Kao Fei
(aka Phillip Ko)
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Biography
Another one of my favorite villains, this man has been around for a long time. Fists or feet (at the height of the kung-fu craze) I've never seen anyone, that he couldn't hang with. You name them, he's fought them and probably was kicking their butt - until the script, called for him to die. He is a master villain, who had played in numerous classics and falls in that category of actors - who were fighters, first.
He used to be a Karate instructor at the "Chung Yi" school in Taiwan and a supervisor of the "Hong Kong Karate Association" - with most of his films, being as impressive as, his teaching credentials. He worked as a waiter before acting in 1971 and he has worked his way up the ladder. While, he can be seen in a number of early Shaw productions, as an extra (Vengeance and Boxer From Shantung). He didn't (really) start making a name for himself, until the mid 70's (though, he starred in Sweet Is Revenge in the early 70's).
He played in numerous cameo roles, along side some of the best the screen had to offer. Some classics, some mediocre, but all - well worth watching. In films like Green Jade Statuette (Meng Fei), The Hot, The Cool, & The Vicious (Wang Tao), and Bandits, Prostitutes, and Silver (Angela Mao) - he slowly began his climb to stardom. These were minor roles, as sometimes it's hard to spot a Talent-in-the-making. Remember him from Enter The Dragon? Most don't, but that would soon change and when it did, he became one of the most sought-after villains around.
He's fought some of the best around, in films like Invincible Armor (Wang Jang-Li) and Mar's Villa (John Liu) - only made his resume look better. Roles in like Dragon On Fire (one of his most memorable) starring Dragon Lee and The Fists, The Kicks, & The Evils (Bruce Liang) helped to make him a star. His role as a senior Monk in 8 Diagram Pole Fighters (fighting against Gordon Liu) gave him even more respect, amongst a legion of fans. He began producing films in the latter part of the 70's like The 8 Escorts and others. Having learned the business well, he (now) produces and directs modern action films.