Biography
Educated at Eton School in Hong Kong, upon graduation he worked as a Tailor. In (1968), he auditioned for the Shaw Brothers studio and has never looked back -- securing a variety of roles, that would test everything from his acting range, to his martial-arts skill. Early in his career, he was often paired with David Chiang in a series of film classics. They were both leading men, but [somehow] he stood out as the more talented of the two (when it came to fighting skill). Yet, when speaking of early 70's classics - Vengeance, The Deadly Duo, Triple Irons, and Duel Of The Iron Fists -- you could not mention one man's name, without the other.
They filled the void left by Jimmy Wang Yu, when he moved over to Golden Harvest. Director Chang Cheh cast them in a series of films together, because they played well off of each other and they soon became the the studio's top (male) money-makers. He's given excellent performances, in just about everything he's done. My personal favorite King Eagle, along with The Heroic Ones, 7 Blows Of The Dragon, and Delightful Forest - battling the villainous Chu Mu. He received rave reviews in the film Blood Brothers -- where he got to play the villain to Chiang's hero [a role-reversal, to their pairing in The Pirate].
I remembered him, as the standout, in the mediocre film They Call Him Mr. Shatter, when I saw this movie in the theater as a kid. Later, I found his roles in Iron-Chain Assassin and The Kung Fu Instructor, to be (2) of my favorites, because of his skill and adaptability. There were a number of actors (during the kung-fu craze) that could make you feel their plight, as they honed their craft in front of us, with every film. In that realm, he was one of the best. Three films that were great examples of this were Opium & The Kung Fu Master, Unforgiven Of Shaolin, and Avenging Eagle -- where he had to kill a pregnant woman, to save her from a worst (?) death. The scene itself, was as touching [as it was horrible] and easily one of director Sun Chung’s, best films.
They filled the void left by Jimmy Wang Yu, when he moved over to Golden Harvest. Director Chang Cheh cast them in a series of films together, because they played well off of each other and they soon became the the studio's top (male) money-makers. He's given excellent performances, in just about everything he's done. My personal favorite King Eagle, along with The Heroic Ones, 7 Blows Of The Dragon, and Delightful Forest - battling the villainous Chu Mu. He received rave reviews in the film Blood Brothers -- where he got to play the villain to Chiang's hero [a role-reversal, to their pairing in The Pirate].
I remembered him, as the standout, in the mediocre film They Call Him Mr. Shatter, when I saw this movie in the theater as a kid. Later, I found his roles in Iron-Chain Assassin and The Kung Fu Instructor, to be (2) of my favorites, because of his skill and adaptability. There were a number of actors (during the kung-fu craze) that could make you feel their plight, as they honed their craft in front of us, with every film. In that realm, he was one of the best. Three films that were great examples of this were Opium & The Kung Fu Master, Unforgiven Of Shaolin, and Avenging Eagle -- where he had to kill a pregnant woman, to save her from a worst (?) death. The scene itself, was as touching [as it was horrible] and easily one of director Sun Chung’s, best films.
His work with director Chu Yuan, would elevate his profile and his acting ability to another level. Cast in a series of Swordplay films (Magic Blade and The Sentimental Swordsman series), he was able to distance himself from his pairings with Chiang -- who always had the leading roles, in their films together. He [also] got to showcase his prowess with weapons. His skill with a Staff was excellent and his swordplay seemed to surpass that. A student of Wing Chun, the only times I can recall him using it, was against a Tree -- in The Shaolin Temple and Unforgiven Of Shaolin (both in training sequences). Yet, it's his acting, that has put him in an elite class. His real talents lay within his expertise, as a well-rounded martial-artist and very gifted actor. He is one of Shaw Brothers most famous actors and one who has made good films in each decade, since he started. A rare feat, indeed.