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Yuen Biao | |||||||||||
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元彪 | |||||||||||
| Born | Ha Lingchun (夏令震、元庆、元典) (1957-07-26)26 July 1957 (age 67) | ||||||||||
| Other names | Bill Yuen Jimmy Yuen | ||||||||||
| Occupation(s) | Actor, producer, stuntman, martial artist and action choreographer | ||||||||||
| Years active | 1962–present | ||||||||||
| Spouse | |||||||||||
| Children |
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| Awards | Hong Kong Film Awards –Best Action Choreography 1983The Prodigal Son 1984Winners and Sinners | ||||||||||
| Chinese name | |||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 元彪 | ||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 元彪 | ||||||||||
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| Ha Lingchun | |||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 夏令震 | ||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 夏令震 | ||||||||||
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Yuen Biao (bornHa Lingchun; 26 July 1957) is aHong Kongactor,martial artist andstuntman. He specialises inacrobatics andChinese martial arts and has also worked on over 80 films as actor,stuntman andaction choreographer. He was one of theSeven Little Fortunes from the China Drama Academy at thePeking Opera School along with his "brothers"Sammo Hung andJackie Chan. Throughout the 1980s, he was part of the "Three Dragons" along with Chan and Hung; the three starred in six Hong Kong films together.[1] Yuen Biao has appeared in over 130 films. He has played roles in eight television series for the Hong Kong channelTVB.
Born Ha Lingchun (Chinese:夏令震) inNanjing,China on the 26th July 1957, he was the fifth child in a family of eight children. He and his family moved toHong Kong when he was five years old. At the age of six he was enrolled at thePeking Opera SchoolThe China Drama Academy. He was given the stage name Yuen Biao (Little Tiger) and trained alongside schoolmatesJackie Chan,Sammo Hung,Corey Yuen,Yuen Wah and several others, under masterYu Jim-yuen, 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.[2] When he left, Yuen followed his classmate Sammo Hung into a career in the Hong Kong film industry.
In the early 1970s, Yuen began work as astuntman andextra. After working onFist of Fury andWay of the Dragon. He was also one of the "fake" Bruce Lees inGame of Death (1978), performing the acrobatics and stunts that the Bruce Lee "body double" (taekwondo expertKim Tai-chung) was unable to perform. Yuen continued working as a stuntman, doubling for actors inHong Kong action films 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.[3]
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, thanks to his good friends and former classmates,Sammo Hung andJackie Chan, he began working more frequently as an actor. After his co-starring role inThe Dragon, the Odds (1977) and his full lead role debut inKnockabout (1979), he starred in several films in the early 1980s, notablyThe Prodigal Son (1981) (directed by Sammo Hung) andDreadnaught (1981) (directed byYuen Woo-ping). He later co-starred alongside his Peking Opera "brothers", Chan and Hung, inProject A (1983),Wheels on Meals (1984) andDragons Forever (1988), and also appeared in smaller roles in films such as Hung's originalLucky Stars trilogy. He co-starred with Sammo in films such asEastern Condors (1987) andMillionaires Express (1988). He played the lead withCynthia Rothrock inRighting Wrongs (1986) and alongsideMaggie Cheung inThe Iceman Cometh (1989).
Yuen's acting roles waned somewhat in the early 1990s, although he notably played a supporting role alongsideJet Li inOnce Upon a Time in China (1991). Yuen did not appear in thesequel as he was replaced byMax Mok. In the late 1990s, films such asHero (1997) co-starringTakeshi Kaneshiro andA Man Called Hero (1999) co-starringEkin Cheng saw Yuen return to the big screen. During this time he began to concentrate more on television work and took lead roles in the seriesRighteous Guards andThe Legend of a Chinese Hero in 1998.
In 2000, Yuen went to theUnited States to work with Jackie Chan as the action choreographer onShanghai Noon. In 2001, he co-starred alongside Hung inThe Avenging Fist. Yuen also starred in a more comedic role in the 2002 Japan HK filmNo Problem 2.
In 2005, Yuen starred in aTVB series calledReal Kung Fu withYuen Wah,Maggie Siu,Leung Kar Yan,Jack Wu and one of Sammo Hung's real life sons,Timmy Hung.
In 2006, Yuen played Inspector Steve Mok inRobin B Hood along with his long-time friend Jackie Chan.
In 2007 he finished filming theWing Chun TV series (a remake of the 1994 series that had preceded the filmWing Chun) alongsideNicholas Tse, Sammo Hung and another of Hung's sons, Sammy Hung. Biao plays an elder version of the characterLeung Jan, the role he played 25 years earlier inThe Prodigal Son, and father to Tse's character.[4]The series has since been re-edited for release as a film, entitledShuang Long Ji (akaLegend of Twins Dragon). However, the film's release has been delayed as it has been banned inmainland China for containing too much violence.[5]
Yuen appeared as a guest judge on theChina Beijing TV Stationreality television seriesThe 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 inBeijing.[6]
Yuen also starred alongsideBryan Leung andJi Chunhua inLegend of Shaolin Kung-fu II: Thirteen Cudgel Monks, a series directed by Yuen Bun. It was edited down and released asKung Fu Master in the United States.
Though mainly known as an actor, Yuen also directed the filmA Kid from Tibet (1991).
Yuen set up his own film production company, Yuen Biao Films Limited, which produced his filmsA Kid from Tibet andKick Boxer, also known asOnce Upon a Chinese Hero (1993).[7]
In 1984, Yuen married Didi 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.
