Villain Extraordinaire
the 1st villain
One of the most versatile actors to come out of Shaw Bros', his face was one of the most well-known (and respected) in the business. He's played almost every character one could think of and it was this versatility that kept him working for nearly (40) years. He first came to prominence (to American's) in the Shaw classic 5 Fingers Of Death when the "Kung-fu Craze" first swept the nation in the early '70s. Though, in this film, he was the Hero, he's played an array of villainous characters, which actually, increased his exposure and adaptability as an actor.
Known as the "<=""" by friends (because of his temper and his penchant for Black clothing), as one of Shaw Bros' biggest stars, he was also one of the first to recognize the potential of working with Independent film companies. He opened his own film company "Lo's Films" in the early '70s, but saw his company's demise because of lack of financial backing. Not to be discouraged, he went back to work, churning out film after film, in an effort to keep his name on the lips of directors (as his work spoke for itself).
Years later, he while working with director Liu Chia-Liang on the film Executions Of Death, his portrayal of the White Lotus Chief (Pai Mei), would become a fixture to kung-fu fans the world over. He would reprise this character again, in Ho Meng-Hua's Shaolin Abbot, and in Fists Of The White Lotus (the most popular of the three). The popularity of this character skyrocketed because of his portrayal of him as a "Cool and calculating" villain who seemed to challenge the Hero to defeat him, rather than just killing him outright, because he could. With the exception of Mark Long's Ghost-Faced Killer, no other villainous portrayals stand out as much in the genre.
One of the most versatile actors to come out of Shaw Bros', his face was one of the most well-known (and respected) in the business. He's played almost every character one could think of and it was this versatility that kept him working for nearly (40) years. He first came to prominence (to American's) in the Shaw classic 5 Fingers Of Death when the "Kung-fu Craze" first swept the nation in the early '70s. Though, in this film, he was the Hero, he's played an array of villainous characters, which actually, increased his exposure and adaptability as an actor.
Known as the "<=""" by friends (because of his temper and his penchant for Black clothing), as one of Shaw Bros' biggest stars, he was also one of the first to recognize the potential of working with Independent film companies. He opened his own film company "Lo's Films" in the early '70s, but saw his company's demise because of lack of financial backing. Not to be discouraged, he went back to work, churning out film after film, in an effort to keep his name on the lips of directors (as his work spoke for itself).
Years later, he while working with director Liu Chia-Liang on the film Executions Of Death, his portrayal of the White Lotus Chief (Pai Mei), would become a fixture to kung-fu fans the world over. He would reprise this character again, in Ho Meng-Hua's Shaolin Abbot, and in Fists Of The White Lotus (the most popular of the three). The popularity of this character skyrocketed because of his portrayal of him as a "Cool and calculating" villain who seemed to challenge the Hero to defeat him, rather than just killing him outright, because he could. With the exception of Mark Long's Ghost-Faced Killer, no other villainous portrayals stand out as much in the genre.
He's been such a dependable actor, that we somehow look for him in almost every movie that had above-average action. He's easily starred in over (100) films and aside from people like Liu Chia-Yung or the villainous Lung Fei; he's probably been seen in more productions than any other actor around. He was the type of actor, that once you saw his face on the screen, you just knew, that the film was going to have some good action and plot twists in it. Fans have come to know that in his films, just about anything goes, as he was an actor, that kept you guessing what was coming next.
One of few actors (from the mid '60s) to constantly find work in the New Wave (post '85) genre. He has graced many films, adding class to excellent productions and strength to mediocre ones. Some of his better works are just being released - Kidnap, The Lizard, along with a number of martial-arts titles, depicting him in various roles from heroes to villains. It's these films, that help us to remember, what a great actor he truly was. He died in November of 2002, a month before many of his films (now digitally remastered) were to be released to a whole new audience.
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