singing career at the same time. In the 1990s, Lau was branded by the media as one of the Four Heavenly Kings of Cantopop. Lau was entered into the Guinness World Records for the "Most Awards Won by a Cantopop Male Artist". By April 2000, he had already won a total unprecedented 292 awards. In 2005, Lau was awarded "No.1 Box office Actor 1985-2005" of Hong Kong, yielding a total box office of HKD 1,733,275,816 for shooting 108 films in the past 20 years. In 2007, Lau was also awarded the "Nielsen Box Office Star of Asia" by the Nielsen Company.- Actor
- Stunts
- Producer
Donnie Yen was born in Guangzhou, China. His mother, Bow-sim Mark, was a kung fu master and his father, Kylster Yen, a newspaper editor and amateur musician. When Donnie was just two years old, the family moved to Hong Kong and then, when he was 11, to Boston, Massachusetts.
There, Master Bow-sim Mark became a pioneer for Chinese martial arts in America, and it was only natural that her only son was trained from early childhood in the same skills. At the same time, Donnie was influenced by his parents' love of music and reached a high level of proficiency as a pianist. All these interests would have a manifest influence on Yen's later life.
In his teens, Donnie defined his own persona by rebelling against his parents edicts. Beyond the limitations of his mother's school, Yen began training in various different fighting arts, including Japanese karate, Korean taekwondo and western boxing. Donnie also took up hip-hop and break-dancing. At the same time, he began spending his nights in Boston's notorious Combat Zone. Given that he was by now a serious practitioner of modern Wu Shu, his parents decided to send him to Beijing to train at the Chinese capital's famed Wu Shu academy.
It was when Yen returned to Hong Kong en route back to Boston that he met the famed martial arts movie director Yuen Woo-ping.
Donnie exploded onto the Hong Kong movie scene when he was cast in the lead role of director Yuen Woo-ping's 'Drunken Tai Chi'. His debut film immediately established him as a viable leading man, and Yen has remained a major figure in Chinese action cinema to this day.
Yen skills as a street dancer were to the fore in his second starring role, 'Mismatched Couples', in which he showed off his breakdance moves, as well as his general athleticism. This slapstick romantic comedy was produced by Hong Kong's prestigious Cinema City studio.
Donnie was subsequently signed by the newly formed D&B Films, and cast in the hit cop actioner 'Tiger Cage'. In this movie, and his follow-up features for the company ('In the Line of Duty 4', 'Tiger Cage 2'), Yen showed off his own unique form of contemporary screen combat, a form that included elements of rapid fire kicking, Western boxing and grappling moves.
Having established a worldwide fan base, Yen moved on to star in a string of independent Asian action features before director Tsui Hark tapped him to co-star in 'Once Upon A Time In China 2'. The film's two action highlights saw Donnie's character duel the legendary martial arts master Wong Fei-hung, played by his old friend Jet Li. The film brought Yen his first real attention as a thespian and he was nominated in the Best Supporting Actor category at that year's Hong Kong Film Awards.
Tsui Hark went on to produce a remake of King Hu's classic 'New Dragon Inn', which provided another showcase role for Donnie as the film's apparently invincible villain.
Donnie was reunited with director Yuen Woo-ping for 'Iron Monkey', a film which brought Yen's acting and action skills both into focus. In 'Iron Monkey', Yen played the father of Wong Fei-hung, and its success prefigured that which he would later enjoy as another pugilistic patriarch in 'Ip Man'. Donnie collaborated with Yuen on the action for the film, designing a new on-screen interpretation of Wong Fei-hung's classic 'Shadowless Kick'.
'Iron Monkey' was all the more remarkable in that, years after its Asian release, it was acquired by the American studio Miramax, re-cut, re-scored and given a wide release in US theatres. After premieres in New York and Los Angeles, the film enjoyed great acclaim from the American critics, and won a prize at that year's Taurus Awards, an event held to celebrate action in cinema.
After working on a number of independent features, Yen went on to enjoy huge success on the small screen when he accepted a lucrative offer from Hong Kong's ATV to film a series based on the Bruce Lee classic 'Fist of Fury'. The show was the top-rated action drama show around the region, and was subsequently re-edited for international distribution on video.
Donnie went on to make his directorial debut with 'Legend of the Wolf', a stylish period actioner that even attracted the attention of legendary American film-maker Francis Coppola. The film, about an amnesiac warrior returning to his home village, has become a bona fide cult classic.
As director, Donnie followed 'Legend of the Wolf' with a very different venture, 'Ballistic Kiss', an urban thriller about a conflicted assassin. The film played at the prestigious Udine Festival in Italy, and took home awards at several other events, including the Japanese Yubari International Action Film Festival.
Donnie's body of work had by then attracted the attention of Hollywood, and Yen was approached to choreograph the action for the mainstream franchise films 'Highlander: Endgame' and 'Blade 2'. After a period where he was based in Los Angeles, Donnie returned East by way of the West when Jackie Chan requested that Yen play his nemesis in the hit 'Shanghai Knights', a shoot that took the star from Prague to London.
Yen returned to China to co-star in director Zhang Yimou's epic wu xia master work 'Hero'. Yen's duel with Jet Li brought his skills to the emerging Mainland Chinese theatrical audience, and paved the way for Donnie to become the country's biggest action star. The film received a wide US theatrical release from Miramax, and remains one of the most successful foreign language titles ever distributed in the America market.
Donnie returned to Hong Kong to choreograph the smash hit fantasy-horror-comedy 'The Twins Effect', and went on to enjoy his most productive partnership with a director. Beginning with the cop actioner 'SPL', Donnie teamed with helmer Wilson Yip for a series of very different films that Yen would star in and action choreograph and Yip would direct. Star and director subsequently teamed to create the comic book inspired fantasy actioner 'Dragon Tiger Gate' and the gritty police thriller 'Flashpoint', in which Donnie created what fans feel is the definitive on-screen MMA action scene. Yen was to return to this hard-hitting, urban action style for the later 'Special ID'.
Donnie now found himself in demand as a leading man in a series of prestigious period actioners produced for the Chinese market. 'Seven Swords' premiered at the Venice Film Festival, and proved a hit with worldwide audiences. The film was released in North America by The Weinstein Company's Dragon Dynasty label, and remains its biggest hit.
Yen also attracted rave reviews when he played an honorable general in 'An Empress and her Warriors' and an offbeat ghost-buster in Gordon Chan's 'Painted Skin'.
Yen took his career to a new level when he accepted producer Raymond Wong's suggestion that he play Bruce Lee's teacher, 'Ip Man', in an eponymous film relating the life of the great master. The film was a huge success in Hong Kong and China, and 'Ip Man' went on to find favor with audiences worldwide. Donnie also received a Best Actor nomination at the Hong Kong Film Awards.
'Ip Man' confirmed Donnie's position as China's greatest action hero, and he was immediately signed to lead a strong ensemble cast for Teddy Chen's 'Bodyguards and Assassins', produced by Peter Chan. Besides his on-screen performance, Donnie was also called on to choreograph the dynamic duel between himself and MMA champion Cung Le. The movie went on to sweep the board at the Hong Kong Film Awards winning Best Film, among many other prizes. Yen himself was nominated for Best Actor at the Chinese Hundred Flower awards.
Yen followed this with 'Ip Man 2', a rare example of a sequel that proved a match for its predecessor. The film followed Ip's life journey to Hong Kong, where he faces both rival kung fu masters, led by the film's choreographer, Sammo Hung, and a brutal foreign boxer, portrayed by the late Darren Shahlavi. 'Ip Man 2' was the biggest local hit of the year in China, and enjoyed a limited theatrical release in the US.
The film's success led to Donnie being cast as a number of legendary Chinese heroes: He played General Qin-long in Daniel Lee's '14 Blades', Guan Yu in 'The Lost Bladesman' and reprised Bruce Lee's Chen Zhen role in Andrew Lau's 'Legend of the Fist'. Yen also used the lighter side of his screen persona to good effect in two installments of the hit Hong Kong comedy movie series 'Alls Well Ends Well'.
Yen was cast opposite Tang Wei and Takeshi Kaneshiro in director Peter Chan's 'Wu Xia' (aka 'Dragon'), a dark, elegant period martial arts murder mystery. The film premiered to great acclaim at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival, and subsequently received a North American theatrical release from The Weinstein Company.
Donnie Yen played 'The Monkey King' in a hit reimagining of the Chinese classic. Donnie starred opposite screen legend Chow Yun-fat in the film, which smashed box office records in Mainland China.
Showing his versatility, Yen went on to play a kung fu master facing challenges in the modern era in director Teddy Chen's 'Kung Fu Jungle'. The movie, which premiered at the London Film Festival, paid tribute to the great history of Hong Kong martial arts cinema.
During the shooting of his ambitious, time travel themed action fantasy 'Iceman 3D', Yen was approached to revitalize the greatest brand in the history of Chinese martial arts cinema. 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny' was shot primarily on location in New Zealand, with Yen in the lead role. The world class creative team gathered by producer Harvey Weinstein included legendary kung fu film director Yuen Woo-ping, acclaimed directors Peter Berg and Morten Tyldum (as producers), 'X-Men' series DP Tom Sigel as well as the Oscar-winning production, costume and FX designers from the 'Lord of the Rings' and 'Hobbit' film series.
The film debuted in most international territories as a Netflix Original movie, making it the most widely seen wu xia of all time. 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: The Sword of Destiny' also played at selected Imax theatres in North America, and enjoyed a wide theatrical release in China, where it was screened in its 3D version.
Yen reteamed with his former mentor Yuen Woo-ping for the hugely popular 'Ip Man 3'. The film, with Wilson Ip as director and Yuen as choreographer, pitted the title character against legendary boxing champion Mike Tyson. The film out-performed all the previous movies featuring the character of Ip Man, smashing box office records throughout Asia. Following a high profile Los Angeles premiere, 'Ip Man 3' enjoyed a Los Angeles premiere and a US theatrical release, earning rave reviews in the mainstream American media.
Having conquered every territory beneath the Asian skies, Donnie accepted an invitation to join the cast of an entry in the world's biggest film franchise. In 'Rogue One: A Star Wars Story', Yen plays one of the Rebel warriors responsible for the theft of the Death Star plans, the adventure that, within the 'Star Wars' universe, leads to the events of the very first film in the series. The film was shot primarily at the famed Elstree Studios in England.
Donnie had a role opposite Vin Diesel and his fellow Asian action star, Tony Jaa, in xXx: Return of Xander Cage (2017), which filmed in Toronto, Canada.
Now firmly established as a leading player across the globe, Donnie Yen continues to present a unique blend of Eastern experience and Western innovation, of musical grace with martial impact, from Hong Kong to a galaxy far, far away....
Donnie is one of the leading martial arts choreographers in the world of action cinema. His skills behind the camera began developing from his early days in the industry, and he was very much involved with the action choreography of his films for D&B Films. He received his first full action directing credit on the Michelle Yeoh, kung fu drama 'Wing Chun', in which he also starred.
Yen further developed his style of choreography in the high pressure world of Hong Kong television, where he created the action for his hit series 'Kung Fu Master' and 'Fist of Fury', and as a low-budget film-maker, when he directed, starred in and choreographed the movies 'Legend of the Wolf' and 'Ballistic Kiss'.
It was after Yen had helmed his first two Chinese features that Hollywood made its first serious bid for his services. He was signed to co-star in and action direct 'Highlander: Endgame', the latest in a series of fantasy actioners. The film, which starred Adrian Paul and Christopher Lambert, was produced by the US studio Dimension, and enjoyed a successful worldwide theatrical release.
Having relocated to Los Angeles, Yen paid his dues by directing action scenes for the Dimension action thriller 'Stormbreaker' and providing the fight sequences for the German TV series 'The Puma'.
Donnie agreed to both action direct and cameo in the major New Line action franchise entry 'Blade 2', starring Wesley Snipes. The film, directed by Guillermo del Toro, was a huge hit, earning almost twice the box office of the original 'Blade'.
Returning to Hong Kong, Yen found he now had a major contribution to make behind the camera, co-directing the SFX action adventure 'The Twins Effect'. The film, which starred two of China's top pop idols, told the tale of young vampire hunters with well-honed martial arts skills. A huge hit for Emperor, the film earned Yen his first Best Action Director prize at the Hong Kong Film Awards.
'The Twins Effect' saw Donnie start to introduce elements of MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) in his film fight scenes. He took the on-screen depiction of the style to new heights with the film 'SPL', released in the US as 'Kill Zone'. Yen's final reel duel with Sammo Hung is now regarded as a classic of the genre. The film won Donnie his second Best Action Choreography prize at the Hong Kong Film Awards.
He took his on-screen depiction of MMA to new heights in 'Flashpoint', which featured an even longer and more intense final showdown, this time between Yen and 'Matrix Reloaded' actor Collin Chou. The film won Donnie his third Best Action Choreography prize at the Hong Kong Film Awards, as well as a prize for Best Action in a Foreign Language Film at the Taurus Awards.
Yen explored different styles of screen combat when he choreographed the stunning kung fu fights for the period actioners 'Legend of the Fist' and 'The Lost Bladesman', the fantasy combat for 'The Monkey King' and the time travel adventure 'Iceman Cometh 3D'.
Many fans feel that Yen delivered his best choreographic work to date in Peter Chan's masterful 'Wu Xia', released in the US as 'Dragon'. The film saw Donnie bring his own unique flair to classical Shaw Bros style kung fu action.
Donnie brought traditional Chinese martial arts into the modern era with 'Kung Fu Jungle', for which his work won yet another Best Choreography prize at the Hong Kong Film Awards.
Away from the cameras, Yen entered into the most rewarding partnership of his life when he married former beauty queen, Cissy Wang. The couple now has two children, a girl and boy, Jasmine and James.- Actor
- Director
- Writer
Lung Ti was born on 19 August 1946 in Guangdong Province, China. He is an actor and director, known for A Better Tomorrow (1986), Drunken Master II (1994) and The Warrior's Way (2010). He has been married to Min-Ming Tao since 22 May 1975. They have one child.- Actor
- Stunts
- Producer
Born in Hong Kong, Sammo Hung's acting career began while he was training in acrobatics, martial arts and dance as a child at the China Drama Academy, and he received acclaim for his performance with a troupe called "The Seven Little Fortunes." He made his feature film debut as an actor at the age of 12, and has worked in numerous martial arts films as an actor, director, producer and/or choreographer, collaborating with Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan, two superstars of the genre.
He is now internationally renowned as a pioneer and trend-setter in Hong Kong action films. Hung's big break as a film actor came with a role as a sparring partner in the Bruce Lee film Enter the Dragon (1973). He established his reputation as a skilled physical comedian in several kung-fu comedies, beginning with "Enter the Fat Dragon" (Enter the Fat Dragon (1978)). He also produced and starred in numerous successful films throughout the 1970s and 1980s for Hong Kong's leading film studio, Golden Harvest.
Hung collaborated in the 1980s with long-time friend Jackie Chan in a highly successful series of action comedies that cemented Hung's reputation as a consummate actor/director and launched Chan's career as an international star. For a while, Hung also starred in an American TV series, Martial Law (1998).
He directed Once Upon a Time in China and America (1997), his first film shot in the US. He and his wife, Mina, now divide their time between homes in Hong Kong and Los Angeles.- Actor
- Director
- Producer
Hung-Lieh Chen was born on 7 June 1943 in Shanghai, China. He was an actor and director, known for Come Drink with Me (1966), Wo ban cai yun fei (1978) and Hua luo shui liu hong (1979). He was married to Yin-Tze Pan. He died on 24 November 2009 in Hong Kong, China.- Actor
- Director
- Producer
David Chiang was born in Suzhou, China on June 29, 1947. His mother Hung Wei and father Yim Dut were very popular movie stars. Young David began his acting career at a very early age, appearing in black & white films while he was only 4 years old. "John" is David's real English name, while "David" was a stage name given to him by Director Chang Cheh. In 1966, while working as a Stuntman and Fight Instructor for the acclaimed Shaw Brothers Studio, he was spotted by Director Chang Cheh. The Director immediately saw potential & screen presence in the young actor & took David under his wing, slowly grooming him. The pair got along like father & son. With Wang Yu's sudden departure in 1969, Run Run Shaw and his senior executives were searching for their next leading man to take the reins to satisfy the frenzy left from the departed Wang Yu. The movie impresario made David an offer he could not refuse. With the guidance of Director Chang Cheh, David won "The Best Actor" Award at the 16th Asian Film Festival in 1970 for his role in "Vengeance!". In 1972, at the 18th Asian film Festival, David was awarded "The Best Actor" for his role in "Blood Brothers" & "The Most Contemporary" Award in 1973 at the 19th Asian Film Festival for "The Generation Gap". David left Hong Kong with his mentor Chang Cheh and set up an Independent Production Company in 1973 known as Chang's Scope Company. With the backing & blessings of Run Run Shaw, their films continued to be distributed through an enormous Shaw circuit. There, David was able to try his hand at directing, producing and script writing. As the 70s came to an end and the 80s approached, David continued to work his magic on the silver screen working with Directors Lee Han Chiang, Hsueh Li Pao, Ho Meng-hua and Chia-Liang Liu. 1980 was also the start of his first TV series "The Green Dragon Conspiracy", followed by "Princess Chang Ping" and "Dynasty" which are all classics. In the mid 80s, David worked alongside his two brothers, Paul Chun & Derek Yee, directing, producing and acting in the comedy "Legend of the Owl". David's talents in comedy also was showcased in the movies "The Challenger" and "The Loot" directed by Eric Tseng . In late 80s into the 90s David successfully directed movies: "Heaven Can Help", "Silent Love", "The Wrong Couples", "Mr. Handsome", "Double Fattiness", "My Dear Son", "Will of Iron" and "Mother of a Different Kind" . In 1991, David and his family emigrated from Hong Kong to Vancouver, Canada, returning to Hong Kong to make one or two TV series each year. As 2000 approached, David has continued to work in movies & TV series. He was nominated for "Best Supporting Actor" in 2006 for his role in "Revolving Doors of Vengeance". With over 4 decades under his belt, David is indeed an icon and a legend and is well regarded as one of Kung Fu's top action heroes.- Actor
- Director
- Writer
Anthony Wong Chau-Sang was born to a British father and a Chinese mother. He never knew his father, since the man left his family when Wong was four years old. He trained acting at ATV and later enrolled into the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts.
After working in several TV Series, he shot to stardom with hits such as "Hard-Boiled" and his Golden Horse-winning performance in the horrific "The Untold Story."
He later appeared in the "Young and Dangerous" films as Dai Fei, a friend to Ekin Cheng's Ho Nam. In 1995, he made his directorial debut with New Tenant.
He won his second Hong Kong Film Award for his role as the corrupt police officer Tung in the critically acclaimed "Beast Cops" (1998).
Wong continued his success in supporting roles in films such as "Infernal Affairs" (2002) and "Initial D" (2005).- Actor
- Director
- Producer
Kuan Tai Chen was born on 24 September 1945 in Guangdong, China. He is an actor and director, known for The Man with the Iron Fists (2012), Bloody Monkey Master (1977) and Kera Sakti (1978).- Actor
- Music Department
- Director
Nicholas was born in Hong Kong, China. He attended school in Vancouver, Canada. He also attended school for a short time in Phoenix, Arizona before moving back to Hong Kong with his parents Patrick Yin Tse and Deborah Dik, and his sister, Jennifer (Ting Ting). Nicholas started his singing career around 1997.- Actor
- Stunts
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Born in Hong Kong in 1948, 'Bruce' Leung Siu-Lung was the eldest of twelve brothers (which included stuntman/martial arts actor/action choreographer 'Tony' Leung Siu-Hung) and he obtained his martial arts training from his father at the Cantonese Opera. He also learned different forms of Karate and Kung Fu from different masters, which would serve him well later in films where he showcased his talent in traditional combat and became a kung-fu star during the 70s & 80s.
Even though Leung Siu-Lung (Cantonese) "aka Liang Hsiao-Lung (Mandarin)" is his real name, he was known best to international kung-fu fans as Bruce Leung and/or Bruce Liang. His American name, "Bruce" was added on when he took his shot at the Bruce Lee clone phenomenon in the late 70s alongside Bruce Li (real name Ho Chung-Tao), Bruce Le (real name Huang Kin-Lung) and Dragon Lee. Unlike the other Bruce Lee look-a-likes, Leung Siu-Lung was compared to Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan for his effective martial arts, acrobatics and laughable humor; and tried his hand at only a few 'Brucexploitation' films which included 'Bruce and the Iron Finger' (aka Bruce Against the Iron Hand) with Bruce Li, and 'The Dragon Lives Again'.
His beginnings in the film industry took off in the early 70s when the legendary Ng. See-Yuen (producer of Jackie Chan's 'Snake in the Eagle's Shadow' and 'Drunken Master') gave him his first role in 'Little Superman', the film that gained him recognition as a kung-fu star. He continued to showcase his mastery in martial arts in classic films like 'My Kung Fu 12 Kicks', Ten Tigers of Shaolin', Showdown at the Equator', 'Kung Fu: The Invisible Fist', 'The Fists, The Kicks & The Evils', 'Black Belt Karate', 'The Fighting Machine' and one of his most memorable roles in the Golden Harvest-produced cult classic, 'Broken Oath', which featured one of Hong Kong's first internationally acclaimed female kung-fu stars, 'Angela' Mao-Ying (Enter the Dragon, Sting of the Dragon Masters "aka When TaeKwonDo Strikes") and Sammo Hung (TV's Martial Law, Jackie Chan's Project A, Magnificent Butcher).He went on to work in numerous kung-fu films in the other years.
Some sources say that Leung Siu-Lung gathered the public's attention and earned his fame when he encountered 13 armed attackers and defeated them single-handedly.
He was also a talented action choreographer for films where he crafted some quality martial arts sequences for 'The Tattoo Connection' with African-American Karate Champion Jim Kelly (Enter the Dragon, Black Belt Jones), 'Bruce and the Iron Finger' (aka Bruce Against the Iron Hand) with Bruce Li, 'Rich & Famous' with Chow Yun-Fat (Crouching Tiger,Hidden Dragon; Bulletproof Monk) and many more throughout the 80s and early 90s.
Leung Siu-Lung's unfortunate disappearance from films would follow when he took a visit to Mainland, China, where the Communist government banned his film work. He wouldn't be present in front of the cameras again for almost two decades but that wouldn't stop him from returning in 2004, where he was given the opportunity to make a surprising comeback to play the part as the main villain, The Beast, in Stephen Chow's blockbuster comedy, 'Kung Fu Hustle'. That was his very first bad guy role ever.
Dispite his disappearance from films, Leung Siu-Lung's on-screen return in 'Kung Fu Hustle' will hopefully reinvent him as the kung-fu legend he's been throughout the 70s & 80s and help him gain some recognition to international newcomers.- Actor
- Stunts
- Additional Crew
Yuen Biao is regarded as one of the most acrobatic martial artists ever. Unfortunately, he is still underrated and not as popular as other contemporaries such as Jackie Chan, Sammo Kam-Bo Hung, and Jet Li even though he is the most critically acclaimed out of all of them and the most talented as well. And now he is receiving a cult following due to word of mouth. Born of his parents Ha Kwong-Tai (father) and Ha Sau-Ying. Yuen Biao was first enrolled in the China Drama Academy at the age of 5 (he was the youngest there). He met Sammo Kam-Bo Hung and Jackie Chan while attending the Academy. Jackie Chan took him under his wing, and they became lifelong friends. Yuen Biao stayed at the Academy until the age of 16 where he moved with Master Jim-Yuen to America. However, two years later he came back, citing there were no opportunities for Chinese martial artists to star in American films. After being in some bit part roles in films such as The Shrine of Ultimate Bliss (1974) (aka Stoner), The Hand of Death (1976) (aka Hand of Death), he didn't receive his first major breakthrough role until Sammo Kam-Bo Hung cast him in Knockabout (1979) (aka Knockabout). However, his first role which gave him full exposure and established his status as a A-list star was The Prodigal Son (1981) (aka The Prodigal Son), which also starred and was directed by Sammo Kam-Bo Hung. After that, 'Jackie Chan' cast him in the classic Project A (1983) (aka Project A). After starring in some other films with Sammo Kam-Bo Hung and/or Jackie Chan, he decided to go his own way and to forge his own career to get out of the shadows of Jackie Chan and Sammo Kam-Bo Hung. He met his future wife DiDi Phang Sau-Ha in 1984 while working as a stunt coordinator on the film DiDi Phang was working on: Carry on Pickpocket (1982) (aka Carry On Pickpocket). They have two children. His daughter Yi-Bui was born in 1986 and his son Ming-Tsak in 1988. The film On the Run (1988) (aka On The Run) confirmed his abilities as a brilliant actor as his portrayal as a married man seeking vengeance for his wife's brutal murder was critically acclaimed. The following year he starred in probably his best film, The Iceman Cometh (1989) (aka The Iceman Cometh), in which he starred with acclaimed actress Maggie Cheung. The film is regarded as a cult classic and is remembered not only for the fantastic fighting scenes and hilarious comedy, but also the wonderful acting of Biao Yuen and Maggie Cheung and the wonderful simmering sexual chemistry between them. After starring in the acclaimed Once Upon a Time in China (1991) (aka Once Upon a Time in China, in which most of his scenes were cut), he directed his first movie (A Kid from Tibet (1991). aka A Kid From Tibet), in which he also starred. In 1994, he worked for the first time in years, with Sammo Kam-Bo Hung in the gloriously titled Don't Give a Damn (1995) (aka Don't Give a Damn). In recent years, Yuen Biao has complained of poor scripts, so he appears in films sparsely nowadays. He also has a second home in Canada where he spends most of time pursuing his hobby of golf.- Actor
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Bruce Lee remains the greatest icon of martial arts cinema and a key figure of modern popular media. Had it not been for Bruce Lee and his movies in the early 1970s, it's arguable whether or not the martial arts film genre would have ever penetrated and influenced mainstream North American and European cinema and audiences the way it has over the past four decades. The influence of East Asian martial arts cinema can be seen today in so many other film genres including comedies, action, drama, science fiction, horror and animation... and they all have their roots in the phenomenon that was Bruce Lee.
Lee was born Lee Jun Fan November 27, 1940 in San Francisco, the son of Lee Hoi Chuen, a singer with the Cantonese Opera. Approximately one year later, the family returned to Kowloon in Hong Kong and at the age of five, a young Bruce begins appearing in children's roles in minor films including The Birth of Mankind (1946) and Fu gui fu yun (1948). At the age of 12, Bruce commenced attending La Salle College. Bruce was later beaten up by a street gang, which inspired him to take up martial arts training under the tutelage of Sifu Yip Man who schooled Bruce in wing chun kung fu for a period of approximately five years. This was the only formalized martial arts training ever undertaken by Lee. The talented and athletic Bruce also took up cha-cha dancing and, at age 18, won a major dance championship in Hong Kong.
However, his temper and quick fists got him in trouble with the Hong Kong police on numerous occasions. His parents suggested that he head off to the United States. Lee landed in San Francisco's Chinatown in 1959 and worked in a close relative's restaurant. He eventually made his way to Seattle, Washington, where he enrolled at university to study philosophy and found the time to practice his beloved kung fu techniques. In 1963, Lee met Linda Lee Cadwell (aka Linda Emery) (later his wife) and also opened his first kung fu school at 4750 University Way. During the early half of the 1960s, Lee became associated with many key martial arts figures in the United States, including kenpo karate expert Ed Parker and tae kwon do master Jhoon Rhee. He made guest appearances at notable martial arts events including the Long Beach Nationals. Through one of these tournaments Bruce met Hollywood hair-stylist Jay Sebring who introduced him to television producer William Dozier. Based on the runaway success of Batman (1966), Dozier was keen to bring the cartoon character the Green Hornet to television and was on the lookout for an East Asian actor to play the Green Hornet's sidekick, Kato. Around this time Bruce also opened a second kung fu school in Oakland, California and relocated to Oakland to be closer to Hollywood.
Bruce's screen test was successful, and The Green Hornet (1966) starring Van Williams aired in 1966-1967 with mixed success. His fight scenes were sometimes obscured by unrevealing camera angles, but his dedication was such that he insisted his character behave like a perfect bodyguard, keeping his eyes on whoever might be a threat to his employer except when the script made this impossible. The show was canceled after only one season (twenty-six episodes), but by this time Lee was receiving more fan mail than the series' nominal star. He then opened a third branch of his kung fu school in Los Angeles and began providing personalized martial arts training to celebrities including film stars Steve McQueen and James Coburn as well as screenwriter Stirling Silliphant. In addition he refined his prior knowledge of wing chun and incorporated aspects of other fighting styles such as traditional boxing and Okinawan karate. He also developed his own unique style Jeet Kune Do (Way of the Intercepting Fist). Another film opportunity then came his way as he landed the small role of a stand over man named Winslow Wong who intimidates private eye James Garner in Marlowe (1969). Wong pays a visit to Garner and proceeds to demolish the investigator's office with his fists and feet, finishing off with a spectacular high kick that shatters the light fixture. With this further exposure of his talents, Bruce then scored several guest appearances as a martial arts instructor to blind private eye James Franciscus on the television series Longstreet (1971).
With his minor success in Hollywood and money in his pocket, Bruce returned for a visit to Hong Kong and was approached by film producer Raymond Chow who had recently started Golden Harvest productions. Chow was keen to utilize Lee's strong popularity amongst young Chinese fans, and offered him the lead role in The Big Boss (1971). In it, Lee plays a distant cousin coming to join relatives working at an ice house, where murder, corruption, and drug-running lead to his character's adventures and display of Kung-Fu expertise. The film was directed by Wei Lo, shot in Thailand on a very low budget and in terrible living conditions for cast and crew. However, when it opened in Hong Kong the film was an enormous hit. Chow knew he had struck box office gold with Lee and quickly assembled another script entitled Fist of Fury (1972). The second film (with a slightly bigger budget) was again directed by Wei Lo and was set in Shanghai in the year 1900, with Lee returning to his school to find that his beloved master has been poisoned by the local Japanese karate school. Once again he uncovers the evildoers and sets about seeking revenge on those responsible for murdering his teacher and intimidating his school. The film features several superb fight sequences and, at the film's conclusion, Lee refuses to surrender to the Japanese police and seemingly leaps to his death in a hail of police bullets.
Once more, Hong Kong streets were jammed with thousands of fervent Chinese movie fans who could not get enough of the fearless Bruce Lee, and his second film went on to break the box office records set by the first! Lee then set up his own production company, Concord Productions, and set about guiding his film career personally by writing, directing and acting in his next film, The Way of the Dragon (1972). A bigger budget meant better locations and opponents, with the new film set in Rome, Italy and additionally starring hapkido expert In-shik Hwang, karate legend Robert Wall and seven-time U.S. karate champion Chuck Norris. Bruce plays a seemingly simple country boy sent to assist at a cousin's restaurant in Rome and finds his cousins are being bullied by local thugs for protection.
By now, Lee's remarkable success in East Asia had come to the attention of Hollywood film executives and a script was hastily written pitching him as a secret agent penetrating an island fortress. Warner Bros. financed the film and also insisted on B-movie tough guy John Saxon starring alongside Lee to give the film wider appeal. The film culminates with another show-stopping fight sequence between Lee and the key villain, Han, in a maze of mirrors. Shooting was completed in and around Hong Kong in early 1973 and in the subsequent weeks Bruce was involved in completing overdubs and looping for the final cut. Various reports from friends and co-workers cite that he was not feeling well during this period and on July 20, 1973 he lay down at the apartment of actress Betty Ting Pei after taking a headache medicine called Equagesic and was later unable to be revived. A doctor was called and Lee was taken to hospital by ambulance and pronounced dead that evening. The official finding was death due to a cerebral edema, caused by a reaction to the headache tablet Equagesic.
Fans worldwide were shattered that their virile idol had passed at such a young age, and nearly thirty thousand fans filed past his coffin in Hong Kong. A second, much smaller ceremony was held in Seattle, Washington and Bruce was laid to rest at Lake View Cemetary in Seattle with pall bearers including Steve McQueen, James Coburn and Dan Inosanto. Enter the Dragon (1973) was later released in the mainland United States, and was a huge hit with audiences there, which then prompted National General films to actively distribute his three prior movies to U.S. theatres... each was a box office smash.
Fans throughout the world were still hungry for more Bruce Lee films and thus remaining footage (completed before his death) of Lee fighting several opponents including Dan Inosanto, Hugh O'Brian and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was crafted into another film titled Game of Death (1978). The film used a lookalike and shadowy camera work to be substituted for the real Lee in numerous scenes. The film is a poor addition to the line-up and is only saved by the final twenty minutes and the footage of the real Bruce Lee battling his way up the tower. Amazingly, this same shoddy process was used to create Game of Death II (1980), with a lookalike and more stunt doubles interwoven with a few brief minutes of footage of the real Bruce Lee.
Tragically, his son Brandon Lee, an actor and martial artist like his father, was killed in a freak accident on the set of The Crow (1994). Bruce Lee was not only an amazing athlete and martial artist but he possessed genuine superstar charisma and through a handful of films he left behind an indelible impression on the tapestry of modern cinema.- Actor
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Edison Chen was born on 7 October 1980 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. He is an actor, known for Infernal Affairs (2002), The Grudge 2 (2006) and The Dark Knight (2008). He has been married to Qin ShuPei since 30 May 2016. They have one child.- Actor
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Alex Man was born on 25 July 1957 in Guangdong, China. He is an actor, known for Gangland Odyssey (1988), As Tears Go By (1988) and The Golden Pillow (1995). He has been married to Kwok Ming Lai since 2002. They have one child. He was previously married to Niu Tien.- Actor
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Tony Leung Chiu Wai was born in Hong Kong on 27 June 1962. He and his younger sister were raised by their mother after his father left them. In 1982, after passing the training courses of TVB, Tony became a TV actor and became famous for his comedy style in such TV shows as Tales of a Eunuch (1983) or The Proud Twins (1979). However, he didn't limit himself to television and began showing his versatility in films like My Heart Is That Eternal Rose (1989) and A City of Sadness (1989). After he starred in several movies directed by 'Kar wai Wong'; such as Chungking Express (1994) and Happy Together (1997), he gained more respect as an actor and finally received the Best Actor Award at the Cannes International Film Festival for his outstanding performance in In the Mood for Love (2000). In addition to his acting career, he is also known as a singer.- Actor
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Andy On was born on May 11, 1977, in Los Angeles, California. A non-martial artist, Andy had always loved Jackie Chan movies and emulated his moves from flips and kicks at his home. In early 2000, while working as a bartender in Rhode Island, someone suggested he should become an actor. Andy, who didn't like the bartending job anyway, decided to go with his gut and head for Hong Kong to begin his career. He was approached by Chinastar founder Charles Heung and world renowned filmmaker Hark Tsui to take over the role of one of Jet Li's famous movie character, Black Mask, in Black Mask 2: City of Masks (2002). Andy went to the Shaolin Temple to train for a month in stretching and martial arts for the role. Despite the poor reviews and bad box office, Andy has continued to act and, in fact, improve in not only martial arts but acting as well. He was nominated for Best New Actor for his role in Siu nin a Fu (2003) (aka Star Runner) and shared the screen with the man who influenced him, Jackie Chan, in New Police Story (2004) (aka New Police Story).- Actor
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Alan Tang, named Tang Kwong Wing, was born September 20, 1946, the year of the dog, in Guangzhou, PRC. He was the youngest of four children having two older brothers and one older sister.
His early education was at the New Method College or the Sun Fat College. After graduation and having armed himself with a degree in Chinese History, Alan entered the teaching profession of Chinese History.
His first starring role was actually at age 16 in a 1964 movie called The Student Prince. He got this role after some school friends showed his picture to the people making a movie at their secondary school. His role in this early movie earned the nickname of "The Prince."
In the 1970s it was reported that Tang made a salary of HK$150,000 per picture because he was so popular. In one 1974 article Alan Tang said that he was working on six movies at same time. Tang said, however, that he only worked on one film a day and that made it difficult for producers. In 1974, Tang not only starred in the Splendid Love in Winter with Chen Chen but also produced it. He talks about being so tired from working on his businesses that he could barely talk to Janet when he returned home at night. In another case, Tang describes having insomnia when he was separated from Janet. He was filming in Taiwan and Janet was in Hong Kong. It is no wonder then that the pair had occasional difficulties especially since the press reported their every move. It is a tribute to their love that Alan and Janet have remained together all these years in spite of living under constant scrutiny.
He found his main fame though when he moved to Taiwan and made many dramas and romances - often pairing off with Brigitte Lin during the 70s, in such films as Run Lover Run. Tang made over 60 films in Taiwan.
Later after his star faded a bit, he began producing films - two of them the Wong Kar-wai films As Tears Go By and Days of Being Wild. He still appeared in a number of films - generally of the triad genre - such as Flaming Brothers, Gangland Odyssey, Return Engagement, Gun N' Rose and The Black Panther Warriors.- Actor
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Simon Yam was born 19 March, 1955, also known as Yam Tat-wah, is a veteran Hong Kong-based actor and film producer. He started off as a supermodel before becoming an actor in the mid 1970s. He then signed with the Hong Kong television network TVB, starring and co-starring in a number of television series prior to "apply his trades" in the film industry in 1987. His elder brother is Yam Tak-wing, a retired former Deputy Commissioner of Hong Kong Police.
In 1989, he starred in the Japanese-Hong Kong co-production of Fainaru faito - Saigo no ichigeki (1989). This was the first of its kind in which English was spoken throughout the entire film. In 1992, Yam gained critical acclaim for his role as the maniacal Judge in the crime film Full Contact (1992), where he faced off in a bloody battle against Chow Yun-Fat's character. In 1993, he starred as "Dhalsim" in the action-comedy film Future Cops (1993), a parody of Street Fighter directed by Jing Wong. In 1996, Yam began his role as Chiang Tin-Sung, the leader of the Hung Hing triads in the first three installments of the Young and Dangerous (1996) film series.
In 2000, Yam starred as Cheung-sun, the progenitor of all vampires, in the television series Ngo wo geun see yau gor yue wui II (2000), produced by ATV. In 2003, Yam made his Hollywood film debut in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider - The Cradle of Life (2003) as Shaolin crime lord.
Yam received international acclaim for his performances in international film festival hits and box offices such as Naked Killer (1992), Kill Zone (2005), Election (2005), Election 2 (2006), Exiled (2006), Lara Croft: Tomb Raider - The Cradle of Life (2003), The Thieves (2012).
In 2019 in the city of Zhongshan, during a China promotional event, Simon Yam was assaulted by an attacker who stabbed him in the chest and slashed his arms. The security guards arrested the attacker and Simon Yam was taken to the hospital until he made a full recovery.- Actor
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Jet Li born Li Lian Jie in Beijing, China. He started training at the Beijing wushu academy (wushu is China's national sport, largely a performance version of various martial art styles) at age eight. He won five gold medals in the Chinese championships, his first when he was only 11. In his teens, he was already a national coach, and before he was 20 he had starred in his first movie: The Shaolin Temple (1982), which started the 1980s Kung-Fu boom in mainland China. He relocated to Hong Kong, where he was the biggest star of the early 1990s Kung-Fu boom. His first directorial effort was Born to Defense (1988).- Actor
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Louis Koo was born on 21 October 1970 in Hong Kong. He is an actor and producer, known for Warriors of Future (2022), Paradox (2017) and Protégé (2007).- Actor
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Tony Leung Ka-fai is a four-time Hong Kong Film Award-winning film actor. As he is often confused with actor Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Tony Leung Ka-fai is known as "Big Tony", while Tony Leung Chiu-wai is known as "Little Tony", nicknames which correspond to the actors' respective physical statures.
Leung has been in the film industry for more than 30 years, starring in a variety of roles. His debut film was Burning of the Imperial Palace (1983), where he played the Xianfeng Emperor. He would later work with Chow Yun-Fat in three films, Prison on Fire (1987), A Better Tomorrow III: Love and Death in Saigon (1989), and The Return of the God of Gamblers (1994).
In 1991, Leung went to France to appear in Jean-Jacques Annaud's The Lover (1992), based on Marguerite Duras's novel, as the older lover of a young teen schoolgirl, who was played by British actress Jane March.
Leung's ongoing career has seen him star in films such as The Myth (2005), Double Vision (2002), Everlasting Regret (2005) and Election (2005).- Actor
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Jacky Cheung was born on 10 July 1961 in Hong Kong. He is an actor, known for Bullet in the Head (1990), As Tears Go By (1988) and Once Upon a Time in China (1991). He has been married to May Mei-Mei Lo since 15 February 1996. They have two children.- Actor
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Aaron Kwok Fu-shing (born 26 October 1965) is a Hong Kong singer, dancer, and actor. He has been active since the 1980s and to the present. He is considered one of the "Four Heavenly Kings" of Hong Kong. Kwok's onstage dancing and displays is influenced by Michael Jackson. While most of his songs are in the dance-pop genre, he has experimented numerous times with rock and roll, ballad, rock, R&B, soul, electronica and traditional Chinese music.- Actor
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Stephen Chow was the only boy of his family, and has grown up as a Bruce Lee fan and a martial arts addict. His career started on TV, where he presented a children show ( "430 Space Shuttle" (1983)) and started becoming popular. He got some supporting roles, after that, and won the Taiwanese Golden Horse award for best supporting actor.
He had his first starring role in 1990 in a 'Chow Yun-Fat' spoof: All for the Winner (1990) - "All for the Winner" and started excelling in the comedy genre. In Hong-Kong, his particular nonsense style is called "Mo Lei Tau". It's also on the set of this movie that he encountered his fellow sidekick Man-Tat Ng.
One of the last HK biggest star which have not been bought by Hollywood, even if Miramax (who'll surely release Shaolin Soccer (2001) - "Shaolin Soccer" this year in the USA - after remastering it, ouch.) has probably planned something for him...- Actor
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Richie Jen was born on 23 June 1966 in Changhua, Taiwan. He is an actor and director, known for Fly Me to Polaris (1999), Fire of Conscience (2010) and Silver Hawk (2004). He has been married to Tina Chen since 2002. They have two children.- Actor
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Guoqiang Tang was born on 4 May 1952 in Fushan, Shandong, China. He is an actor and director, known for Chang zheng (2001), Yong Zheng wang chao (1997) and Kai Guo Ling Xiu Mao Ze Dong (1999).- Actor
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Richard Ng was born on 17 December 1939 in Guangdong, China. He was an actor and writer, known for Winners & Sinners (1983), Lara Croft: Tomb Raider - The Cradle of Life (2003) and Pom Pom (1984). He was married to Susan Ng. He died on 9 April 2023 in Hong Kong.- Actor
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Unicorn Chan (literal translation of his Chinese stage name "kei-luhn", which means Unicorn, and "siu" meaning small), was one of Bruce Lee's best friends since childhood. Along with Bruce, the two were often cast as juvenile delinquents in Hong Kong films. One of their earliest films together was Little Cheung (1950). When Bruce cut short his film career to pursuit studies in the US, Unicorn Chan continued acting in Hong Kong films, playing minor and supporting roles, often as villainous sidekicks or hoodlums. When Bruce returned to Hong Kong to revive his career, which would make him a martial arts icon, Unicorn was often given film roles or jobs in Bruce's projects. At Bruce Lee's funeral, Unicorn Chan was one of his pallbearers.- Yung Henry Yu was born in 1949 in Hong Kong. He is an actor, known for The 36th Chamber of Shaolin (1978), Meteor (1979) and Chinatown Connection (1990).
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Leslie Cheung was the youngest of 10 children. His father was tailor to the late William Holden. Leslie's parents divorced when he was young, and he claims this is one reason for his disinterest in marriage. Following graduation from secondary school, he studied at Leeds University in Great Britain. Upon his return to Hong Kong, he entered the 1976 ATV Asian Music Contest, where he took second prize. He went on to perform on stage, television and in teeny-bopper movies. It wasn't until he was cast in the role of "Kit" in John Woo's A Better Tomorrow (1986) that his acting career took off; he has since performed in some of the best-known Hong Kong movies of the last decade, working under the direction of such directors as Kaige Chen, Kar-Wai Wong, Hark Tsui and, of course, Woo. Leslie emigrated to Canada in 1992, but soon returned to Hong Kong, demonstrating his intention to remain past the 1997 handover of Hong Kong to China through his purchase of real estate and opening of a coffee shop in the colony.
Leslie jumped from the landmark Mandarin Oriental hotel in the central business district early in the evening on 1st April 2003, leaving a suicide note that was found on the body.- Actor
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Leon Lai won the 2002 Taiwan Golden Horse Award for Best Actor for his outstanding performance in the highly acclaimed horror film, Three, where he portrayed an obsessive husband trying to revive his dead wife with Chinese medicine. In 2003, he appeared in the final installment of the high profile franchise that created a box office sensation all over Asia and international markets, Infernal Affairs 3. He recently starred alongside Asian pop diva, Faye Wong, in Leaving Me, Loving You, a story and script he created and wrote.
Leon Lai was born in Beijing and brought up in Hong Kong. After returning to Hong Kong from his studies in England in 1985, Leon Lai entered himself in the 5th annual singing contest and won 3rd place. His potential was immediately recognized and thus began his performing career. He made his breakthrough in 1990 with his first album, becoming an immediate hit, and ultimately winning him¡°Best Newcomer¡± in the Hong Kong annual music awards. He went on to release many albums which all achieved record breaking sales, earning him the nickname ¡°4 Heavenly Kings¡±, along with Jacky Cheung, Andy Lau and Aaron Kwok, a new nickname for the HK King of Pop position left vacant after Leslie Cheung retired from the music scene. While making record breaking albums, Leon Lai also starred in numerous popular TV dramas and over thirty five films. His acting was finally recognized in Comrades: Almost a Love Story starring opposite of the fabulous Maggie Cheung, in which he earned nominations for Best Actor in both the Hong Kong Film Award and the Taiwan Golden Horse Award.
A versatile performer, Leon Lai has achieved sensational success in both singing and acting. He has also shown his talents behind the camera, directing several of his own music videos throughout the years, mixing contemporary settings with special effects. Other notable film works include: Heroic Duo, City of Glass, and Fallen Angels.- Actor
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Cheung-Yan Yuen is known for Tai Chi Master (1993), Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle (2003) and The Matrix Reloaded (2003).- Actor
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Jimmy Wang Yu was born on 28 March 1943 in Shanghai, China. He was an actor and producer, known for Master of the Flying Guillotine (1976), Dragon (2011) and Soul (2013). He was married to Jeanette Lin Tsui. He died on 5 April 2022 in Taipei, Taiwan.- Actor
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Ricky Hui was born in Panyu, Guangdong, China on August 3, 1946. Ricky and his family moved to Hong Kong in 1950. His father played the violin and his mother loved Cantonese opera, therefore, Ricky and his siblings loved music and acting. Ultimately, Ricky and his brothers, Michael Hui and Samuel Hui, went into the entertainment industry. All three would appear in a score of comedy movies together. Ricky has also appeared in a number of vampire and horror movies, starring opposite Ching-Ying Lam as his apprentice.
Ricky is also a singer, and has released seven albums. He also wrote some songs for his brother Sam and has appeared in his concerts. In addition, Ricky appeared in stage productions. In 2001, a documentary was released, telling of Hong Kong's entertainment, called the "Laughing Kaleidoscope." It featured Ricky and other various artists on stage. In 2004, Ricky participated at the Sing Along Golden Hits Encore Concert and, in 2006, participated at the "Rosanne in Starry Night Concert."
Like his brothers, Ricky remains one of the most reputable celebrities in Hong Kong Show Biz.- Actor
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Michael Hui was born in Guangzhou, China on September 3, 1942. He went to La Salle College, and then earned his degree in Sociology from the Chinese University of Hong Kong. He came to the Hong Kong entertainment industry running the comedic "Hui Brothers Show." Shortly afterward, in went into films in the early 1970s. He would often star with his brothers Ricky Hui and Samuel Hui in his comedies, usually movies about pitting their wits against the odds to earn instant money. Hui in these series of films was often referred to as "Mr. Boo" by the Japanese market. By the 1980s through the 1990s, Hui has continued acting and producing his own comedies, most of his movies being centered on the quest for wealth. His satirical comedies, deadpan delivery, character-driven storyline and his charming wit makes him one of the most popular actors and comedians in Hong Kong. In 2006, he became host of Hong Kong's version of "Deal or no Deal."- Actor
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Dan Lau was born on 18 December 1945 in Shandong, China. He is an actor, known for Police Story (1985), Sun diu hap lui (1995) and The Return of the Condor Heroes (1983).- Actor
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Ying Bai was born in 1940 in Sichuan Province, China. He is an actor, known for Dynasty (1977), A Touch of Zen (1971) and Lady Kung Fu (1972).- Actor
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Hua Yueh was born on 13 July 1942 in Shanghai, China. He was an actor and writer, known for Come Drink with Me (1966), The Monkey Goes West (1966) and Three Kingdoms (2008). He was married to Ni Tien. He died on 20 October 2018 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.- Actor
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Anthony Chan was born on 1 October 1952 in Hong Kong. He is an actor and producer, known for When Fortune Smiles (1990), Behind the Yellow Line (1984) and A Fishy Story (1989).- Actor
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Adam Cheng was born on 24 February 1947 in Hong Kong. He is an actor, known for Chu Liu Xiang da jie ju (1983), Chor Lauheung (1979) and The Legend (1993). He has been married to Kuan Ching-Hua since 1989. They have two children. He was previously married to Lydia Shum.- Actor
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Dean Shek was born on 17 June 1949 in Beijing, China. He was an actor and producer, known for A Better Tomorrow II (1987), Drunken Master (1978) and Chu jia ren (1975). He was married to Lau Chun-yue. He died on 31 October 2021 in Hong Kong.- Actor
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Chow Yun Fat is a charismatic, athletically built and energetic Asian-born film star who first came to the attention of western audiences via his roles in the high-octane/blazing guns action films of maverick HK director John Woo.
Chow was born in 1955 on the quiet island of Lamma, part of the then-British colony of Hong Kong, near its famous Victoria Harbour. His mother was a vegetable farmer and cleaning lady, and his father worked on a Shell Oil Company tanker. Chow's family moved to urban Hong Kong in 1965 and in early 1973, Chow attended a casting call for TVB, a division of Shaw Bros. productions. With his good looks and easy-going style, Chow was originally a heartthrob actor in non-demanding TV and film roles. However, his popularity increased with his appearance as white-suited gangster Hui Man-Keung in the highly popular drama TV series Shanghai Beach (1980).
In 1985, Chow started receiving acclaim for his work and scored the Golden Horse (Best Actor) Award in Taiwan and another Best Actor Award from the Asian Pacific Film Festival for his performance in Hong Kong 1941 (1984). With these accolades, Chow came to the attention of Woo, who cast Chow in the fast-paced gangster film A Better Tomorrow (1986) (aka "A Better Tomorrow"). The rest, as they say, is history. The film was an enormous commercial success, and Chow's influence on young Asian males was not dissimilar to the adulation given to previous Asian film sensations such as Bruce Lee or Jackie Chan. Nearly every young guy in Hong Kong ran out and bought himself a "Mark Coat," as they became known--a long, heavy woolen coat worn by Chow in the movie (although it is is actually very unsuited to Hong Kong's hot and humid climate).
Further hard-edged roles in more John Woo crime films escalated Chow's popularity even higher, and fans all over the world flocked to see A Better Tomorrow II (1987) (aka "A Better Tomorrow 2"), The Killer (1989) (aka "The Killer"), and Hard Boiled (1992) (aka "Hard Boiled"). With the phenomenal global interest in the HK action genre, Chow was enticed to the United States and appeared in The Replacement Killers (1998) with Mira Sorvino, The Corruptor (1999) with Mark Wahlberg, and, for a change of pace, in the often-filmed romantic tale of Anna and the King (1999).
Chow then returned to the Asian cinema circuit and starred in the critically lauded kung fu epic Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) (aka "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon"). His wide appeal can be seen in his "boy next door" type of personality and his ability to play such a broad spectrum of roles from a comedic buffoon to a lovestruck Romeo to a trigger-happy professional killer. A highly entertaining and gifted actor with dynamic on-screen presence, Chow continues to remain in strong demand in many film markets.- Actor
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Ka-Yan Leung was born on 20 January 1949 in Guangdong, China. He is an actor and director, known for The Man with the Iron Fists (2012), Mr. Nice Guy (1997) and Profile in Anger (1984).- Actor
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Francis Ng was born on 21 December 1961 in Hong Kong. He is an actor and director, known for Infernal Affairs II (2003), 2000 AD (2000) and Bullets Over Summer (1999). He has been married to Fiona Wong since 2 December 2002. They have one child.- Actor
- Director
Wenzhuo Zhao was born on 10 April 1972 in Ning'an, Heilongjiang, China. He is an actor and director, known for True Legend (2010), Once Upon a Time in China IV (1993) and Yingxiong Zheng Chengong (2001). He has been married to Danlu Zhang since 1 June 2006. They have three children.- Actor
- Director
- Writer
Hua Tsung was born on 2 April 1944 in Shandong, China. He was an actor and director, known for Shi ye Yun ye Ming ye (1982), Sacred Knives of Vengeance (1972) and Gui tai jian (1971). He died on 26 April 2023 in Taiwan.- Actor
- Director
- Additional Crew
Chung Wang was born on 2 April 1947 in Shanghai, China. He is an actor and director, known for The Informer (1980), Mobfix Patrol (1981) and Chai sin (1981).- Actor
- Music Department
- Composer
Samuel Hui was born on 6 September 1948 in Canton, China. He is an actor and composer, known for The Swordsman (1990), Mad Mission (1982) and The Legend of Wisely (1987). He has been married to Rebecca Fleming since 30 December 1971. They have two children.- Actor
- Stunts
- Director
Siu-Wong Fan was born in Hong Kong in 1973, the son of 1970s kung fu film actor Mei-Sheng Fan. At the age of 14, Siu-Wong traveled to Xushou on the request of his father to take up martial arts because he was virtually a toothpick. There, Siu-Wong studied gymnastics, kung fu, and taekwondo. Fan made his film debut as a teen in Zhi fa xian feng (1986), aka Righting Wrongs, alongside Biao Yuen, Cynthia Rothrock, and Corey Yuen. However, his breakout role came in 1991 when he starred as the titled character in Lik wong (1991), aka The Story of Ricky. By then, Siu-Wong has emerged into a true action star with the muscles to match. He continues to work in films today, although they are not exactly the big Hong Kong blockbusters everyone goes out to see.- Actor
- Stunts
Timmy Hung was born on 5 August 1975 in Hong Kong. He is an actor, known for Double Team (1997), Mr. Nice Guy (1997) and New Police Story (2004).- Actor
- Producer
- Additional Crew
Eric Tsang was born on 14 April 1953 in Hong Kong. He is an actor and producer, known for Infernal Affairs (2002), Hold You Tight (1998) and The Eye (2002). He was previously married to Mei-Hua Wang.- Waise Lee was born on 19 December 1959 in Hong Kong. He is an actor, known for A Better Tomorrow (1986), Bullet in the Head (1990) and Tricky Brains (1991).
- Actor
- Stunts
- Director
Chia-Yung Liu was born in 1944 in Guangzhou, Guangdong, China. He is an actor and director, known for Once Upon a Time in China (1991), Armour of God (1986) and The Dragon Family (1988).- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
Tao-Liang Tan was born in 1947 in Pusan, Korea. He is an actor and producer, known for The Hand of Death (1976), Breathing Fire (1991) and Zhu Jiang da feng bao (1974).- Actor
- Director
- Writer
Shui-Fan Fung was born in Guangdong, China in 1945 to a Cantonese opera family. He joined show business in 1971, working with Television Broadcast Limited (TVB), where he appeared in a number of TV series. In 1976, he joined Commercial Television (CTV) as a producer and worked there until its collapse in 1978. Afterward, he returned to TVB.
In addition to television, Fung appeared as an actor in scores of comedies and ghost and fantasy motion pictures in Hong Kong. One of his most notable roles was that of "Rawhide" in the "Five Lucky Stars" movie series, starring along side Sammo Kam-Bo Hung, Charlie Chin, Richard Ng, Eric Tsang and Michael Kiu Wai Miu. The "Five Lucky Stars" series originated from the film Winners & Sinners (1983), where he played a different character named "Rookie." The reoccurring characters of the series were introduced in the film's sequel, My Lucky Stars (1985).
Fung continues to appear in comedies throughout the 2000s.- Actor
- Stunts
- Additional Crew
Jason Piao Pai is known for Seven Swords (2005), Sun diu hap lui (1995) and Shu jian en chou lu (1981).- Danny Kwok-Kwan Chan was born on 1 August 1975 in Hong Kong. He is an actor, known for Ip Man 4: The Finale (2019), Kung Fu Hustle (2004) and Ip Man 3 (2015).
- Actor
- Stunts
- Director
Yuet-Sang Chin is known for Roar of the Lion (1981), Hitman in the Hand of Buddha (1981) and The 36th Chamber of Shaolin (1978).- Actor
- Director
- Producer
Billy Chong was born on 10 February 1957 in Magelang, Central Java, Indonesia. He is an actor and director, known for Duel: The Last Choice (2014), Dust in the Machine (1995) and Kung Fu Zombie (1981). He was previously married to Betharia Sonata.- Actor
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
- Stunts
Born Chiu Kang-sang on April 4, 1951 in Taiwan. Chiang had family problems from a young age. His family was too large and his parents could not look after him properly, so he was sent to the Fu Sheng Opera School in Taipei, Taiwan. During his time here, he had met friends which would become part of the Shaw Brothers studio with him, such as Robert Tai, Lu Feng and Kuo Chui. When studying at the school, Chiang trained in martial arts and acrobatics.
In the mid 70's, Director Chang Cheh started his own company and headed out to Taiwan to find the latest talent for future projects. It was on this trip where he met Chiang Sheng, impressed by his martial art and acrobatic abilities, Chang Chen invited him to go to Hong Kong and do some work for him.
In 1976, Chiang started work over in Hong Kong, having already appeared in a few movies (but nothing major), he got a small part in the Sammo Hung movie, Da tai jian (1976), before heading to Shaw Brothers to make an appearance in the movie Shaolin Temple (1976). From 1976 to 1978, he appeared in movies such as Cai li fa xiao zi (1976), Magnificent Wanderers (1977), The Brave Archer (1977) and The Shaolin Avengers (1976).
1978 was to be a great year, as he starred in the all time classic Five Deadly Venoms (1978), where he would forge a great working relationship with actors Sun Chien, Kuo Chui, Lo Meng and Lu Feng.
Chiang would continue to film more classics with Sun Chien, Kuo Chui, Lo Meng and Lu Feng. They starred in_Invincible Shaolin_, The Kid with the Golden Arm (1979), The Magnificent Ruffians (1979), Crippled Avengers (1978), Two Champions of Death (1980), Ten Tigers of Kwangtung (1980) and many others. Chiang could not only enrich the movie with his breathtaking acrobats and agility, but also bring the comic relief to the film.
In 1981, Chiang and the rest of the venoms disbanded with. Chiang, Lu Feng and Kuo Choi starting a new production company in Taiwan. The first movie he and his fellow team made was Shu shi shen chuan (1981), which Chiang acted and choreographed the action scenes, Chiang shortly after wanted to go back to Hong Kong, but his wife convinced him to stay put in Taiwan.
Not long after staying in Taiwan with his wife, Chiang found it very difficult, not being able to find work anywhere which led to him divorcing his wife and became a heavy drinker.
On August 18, 1991 Ricky Cheng Tien Chi, an old friend of Chiang, came to see him, but found him dead. It is said that he was lying dead for three days before being found. He died from a heart attack. But Kuo Chui once said "it was more of a broken heart". He was only 40 years old.- Actor
- Stunts
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Tien-Chi Cheng was born on 17 September 1956 in Taiwan. He is an actor and assistant director, known for Five Elements Ninjas (1982), Fighting Ace (1979) and Qi bu mi zong (1979).- Actor
- Stunts
- Director
Chia-Liang Liu was born on 1 August 1936 in Guangzhou, Guangdong, China. He was an actor and director, known for Drunken Master II (1994), Legendary Weapons of China (1982) and My Young Auntie (1981). He was married to Jing-Jing Yung and Hsiu-Hsia Ho. He died on 25 June 2013 in Hong Kong, China.- Actor
- Writer
- Director
Siu Chung Mok was born on 2 December 1960 in Hong Kong. He is an actor and writer, known for Once Upon a Time in China II (1992), The Curse of Chopsticks (2016) and Holy Flame of the Martial World (1983).- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
Born and raised in Troy, New York, Michael Wong has managed to become a star of Asian cinema in Hong Kong despite not even speaking a word of Chinese Cantonese, and he had no training in martial arts; in Asia, the actor known for his starring role in action film The Final Option (1994) and First Option (1996) where he plays a cop; for First Option the actor was nominated at the Hong Kong Film Awards, the Oscar of Hong Kong cinema, and later starred in a myriad of productions and movies oriental, often unpublished in the the West such as Beast Cops (1998) , which is considered one of the most successful films of Hong Kong cinema; actor took part but also in many U.S. films such as City Hunter (1993) starring opposite Jackie Chan,Knock Off (1998) with Jean-Claude Van Damme and the film Cold War (2012), and soon we will see the actor in the Italian film The Mercury Conspiracy (2013) with Luca Barbareschi.- Actor
- Director
- Stunts
Hwang Jang-Lee is the ultimate bootmaster. Known for his powerful and deadly kicks on screen as well as off, Hwang has a reputation as the Lord of the Superkickers. Born in Japan, Hwang's family moved back to their native Korea, where at the age of 14, Hwang began taking the national martial art of Tae Kwon Do. Hwang went on to teach the Korean Army TKD, and during his service, he killed a Vietnamese knife fighter in self defense. Hwang began his film career in his native Korea. In 1976, Ng See-Yuen, the founder of Seasonal Films, hired Hwang to play the villain Silver Fox in The Secret Rivals, where he goes toe to toe with Chinese superkicker John Liu. Hwang went on to establish himself as the best on screen kicker anyone has seen. He even played the villain in the two films that boosted Jackie Chan's career, Snake in the Eagle's Shadow and Drunken Master. In 1980, after playing the villain for so long, Hwang directed, produced and starred as the hero in Hitman in the Hand of Buddha.
After making many films, Hwang retired in 1990, where at first he ran a golf-tee manufacturing company and hotel in Seoul. He also suppsedly ran a bodyguard agency. Nevertheless, Hwang has established and stamped his Hong Kong career as the king of the Bootmasters. In 1994, Hwang starred in two low budget Korean films while running a hotel as well as a bodyguard service.- Actor
- Stunts
- Director
Chia-Hui Liu was born on 22 August 1951 in Guangdong, China. He is an actor and director, known for Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004), The 36th Chamber of Shaolin (1978) and Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003). He was previously married to Ma Fei-feng.- Actor
- Additional Crew
- Producer
Conan Lee was born in 1959 in Hong Kong. He is an actor and producer, known for Pacific Rim (2013), Repo Men (2010) and Big Trouble in Little China (1986).- Actor
- Soundtrack
Branded as the next "Nicholas Tse", Shawn Yue was born and raised in Hong Kong. Spotted at an early age on the streets of Hong Kong by agents of the famous Hong Kong modelling agency "Starz People". He has modelled for Giordano, Sony, Timberland, Gillette, Meko, and is currently a spokesmodel for Shiseido Pureness and Coca-Cola China. Yue's first acting projects included Hong Kong TV series "Y2K", co-starring Twins member Charlene Choi, and the lead role in its sequel "Y2K+01". But, it was the lead role in the Taiwanese TV series "Tomorrow" that brought him more attention outside of Hong Kong, and through out the Far East. In 2002, Yue starred in "Just One Look", with both Twins members, and the much talked-about, big budget "Infernal Affairs", which brought him even more publicity.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Gallen Lo was born on 16 December 1962 in Hong Kong, British Crown Colony. He is an actor, known for The White Storm 3: Heaven or Hell (2023), The Patriot Yue Fei (2013) and Confucius (2011). He has been married to Yan Su since 12 December 2009. They have one child. He was previously married to Man-Yee Fong.- Actor
- Stunts
- Writer
Philip Kwok began his career as a circus acrobat and worked in the Peking Opera, unlike many others, he had not aspired to work in the film industry. He began working as a stuntman and eventually worked his way into leading roles. His performance in Boxer Rebellion caught Director Chang Cheh's attention and he cast him in Marco Polo as Chung Fung. In 1976 Philip Kwok went to work for Shaw Brothers as an actor. In 1978 he made The Five Venoms as the leading man, and even though he didn't have leading man looks, he did have Charles Bronson tough guy charisma, and this launched him into other Shaw ventures as the male lead and the action choreographer. These films included The Rebel Intruders, The Flag Of Iron, The Sword Stained With Royal Blood and Ode To Gallantry. In 1981, Philip Kwok went back to Taiwan with the support of Chang. There he founded a film company with his Taiwanese colleagues Chiang Sheng and Lu Feng. One of their productions was Ruthless Tactics, in which he starred and directed. Peacock King, Hard Boiled, A Chinese Ghost Story and The Touch were a few of the films where he was Action Director.
In the 1980's the Kung Fu genre became less popular and, like so many Kung Fu actors, Philip Kwok's career eventually slowed down as well. During this period of time he work in the television industry as both an actor and as an action choreographer.
Philip Kwok is a very versatile action actor. He plays comedic as well as straight roles as well as leading man and villain. Some of his best work can be seen in Magnificent Ruffians, Masked Avengers and Hard Boiled, where he played the eye patch wearing Mad Dog.- Actor
- Stunts
- Director
Alan Chung San Chui was an actor and director, known for A Chinese Ghost Story (1987), Ai sha 2000 (2000) and The 36th Chamber of Shaolin (1978). He died on 2 November 2022 in Hong Kong.- Actor
- Producer
- Director
Born in Beijing China in 1974, he was sent to train at Beijing Wushu Academy when he was 6 years old as both his Father and Grandfather were also Martial artists. In 1995 he was spotted by Yuen Woo-Ping who had come to the academy to look for a martial artist for the film Tai Chi 2 (aka Tai Chi Boxer). His dedication and skill won his a lot of respect across East Asia. Often contributing to the scripts and choreography of his work, his natural talent and his sense of humour are vividly expressed.- Actor
- Stunts
- Additional Crew
Kar Lok Chin was born on 6 August 1965 in Hong Kong. He is an actor, known for Lust, Caution (2007), Golden Job (2018) and Motorway (2012). He has been married to Angela Ying-Ying Tong since 13 November 2012. They have two children.- Actor
- Producer
- Additional Crew
Danny Lee Sau-Yin, was born in 1952 in Shanghai. Lee did not do so well in school and sometimes dropped out to help support his family by working. While growing up, he held policemen in high regard and so, upon graduating high school, he tried entering the police academy, but could not complete the courses. He entered the TVB acting school in 1970, and got his first big film role in the 1972 film Water Margin.
The following year, Lee made his starring debut with River of Fury. He then went on to star in Shaw Brothers' 1975 Hong Kong Tokusatsu-style superhero movie and camp classic The Super Inframan playing the Chinese superhero himself.
After superstar Bruce Lee's death in the same year, almost every star in Hong Kong was pushed in to fill "The Dragon's" shoes, and Lee was no exception, even going as far as to actually portray the legend himself in Bruce Lee and I. By the late 1970s, Lee had begun to tire of Kung Fu movies and thus tried his hand at different fare, such as 1977's The Mighty Peking Man (a King Kong ripoff now considered a camp classic). Still being offered roles in Kung Fu movies, in 1978 he decided to form his own production company. One of the earliest products from his company, 1981's The Executor (aka Heroic Cops) was largely nondescript, except for the fact that it was the first on-screen pairing with Lee and future superstar Chow Yun-Fat.
In 1982, Lee directed his first movie, Funny Boys, and then followed it up in 1984 with the movie that would cement his image in the consciousness of Hong Kong, Law With Two Phases. The violent movie (for which Lee won both the Hong Kong Film Award and Taiwanese Golden Horse for his acting) featured Lee as a hot-headed but just policeman, a role that he reprises to this day.
Law With Two Phases also inspired other directors. Some of the elements used in the shootouts were used by John Woo in his breakthrough 1986 film A Better Tomorrow, and Law's documentary-like look inspired Kirk Wong to continue with a similar style (which he was also developing at the time). Both directors subsequently asked Lee to work with them. Lee appeared with Chow Yun-Fat in Ringo Lam's 1987 gangster classic City on Fire (where he plays a rare role as a criminal), and then appeared in John Woo's benefit project for Chang Cheh, Just Heroes (1987, which Lee also co-directed). Lee's next project with Woo was, of course, his most famous, 1989's The Killer. Originally, the studio did not want Lee in the role of a cop once again, but both Woo and Chow Yun-Fat insisted on putting Lee in the film, since he was so much in the public's minds as being an upstanding police officer, which they thought was crucial for the role. The movie was an international cult hit, and Lee became forever associated with being a cop in Western minds.
In 1987, Lee formed his second production company, Magnum Films, and had become a fairly powerful producer in Hong Kong. As fitting for a company named after Dirty Harry's favorite gun, many of Magnum's films are ultra-violent "Category III" (Hong Kong's equivalent of "NC-17," where no children are allowed to watch) films which have become classics in their own right. Movies like The Untold Story, Dr. Lamb and Twist scared local audiences and entranced foreigners with their over-the-top attitude.
In the late 1980s, Lee was also one of the first producers to back Stephen Chow (and is sometimes credited for "discovering" him), who was at the time a small-time dramatic actor, but who would then go on to be Asia's biggest star after appearing in a series of "Mo Lei Tai" (nonsense) comedies. Lee even directed Chow in one of his first comedies, 1991's Legend of the Dragon, the first film in which Lee does not appear, while on the director and producer's chairs.
He later produced, co-directed (with Herman Yau) and co-starred in The Untold Story, the controversial Category III thriller, which brought Anthony Chau-Sang Wong to stardom. The two actors later starred in Kirk Wong's action flick Organized Crime & Triad Bureau, which Lee produced.
Though his on-screen output has slowed down in recent years, reduced to mostly cameo appearances in movies like Young and Dangerous V, Lee (and his company) are still pretty busy with behind-the-scenes work, and it seems a given that as long as there will be a Hong Kong movie industry, Danny Lee will be there --especially if a movie needs to have a cop in it.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Ching Wan Lau was born on 16 February 1964 in Hong Kong. He is an actor, known for Black Mask (1996), Mad Detective (2007) and Life Without Principle (2011). He has been married to Amy Kwok since 1998.- To Yu-hang probably has his close resemblance to Donnie Yen to thank for winning the titular role in The Legend Is Born: Ip Man. After all, it was Yen's portrayal of the late Wing Chun master in Ip Man and its sequel that turned the character into a cinematic canon.
At first glance, Hong Kong star To comes off as a younger, leaner Yen. But there is more to the 29-year-old than his comely physique. For one, he is the reigning World Kung Fu Champion.
He is also an expert in numerous kung fu styles, including Wing Chun, which he studied for eight years. Moreover, he is the "grand-student" of Ip Chun, 86, Ip Man's real-life eldest son. To was also a flame bearer in the 2008 Olympics. - Actor
- Producer
- Director
Damian Lau was born on 14 October 1949. He is an actor and producer, known for Duel to the Death (1983), The New Legend of Shaolin (1994) and Royal Tramp (1992). He has been married to So Ka Yin since 1992.- Actor
- Additional Crew
Born on February 1, 1965 to Bruce Lee (Martial Arts idol) and Linda Lee Cadwell. Brother to Shannon Lee. In 1970-71, they moved to Hong Kong, where Brandon lived until age eight, becoming fluent in Cantonese. By the time he was able to walk, he was already involved in learning about martial arts from his father.
Brandon attended high school in Los Angeles, where he realized that he had also inherited acting ability along with his martial arts skills. In 1983, he was expelled from school because of misbehavior, but received his diploma at Miraleste High School. He continued his education and interest in acting at Emerson College in Massachusetts, where he majored in theatre. Having chosen an acting career, he studied at the Strasberg Academy, with Eric Morris in New York and in Los Angeles, and in Lynette Katselas' class in Los Angeles.
His first professional job as an actor came at age twenty, when casting director Lynn Stalmaster asked him to read for a CBS television film, Kung Fu: The Movie (1986). Lee's first role in a feature film was Legacy of Rage (1986) (aka "Legacy of Rage" (1986)) for D.M. Films of Hong Kong, followed by a co-starring role in Showdown in Little Tokyo (1991). He was also in Rapid Fire (1992), and The Crow (1994). He turned down offers to be in Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story (1993).
Brandon died (while filming) at the age of 28, of what is to be believed, a brain hemorrhage on the set of The Crow (1994). The film crew shot a scene in which it was decided to use a gun without consent from the weapons coordinator, who had been sent home early that night. They handed Michael Massee the gun loaded with full power blanks and shot the scene, unaware that a bullet had become dislodged from a previous shot and had lodged itself in the barrel. Upon shooting of the scene the blank round forced the bullet out the barrel striking Brandon Lee. The crew only noticed when Lee was slow getting up. The doctors worked desperately for five hours, but it was no use. The bullet had lodged itself in Mr Lee's lower spine. He was pronounced dead at 1:04 P.M. the next day. He was supposed to marry Eliza Hutton on April 17, 1993. His body was flown to Seattle to be buried beside his father in Lake View Cemetery.- Actor
- Director
- Writer
John Liu was born on 20 May 1944 in Taiwan. He is an actor and director, known for The Invincible Armour (1977), New York Ninja (2021) and Sha shou ying (1981).- Actor
- Producer
Chang Chen, an international renowned actor, first earned his attention at the age of 14 when he took the lead role in A Brighter Summer Day. Since then, he was nominated three times at the Golden Horse Awards, and several times for best actor at the Berlinale and the Cannes Film Festival. He won Best Actor at the 3rd Osaka Asia Film Festival for his performance in The Go Master.
Chang's outstanding versatile performance, coupled with his diligent learning attitude, made him the favorite cast of world's renowned directors. His dedication to filmmaking is seen not only in how he strives to improve his acting skills, but also the initiatives he had taken in learning local Uyghur language and horse riding for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, the game of go and meditation for The Go Master, and three years of practice bajiquan (martial arts) for the The Grandmaster which he later won first prize in a recognized competition.
In 2017, Chang's performance in Mr. Long was nominated for the 67th Berlinale international film festival in official competition.
In 2018, Chang was the only Asian actor who served as one of the juries at the 71st Cannes Film Festival.- Actor
- Director
Shenyang Xiao was born on 7 May 1981 in Tieling, Liaoning, China. He is an actor and director, known for The Grandmaster (2013), The Monkey King 2 (2016) and The Way of the Bug (2018).- Kenny Lin was born on 13 February 1988 in Shenyang, Liaoning, China. He is an actor, known for My Old Classmate (2014), The Great Wall (2016) and Princess Agents (2017).
- Actor
- Stunts
- Additional Crew
Tiger Hu Chen was born on 3 March 1975 in Chengdu, Sichuan, China. He is an actor, known for The Matrix Reloaded (2003), Man of Tai Chi (2013) and The Matrix Resurrections (2021).- Fan Liao was born on 14 February 1974 in Hunan, China. He is an actor, known for Ash Is Purest White (2018), The Final Master (2015) and Black Coal, Thin Ice (2014).
- Actor
- Director
- Sound Department
Chao Deng was born on 8 February 1979 in Jiangxi, China. He is an actor and director, known for Shadow (2018), Ping Pong: The Triumph (2023) and The Mermaid (2016). He has been married to Li Sun since 8 February 2010. They have two children.- Actor
- Cinematographer
Lin Wei is known for Shaolin Warrior (2013), Kung-Fu Master (2010) and Bian tai sha ren kuang (2000).- Actor
- Producer
- Additional Crew
Chun Yang was born on 25 September 1935 in Harbin, China. He was an actor and producer, known for The Escape (1972), Storm Over the Yangtse River (1969) and Old Soldiers Never Die (1978). He died on 24 October 2022 in Hong Kong.- Actor
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
Jimmy Lin was born on 15 October 1974 in Taipei, Taiwan. He is an actor, known for Jue dai shuang jiao (1999), Tai Bei shen hua (1985) and Xia dao zheng chuan (1998). He has been married to Ruo-Yi Chen since 2010. They have three children.- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
Vanness was born in Santa Monica, California. He is an Chinese (Taiwanese) American. He loves to play sports and is very active. He is a good singer from his past boy band, F4 (aka JVKV) and the best dancer He has been singing and dancing since he was young, he used hang out with a band called L.A Boyz, a former US Taiwanese boy band. He has also been featured in Run DMC's music video 'It's like that' He has a happy-go personality and is usually seen smiling. He moved to Taiwan at age 18 from America. His father named him after the street they used to live on. He thought it was a nice name and it suited him. His family includes: mother, father, older sister (was in a band), younger brother, and younger sister, Melody. Vanness used to be part of a very popular boy band in Taiwan (F4) and he has also done alot solo work so far. Vanness also has a small thing for anime and Japanese comic characters and loves to collect them. In the last decade, he has been in MANY shows like Meteor Garden, Come To My Place, Peach Girl, Meteor Garden II, Say Yes Enterprise, WIsh to See You Again, Three Kingdoms-Resurrection of the Dragon, Kung Fu Chefs, The Year of the Rain, and voted the best of all of Taiwan in 2009: Autumn's Concerto. He is currently (Fall of 2010) working on a Chinese drama in Paris, and he has done many Japanese as well as Chinese albums.- Actor
- Stunts
- Producer
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Ekin Cheng Yee-Kin is a Hong Kong actor and Cantopop singer. Earlier in his career he was known as Noodle Cheng, though he has now reverted to a more conventional-sounding first name. Sometimes he uses Dior (because that was what it sounded like when his younger sister tried to call him) as a first name but usually Ekin is the name used.
Ekin began acting in commercials when he was in high school, the most well-known being for Hi-C Lemon Tea. After high school, he enrolled in TVB's Martial Arts school, but did not like it and switched to their acting school. After that he began to get a number of TV roles. The latest TVB series he participated in was Always Ready, working with Charmaine Sheh, Bowie Lam, and Linda Chung.
Ekin was caught up in a grand scandal after leaving Maggie Siu, an actress whom he dated for many years, for a decade younger actress and singer Gigi Leung. Maggie was well-loved by Hong Kong audiences and gave up her career to support Ekin's career and many slighted him after the breakup. In 2006, Ekin and Gigi broke up, ending their seven-year relationship.
In September 2006, Ekin and 'Yoyo Mung' begun dating through their mutual interest in badminton.
His first film was Girls Without Tomorrow (1992) and at the time he was still going by the name Dior Cheng. He changed his name to Ekin before his breakout role in the Young and Dangerous series as Chan Ho Nam. The film led to 6 sequels, all starring Ekin Cheng, and a lucrative working partnership with director Andrew Lau. Together they went on to make The Storm Riders, which was the highest-grossing Hong Kong movie at the time and the first film to utilize a truly large number of special effects. They also worked together on The Legend of Speed, A Man Called Hero, The Duel and the comedy Women From Mars.
Ekin has branched out in the roles he's taken, including more comedy like earlier in his career with My Wife is 18 and Six Strong Guys, while still doing more action-oriented films like The Twins Effect and Tokyo Raiders.
Recently Ekin returned to the movie scene (having taking a break in 2005 to work on the Ultraman TV Series in Thailand), He had a brief appearance in My Name is Fame as himself. Soon after that he starred in Heavenly Mission a triad/cop thriller starring alongside Stephen Fung & Alex Fong. He has completed a Pang Brothers film called The Forest of Death, which will be released in March 2007. He is currently filming a serial in Mainland China based on the life of martial arts master, Huo Yuanjia with former Young & Dangerous co-star Jordan Chan.- Felix Wong was born on 4 September 1961 in Hong Kong. He is an actor, known for The Legend of the Condor Heroes (1983), Drunken Master II (1994) and Vengeance (2009). He was previously married to Kit-wah Leung.
- Actor
- Director
- Camera and Electrical Department
Tony Liu was born on 7 February 1952 in Hong Kong. He is an actor and director, known for The Way of the Dragon (1972), The Big Boss (1971) and Fist of Fury (1972).- Actor
- Director
Born Chang Fu-Sheng to a wealthy family on October 20th, 1954, in Hong Kong. His English adopted name was Alexander. He was the ninth of 11 siblings. He was considered his father's favorite. Unlike the rest of his family, he showed little interest in academic and had no desire to try his hand in business. He left school after only 2 years of secondary education and had showed a keen interest in Kung Fu. At 16, he joined the Shaw-TVB training center. He was the among the 45 graduates who graduated as the 1st class of the Shaw-TVB training center on Sept 28, 1972. After his stint at training school, Fu Sheng got his start at Shaw Brothers at 17. He was discovered by legendary director, Chang Cheh and trained for 6 months under the martial tutelage of legendary director and Martial Arts Master, Lau Kar-Leung. Some of his early appearances in film were Man of Iron (1972), Young People (1972), The 14 Amazons (1972). He got his 1st big role with the 1973 film, Police Force. He next appeared in Chang Cheh's youth action drama, Friends in 1974 co-starring David Chiang and Lily Li. He won the 'Best Young Newcomer' award at the 20th Annual Asian Film Festival for his performance. He joined Chang Cheh in Taiwan and made true and classic kung fu films such as Men From The Monastery (1974), Heroes Two (1973), Shaolin Temple and Shaolin Avengers (both 1976). He teamed up with legend Chun-Kuan Chi in the 1st of many films starting with Shaolin Martial Arts (1974). In the films Men From The Monastery, Heroes Two, Shaolin Temple, Shaolin Avengers, Fu Sheng played a role that he would become universally synonymous with--that of famed Chinese folk hero, Fang Shi-Yu. Fu Sheng was a star, but he rose to true super and mega status with Disciples of Shaolin (1975). Disciples of Shaolin (1975) is arguably the finest and greatest acting performance of of his career. He met Jenny Tseng, who was a popular singer who toured around the world and lent her voice to Chinese movies and television programs, in 1975 on the set of Boxer Rebellion. They fell quickly in love and married on December 4th, 1976. Fu Sheng would continue to rise to mega-star status in Asia and gained international stardom with the popular and classic movie, Chinatown Kid (1977) (1977). With his star on rise, he suffered two significant setbacks, both in September, giving the title, "The Black Septembers". On September 17th, 1978, he complained about being dizzy while shooting on the set of Sun Chung's Deadly Breaking Sword (1979). He fell backwards 8 feet in height with his head crashing through an urn, almost breaking his neck. It caused a serious concussion in his skull with internal bleeding. He wore a neck brace for a couple of months. He suffered permanent dizziness, poor diction, slurred speech and vision problems. The second accident occurred in September 19th, 1979 during the filming of Heroes Shed No Tears, his right leg was shattered when the harness holding him up broke sending him crashing to the hard floor. He had to undergo another procedure as the bone didn't set properly while he was recuperating from the first operation and a special contraption was put in place to keep him still. He was out of work for the of six months. Due to his injuries happening in September, he proclaimed to no longer film in the month of September for the rest of his career. At the time, he moved into a house once owned by the late Bruce Lee and known for it's negative feng shui. He made his comeback in 1981 with the classic and funny The Treasure Hunters (1981), a film he made with his brother, Chang Chan-Peng. His career was back on track and he kept on rising. He left his longtime director Chang Cheh, who he made a total of 23 films with. He became a actual student of martial arts master, Lau Kar-Leung, who was becoming a superstar director in his own way. Fu Sheng was filming the all time classic from Lau Kar-Leung, The Eight Diagram Pole Fighter, when tragedy struck. July 7, 1983 Fu Sheng was returning to his home after dinner out at Clearwater Bay Country Club around 10pm. He was a passenger in his Porsche 911 Targa that was driven by his older brother, Chang Zheng Sheng. His brother took one of the winding curves on Clearwater Bay Road too fast and hit a cement barrier around 10:30pm. Fu Sheng's older brother suffered injuries, but Fu Sheng himself suffered a collapsed chest and severe wounds in the abdomen with unstoppable bleeding. He was rushed to the hospital. The doctors tried revive him by trying to get blood back into his body through transfusion but that was unsuccessful because he kept on losing more blood. The horrible realization set in that surgery was going to be impossible because Fu Sheng also had a broken back. After 5 hours in agony, at 3:43am, Shaw's and Asia's brightest movie star had died. He was only 28 years old. His funeral took place on Thursday, July 14th, 1983. His death was celebrated with a state honors funeral. The day of his death, the Hong Kong television programming stopped and showed chain pictures of his life and career. Over 2,000 actors and 30,000 people attended. The amount of attenders and spectators rivaled that of Bruce Lee's funeral a decade earlier. His funeral was organized by the Shaw Brothers committee. His remains were cremated. Fu Sheng left a long lasting legacy in the kung fu film history. With his mischievous good looks, versatility, amazing acting ability and agility, he quickly became a favorite of martial arts fans and luminaries. Fu Sheng's film work is still revered in Hong Kong and he has strong cult following among kung fu fans around the world. Considered Hong Kong's best loved actors and one Shaw Studios best actors ever, Fu Sheng left a wealth of entertainment for all to enjoy. He will always be one of the cinema's most treasured personalities and bonafide legend in kung fu film history. His films and legacy lives on.- Actor
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Yuan-Shen Huang is known for Meng han (1973), Du gui (1974) and Lu Xiao Feng yu Xi Men Chui Xue (1979).- Actor
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- Producer
Tung-Shing Yee was born on 28 December 1957 in Hong Kong. He is an actor and director, known for One Nite in Mongkok (2004), I Am Somebody (2015) and Shinjuku Incident (2009). He was previously married to Mandy Law.- Actor
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- Director
Norman Chu was born on 6 May 1955 in Hong Kong. He is an actor and director, known for Duel to the Death (1983), The Dragon Family (1988) and The 36th Chamber of Shaolin (1978).- Actor
- Script and Continuity Department
Sunny Chan was born on 1 January 1967 in Hong Kong. He is an actor, known for Sun seung hoi taan (1996), The Blue Jean Monster (1991) and At the Threshold of an Era (1999). He has been married to Man-wai To since 15 February 2004. They have one child.- Actor
- Music Department
Siu-Ho Chin was born on 26 January 1963 in Hong Kong. He is an actor, known for Tai Chi Master (1993), Fist of Legend (1994) and Masked Avengers (1981). He has been married to Sin-Ming Yau since 2001. They have one child. He was previously married to Sharon Kwok.