Biography
From the Swordplay era (though he's starred in a lot of Dramas as well), he was a very sought after actor in the mid-to-late 60's. He gained tremendous popularity after becoming an award-winning actor, with the film From Night To Dawn (1963). He starred in some very popular swordplay films, along with the likes of Tien Feng , Cheng Pei-Pei, Ku Feng, and others. Yet where others stood out as villainous by nature, he was (often) the Heroic lead. He could handle a sword like he was Tan Tao-Liang and that left-leg, whipping it out, slashing from left to right, as the bodies dripped blood from each cut.
Then came the 70's, and everyone started Punching and Kicking, pushing many (real) actors, into the background. When everyone started shouting the name Bruce Lee, he made the switch back to dramatic roles, where he still found work. As people sought out kung-fu roles, his mainstay (Swordplay films), began to die down. He should have gotten together Chu Yuan and he could have possibly still had a strong career. He was the type of actor, who could take such roles, and make them his own. Years later, we would see actor Ti Lung , take on similiar roles, while working with director Chu.
Then came the 70's, and everyone started Punching and Kicking, pushing many (real) actors, into the background. When everyone started shouting the name Bruce Lee, he made the switch back to dramatic roles, where he still found work. As people sought out kung-fu roles, his mainstay (Swordplay films), began to die down. He should have gotten together Chu Yuan and he could have possibly still had a strong career. He was the type of actor, who could take such roles, and make them his own. Years later, we would see actor Ti Lung , take on similiar roles, while working with director Chu.
When Chu's swordplay dramas became hot property, he was well into his 50's and not as interested in being the hero anymore. He settled into the more fulfilling dramatic roles and found success again. Though, my personal favorite from him, will always be the excellent The Black Enforcer, shot by director Ho Meng-Hua (one of my favorite directors), I'm still quite fond of the work he did I such films as The Jade Raksha, A Bloody Fight, and Killers 5. It would have been interesting to see, just hoe he would have fared, in many of the (swordplay) films that starred others, in the leading role.