Yang Hsiung
(Yang Erh-Chiu)
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Biography
He could (usually) be found, starring in films with the Venoms. He went to school with Chiang Sheng (yet) he seemed to work more closely with another classmate - Robert Tai (who ironically helped choreographed some of the Venom's early films). This big muscular guy really stood out in Daredevils Of Kung Fu, as well as the Shaw classic 10 Tigers Of Kwangtung.
He played Iron-Head, in the movie The Kid With The Golden Arm and went 'Mano y mano' (man-to-man) with Lo Mang in Killer Army and played one of the head Monks in the action-fest Shaolin Vs Lama. Unlike some musclemen, he doesn't let his size affect his performance, like say, Li Chun-Hua. He began playing thug roles, since the early 70's, which would lead him (and many of his childhood friends) to work for director Chang Cheh. Out of all of Chang's actors, he has worked with just about all of the directors, who were shooting films (at that time), thus appearing in various genres.
He's not what you'd call a menacing villain, so you'll usually find him as part of a gang (just not in the back of the crowd). Not as entertaining by himself as he is when he's with his buddies - but given the crowd he hangs with, you can best believe, there will be mayhem to follow. It seems like in films such as Avenging Shaolin Warriors and even Flash Challenger, like most villains, he's best when he's got someone to beat-up or killed. Since working with Chang, he had appeared in virtually, everything the director shot (even working with him after both left Shaw studios.