Yuen Biao (born Ha Lingchun; 26 July 1957) is a
Hong Kong
Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...
actor
An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), li ...
,
martial artist
Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defense; military and law enforcement applications; competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; and the preserv ...
and
stuntman
A stunt performer, often called a stuntman or stuntwoman and occasionally stuntperson or stunt-person, is a trained professional who performs daring acts, often as a career. Stunt performers usually appear in films or on television, as opposed ...
. He specialises in
acrobatics
Acrobatics () is the performance of human feats of balance, agility, and motor coordination. Acrobatic skills are used in performing arts, sporting events, and martial arts. Extensive use of acrobatic skills are most often performed in acro ...
and
Chinese martial arts
Chinese martial arts, often called by the umbrella terms Kung fu (term), kung fu (; ), kuoshu () or wushu (sport), wushu (), are Styles of Chinese martial arts, multiple fighting styles that have developed over the centuries in Greater China. Th ...
and has also worked on over 80 films as actor,
stuntman
A stunt performer, often called a stuntman or stuntwoman and occasionally stuntperson or stunt-person, is a trained professional who performs daring acts, often as a career. Stunt performers usually appear in films or on television, as opposed ...
and
action choreographer. He was one of the
Seven Little Fortunes
The China Drama Academy () was a Peking opera school in Kowloon, Hong Kong, famous for being the childhood home of such famous actors as Jackie Chan (Yuen Lo), Sammo Hung (Yuen Lung), Yuen Biao, Yuen Wah, Yuen Qiu and Corey Yuen (Yuen Kwai).
It w ...
from the China Drama Academy at the
Peking Opera School
Professional schools for Chinese opera, known as ''keban'' (), existed in China from the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) to the 20th century. Formerly attached to performing troupes, many ''keban'' became independent boarding schools by the late 19th c ...
along with his "brothers"
Sammo Hung
Sammo Hung Kam-bo ( zh, t=洪金寶, j=Hung4 Gam1-bou2; born 7 January 1952) is a Hong Kong actor, martial artist, film producer and Film director, director, known for his work in martial arts films, Hong Kong action cinema, and as a fight choreog ...
and
Jackie Chan
Fang Shilong (born 7 April 1954), known professionally in English as Jackie Chan and in Chinese as Cheng Long ( zh, c=成龍, j=Sing4 Lung4; "becoming the dragon"), is a Hong Kong actor, filmmaker, martial artist, and stuntman known for ...
. Yuen Biao has appeared in over 130 films. He has played roles in eight television series for the Hong Kong channel
TVB
Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB) is a television broadcasting company based in Hong Kong SAR. The Company operates five free-to-air terrestrial television channels in Hong Kong, with TVB Jade as its main Cantonese language service, and ...
.
Early life
Born Ha Lingchun () in
Hong Kong
Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...
in 1957, he was the fifth child in a family of eight children. At the age of six he was enrolled at the Peking Opera School ''The China Drama Academy''. He was given the stage name Yuen Biao (Little Tiger) and trained alongside schoolmates
Jackie Chan
Fang Shilong (born 7 April 1954), known professionally in English as Jackie Chan and in Chinese as Cheng Long ( zh, c=成龍, j=Sing4 Lung4; "becoming the dragon"), is a Hong Kong actor, filmmaker, martial artist, and stuntman known for ...
,
Sammo Hung
Sammo Hung Kam-bo ( zh, t=洪金寶, j=Hung4 Gam1-bou2; born 7 January 1952) is a Hong Kong actor, martial artist, film producer and Film director, director, known for his work in martial arts films, Hong Kong action cinema, and as a fight choreog ...
,
Corey Yuen
Corey Yuen (; born Ying Gang-ming (殷元奎); 15 February 1951) is a Hong Kong director, film director, producer, action choreographer, and former actor.
Yuen was a member of the Peking Opera Schools and one of the Seven Little Fortunes. As a ...
,
Yuen Wah
Yuen Wah (born Yung Kai-chi; 2 September 1952) is a Hong Kong action film actor, action choreographer, stuntman and martial artist who has appeared in over 160 films and over 20 television series.
Early life
Born Yung Kai-chi on 2 September 1950 ...
and several others, under master
Yu Jim-yuen
Yu Jim-yuen (September 5, 1905 – September 8, 1997) () was a Chinese martial artist, actor, teacher and the master of the ''China Drama Academy'', one of the main Peking Opera Schools in Hong Kong from which Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung, Yu ...
, who would later become famous in Hong Kong cinema. He quickly showed a talent for acrobatics. According to Jackie Chan's autobiography, when Yuen was asked by his master to do a backflip on his first day of training, Yuen did a proper backflip on his very first try. He remained at the school until the age of 16. When he left, Yuen followed his classmate Sammo Hung into a career in the Hong Kong film industry.
Film career
Early 1970s
In the early 1970s, Yuen began work as a
stuntman
A stunt performer, often called a stuntman or stuntwoman and occasionally stuntperson or stunt-person, is a trained professional who performs daring acts, often as a career. Stunt performers usually appear in films or on television, as opposed ...
and
extra
Extra or Xtra may refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media Film
* ''The Extra'' (1962 film), a Mexican film
* ''The Extra'' (2005 film), an Australian film
Literature
* ''Extra'' (newspaper), a Brazilian newspaper
* ''Extra!'', an American me ...
. After working on ''
Fist of Fury
''Fist of Fury'' is a 1972 Hong Kong action martial arts film written and directed by Lo Wei, produced by Raymond Chow, and starring Bruce Lee in his second major role after ''The Big Boss'' (1971). Lee, who was also the film's action choreogra ...
'' and ''
Way of the Dragon
''The Way of the Dragon'' (, originally released in the United States as ''Return of the Dragon'') is a 1972 Hong Kong martial arts action comedy film written, co-produced and directed by Bruce Lee, who also stars in the lead role. This is Lee ...
'', Yuen became a stunt double for
Bruce Lee
Bruce Lee (; born Lee Jun-fan, ; November 27, 1940 – July 20, 1973) was a Hong Kong and American martial artist and actor. He was the founder of Jeet Kune Do, a hybrid martial arts philosophy drawing from different combat disciplines that ...
on ''
Enter the Dragon
''Enter the Dragon'' ( zh, t=龍爭虎鬥) is a 1973 martial arts film directed by Robert Clouse and written by Michael Allin. The film stars Bruce Lee, John Saxon and Jim Kelly. It was Lee's final completed film appearance before his death o ...
'' in 1973. He was also one of the "fake" Bruce Lees in ''
Game of Death
''The Game of Death'' (Chinese: 死亡的遊戲) is an incomplete Hong Kong martial arts film, filmed between August and October 1972, directed, written, produced by and starring Bruce Lee, in his final film project. Lee died during the making ...
'' (1978), performing the acrobatics and stunts that the Bruce Lee "
body double
In filmmaking, a double is a person who substitutes FOR another actor such that the person's face is not shown. There are various terms associated with a double based on the specific body part or ability they serve as a double for, such as stunt ...
" (
taekwondo
''Taekwondo'', ''Tae Kwon Do'' or ''Taekwon-Do'' (; ko, 태권도/跆拳道 ) is a Korean form of martial arts involving punching and kicking techniques, with emphasis on head-height kicks, spinning jump kicks, and fast kicking techniques. T ...
expert
Kim Tai Chung
Kim Tai-chung (June 5, 1957 – August 27, 2011), also known as Kim Tai-jong or Tong Lung (唐龍; Chinese stage name), was a Korean born taekwondo practitioner martial artist, actor and businessman. Kim was one of two stand-ins for Bruce Lee us ...
) was unable to perform. Yuen continued working as a stuntman, doubling for actors in
Hong Kong action films
Hong Kong action cinema is the principal source of the Hong Kong film industry's global fame. Action films from Hong Kong have roots in Chinese and Hong Kong cultures including Chinese opera, storytelling and aesthetic traditions, which Hong Kon ...
and taking on supporting actor roles.
During his early acting period, he adopted the anglicised name Bill Yuen for use on the Hong Kong films that were released internationally. However, recognising the growing success of Jackie Chan,
Golden Harvest were keen to give him a similar name, and on some international film prints, he was credited as Jimmy Yuen. Both anglicised names were later dropped.
Late 1970s and 1980s
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, thanks to his good friends and former classmates,
Sammo Hung
Sammo Hung Kam-bo ( zh, t=洪金寶, j=Hung4 Gam1-bou2; born 7 January 1952) is a Hong Kong actor, martial artist, film producer and Film director, director, known for his work in martial arts films, Hong Kong action cinema, and as a fight choreog ...
and
Jackie Chan
Fang Shilong (born 7 April 1954), known professionally in English as Jackie Chan and in Chinese as Cheng Long ( zh, c=成龍, j=Sing4 Lung4; "becoming the dragon"), is a Hong Kong actor, filmmaker, martial artist, and stuntman known for ...
, he began working more frequently as an actor. After his co starring role in ''The Dragon, the Odds'' (1977) and his full lead role debut in ''
Knockabout'' (1979), he starred in several films in the early 1980s, notably ''
The Prodigal Son'' (1981) (directed by Sammo Hung) and ''
Dreadnaught'' (1981) (directed by
Yuen Woo-ping). He later co starred alongside his Peking Opera "brothers", Chan and Hung, in ''
Project A'' (1983), ''
Wheels on Meals
''Wheels on Meals'' () is a 1984 Hong Kong martial arts action comedy film written and directed by Sammo Hung, with action choreographed by Jackie Chan. The film stars Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung, Yuen Biao, Lola Forner, Benny Urquidez and José ...
'' (1984) and ''
Dragons Forever
''Dragons Forever'' () is a 1988 Hong Kong martial arts action-comedy film directed by Sammo Hung, who also starred in the film and co-directed by Corey Yuen. The film co-stars Jackie Chan, Yuen Biao, Deannie Yip, Pauline Yeung, and Crystal Kwo ...
'' (1988), and also appeared in smaller roles in films such as Hung's original ''
Lucky Stars
''Lucky Stars'' (or ''Five Lucky Stars''); () was a Hong Kong action comedy film series in the 1980s and 1990s, blending Chinese martial arts with bawdy comedy. The films featured an ensemble cast, with many of the actors appearing in succe ...
'' trilogy. He co-starred with Sammo in films such as ''
Eastern Condors
''Eastern Condors'' () is a 1987
File:1987 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The MS Herald of Free Enterprise capsizes after leaving the Port of Zeebrugge in Belgium, killing 193; Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashes after takeof ...
'' (1987) and ''
Millionaires Express
Millionaires Express (, also known as ''Shanghai Express''; released in the Philippines as ''China Warriors'') is a 1986 Hong Kong martial arts western comedy film written and directed by Sammo Hung. The film stars Hung, Yuen Biao, Rosamund Kwan ...
'' (1988). He played the lead with
Cynthia Rothrock
Cynthia is a feminine given name of Greek origin: , , "from Mount Cynthus" on Delos island. The name has been in use in the Anglosphere since the 1600s. There are various spellings for this name, and it can be abbreviated to Cindy, Cyndi, Cynd ...
in ''
Righting Wrongs
''Righting Wrongs'' () is a 1986 Hong Kong action film produced and directed by Corey Yuen, and also produced by and starring Yuen Biao, both of whom also serve as the film's action directors. The film also co-stars Cynthia Rothrock, Melvin Wong ...
'' (1986) and alongside
Maggie Cheung
Maggie Cheung Man-yuk (; born 20 September 1964) is a Hong Kong former actress. Raised in Hong Kong and Britain, she started her career after placing second in 1983's Miss Hong Kong Pageant. She achieved critical success in the late 1980s and in ...
in ''
The Iceman Cometh
''The Iceman Cometh'' is a play written by American playwright Eugene O'Neill in 1939. First published in 1946, the play premiered on Broadway at the Martin Beck Theatre on October 9, 1946, directed by Eddie Dowling, where it ran for 136 perfo ...
'' (1989).
1990s
Yuen's acting roles waned somewhat in the early 1990s, although he notably played a supporting role alongside
Jet Li
Li Lianjie (courtesy name Yangzhong; born 26 April 1963), better known by his stage name Jet Li, is a Chinese film actor, film producer, Chinese martial arts, martial artist, and retired wushu (sport), Wushu champion. He is a naturalized Singapo ...
in ''
Once Upon a Time in China
''Once Upon a Time in China'' (released in the Philippines as ''Enter the New Game of Death'') is a 1991 Hong Kong martial arts film written and directed by Tsui Hark, starring Jet Li as Chinese martial arts master and folk hero of Cantonese et ...
'' (1991). Yuen did not appear in the
sequel
A sequel is a work of literature, film, theatre, television, music or video game that continues the story of, or expands upon, some earlier work. In the common context of a narrative work of fiction, a sequel portrays events set in the same ...
as he was replaced by
Max Mok
Max Mok ( zh, t=莫少聰; born 2 December 1962 in Hong Kong; also credited as Benny Mok, Benny Mok Siu-chung and Max Mok Siu-chung) is a Hong Kong actor and singer. Mok was recruited by the Shaw Brothers Studio and has been a major film star si ...
. In the late 1990s, films such as ''
Hero
A hero (feminine: heroine) is a real person or a main fictional character who, in the face of danger, combats adversity through feats of ingenuity, courage, or Physical strength, strength. Like other formerly gender-specific terms (like ...
'' (1997) co starring
Takeshi Kaneshiro
is a Japanese-Taiwanese actor and singer. Beginning his career as a pop idol, he has since moved his focus towards the film industry, where he achieved both commercial success and critical acclaim. He has worked with directors throughout East A ...
and ''
A Man Called Hero
''A Man Called Hero'' is a 1999 Hong Kong wuxia film directed by Andrew Lau. It is loosely based on the manhua series '' Chinese Hero: Tales of the Blood Sword'' by Hong Kong artist Ma Wing-shing. It won the 1999 Golden Horse Award for Best Vis ...
'' (1999) co starring
Ekin Cheng
Ekin Cheng is a Hong Kong actor and singer. Early in his career, he used the name Dior as a first name (because that was what it sounded like when his younger sister tried to call him 二哥 in Cantonese). He has also been referred to as Noodl ...
saw Yuen return to the big screen. During this time he began to concentrate more on television work and took lead roles in the series ''Righteous Guards'' and ''The Legend of a Chinese Hero'' in 1998.
2000s
In 2000, Yuen went to the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
to work with Jackie Chan as the action choreographer on ''
Shanghai Noon
''Shanghai Noon'' is a 2000 martial arts western action comedy film starring Jackie Chan, Owen Wilson and Lucy Liu. The first in the ''Shanghai'' film series and marking the directorial debut of Tom Dey, ''Shanghai Noon'' was written by Alfred ...
''. In 2001, he co-starred alongside Hung in ''The Avenging Fist''. Yuen also starred in a more comedic role in the 2002 Japan HK film ''No Problem 2''.
In 2005, Yuen starred in a
TVB
Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB) is a television broadcasting company based in Hong Kong SAR. The Company operates five free-to-air terrestrial television channels in Hong Kong, with TVB Jade as its main Cantonese language service, and ...
series called ''
Real Kung Fu
''Real Kung Fu'' is a Hong Kong television series first broadcast on TVB in October 2005. The series is shown to celebrate TVB's 38th anniversary. It aired every weeknight at 10:05 to 11:05 pm (Hong Kong Time
Hong Kong Time (abbreviation: HK ...
'' with
Yuen Wah
Yuen Wah (born Yung Kai-chi; 2 September 1952) is a Hong Kong action film actor, action choreographer, stuntman and martial artist who has appeared in over 160 films and over 20 television series.
Early life
Born Yung Kai-chi on 2 September 1950 ...
,
Maggie Siu
Maggie Shiu (born February 27, 1965) is a prominent Hong Kong actress.
Career
Her career began in 1985 when she joined Hong Kong TVB. As her career developed, she took on variety of roles in TV series and movies. Hong Kong audiences still remembe ...
,
Leung Kar Yan,
Jack Wu
Jack Wu Lok Yin (born 23 August 1977) is a television actor and host from Hong Kong, working for TVB. Jack debuted as a singer by joining singing competition and released two albums in 1997 before joining TVB as an artist.
Personal life
Jack ...
and one of Sammo Hung's real life sons,
Timmy Hung
Timmy Hung Tin-ming (born 1 July 1974) is a Hong Kong actor. He is the eldest son of Sammo Hung.
Background
He was born in Hong Kong as the eldest son of martial arts superstar Sammo Hung and Sammo's Korean first wife Jo Eun-ok (曹恩玉). Hi ...
.
In 2006, Yuen played Inspector Steve Mok in ''
Robin B Hood'' along with his long-time friend Jackie Chan.
In 2007 he finished filming the
''Wing Chun'' TV series (a remake of the 1994 series that had preceded the film ''
Wing Chun
Wing Chun (Chinese: 詠春 or 咏春, lit. "singing spring"), sometimes spelled Ving Tsun, is a concept-based fighting art, form of Nanquan (martial art), Southern Chinese kung fu and close-quarters system of self-defense. In Mandarin, it is ...
'') alongside
Nicholas Tse, Sammo Hung and another of Hung's sons, Sammy Hung. Biao plays an elder version of the character
Leung Jan
Leung Jan (born Leung Tak-wing; 1826–1901) was a Chinese martial artist and Wing Chun practitioner from Heshan, Guangdong. He was known in Foshan as ''Mr. Jan of Foshan'' and ''King of Wing Chun Kuen''.
Leung Jan is one of the earliest well ...
, the role he played 25 years earlier in ''The Prodigal Son'', and father to Tse's character.
The series has since been re-edited for release as a film, entitled ''Shuang Long Ji'' (aka ''Legend of Twins Dragon''). However, the film's release has been delayed as it has been banned in
Mainland China
"Mainland China" is a geopolitical term defined as the territory governed by the People's Republic of China (including islands like Hainan or Chongming), excluding dependent territories of the PRC, and other territories within Greater China. ...
for containing too much violence.
Yuen appeared as a guest judge on the
China Beijing TV Station
Beijing Radio and Television Station (BRTV), formerly Beijing Media Network (BMN), is a government-owned television network in China. It broadcasts from Beijing. The channel is available only in Chinese.
Beijing Media Network was founded o ...
reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring unfamiliar people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 19 ...
series ''The Disciple'', which aired in Mainland China, and was produced by and featured Jackie Chan. The aim of the program was to find a new star, skilled in acting and martial arts, to become Chan's "successor", the champion being awarded the lead role in a film. It concluded on June 7, 2008, with the series winner being announced in
Beijing
}
Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...
.
Yuen also starred alongside
Bryan Leung
Bryan Leung Kar-yan (Chinese: , born 20 January 1948) is a Hong Kong film and television actor and film director who has played roles in numerous acclaimed martial arts films. He is affectionately known as "Beardy" due to his trademark facial ...
and
Ji Chunhua
Ji Chunhua (; 20 July 1961 – 11 July 2018), sometimes romanized as Gai Chun Wa, was a Chinese actor and action choreographer. Just like Jet Li and Yu Chenghui, he was a Mainland China-trained wushu athlete who started his acting career in th ...
in ''Legend of Shaolin Kung-fu II: Thirteen Cudgel Monks'', a series directed by
Yuen Bun Yuen is a Cantonese Chinese surname, which can refer to:
袁, 阮, 元, 源, 原 and 苑
*Yuan (surname), the Pinyin transliteration of the Han Chinese surnames 袁, 元, 源, 原 and 苑
*Ruan (surname), the Pinyin transliteration of the Han Chin ...
. It was edited down and released as ''Kung Fu Master'' in the United States.
Directing and producing
Though mainly known as an actor, Yuen co-directed ''Peacock King'' with
Lam Ngai Kai
Lam or LAM may refer to:
Organizations
* Laguna Art Museum, California, US
* Lam Eng Rubber, a Malaysian manufacturer
* Lam Research, American semiconductor equipment company
* LAM Mozambique Airlines, flag carrier airline of Mozambique
* Librar ...
in 1989 and made his full directorial debut with ''
A Kid from Tibet
''A Kid from Tibet'' () is a 1992 Hong Kong martial arts-action film directed by and starring Yuen Biao. The film features two more former members of the Seven Little Fortunes: Yuen Wah as an evil sorcerer and a cameo appearance from Jackie Ch ...
'' in 1992. Yuen also has a co-directing credit on the 2004 film ''Boxer's Story'' with Ivan Lai (Lai Kai-Ming).
Yuen set up his own film production company, Yuen Biao Films Limited, which produced his films ''A Kid from Tibet'' and ''
Kick Boxer
''Kick Boxer'', also known in the West as ''Once Upon a Chinese Hero'' and ''Once Upon a Time in China 6: Kickboxer'', is a 1993 Hong Kong martial arts film directed by Wu Ma, who also appears in a supporting role, and produced by and starring ...
'', also known as ''Once Upon a Chinese Hero'' (1993).
Personal life
In 1984, Yuen married Didi Pang (Pang Sau Ha). They have two children; daughter Yi-Bui born in 1986 and son Ming-Tsak born in 1988. Yuen has a second home in Canada where he enjoys golf.
References
External links
*
Yuen Biaoat th
Hong Kong Movie DataBase
{{DEFAULTSORT:Yuen, Biao
1957 births
Hong Kong male film actors
Hong Kong male television actors
20th-century Hong Kong male actors
21st-century Hong Kong male actors
Hong Kong male child actors
Living people
Hong Kong Buddhists
Hong Kong martial artists
Action choreographers
Hong Kong stunt performers