Sammo Hung
Samuel "Sammo" Hung Kam-bo (Chinese: 洪金寶; Jyutping: Hung4 Gam1-bou2; born 7 January 1952)[1] is a Hong Kong actor, martial artist, film producer and film director, known for his work in martial arts films, Hong Kong action cinema, and as a fight choreographer for other actors such as Kim Tai-chung, Jackie Chan, Yuen Biao, and Yuen Wah. In a film career spanning more than sixty years, Hung has worked in over 200 films.[2] Known for his large figure, and his explosive on-screen attitude and impressive martial arts skills, Hung is widely considered one of the greatest martial arts stars in the history of cinema.[3]
Early life
[change | change source]Before entering the film industry, Hung was one of the Seven Little Fortunes from the China Drama Academy at the Peking Opera School, where he studied acrobatics, martial arts, and acting. He has been practising martial arts since the age of eight, when he began learning the style of Choy Li Fut. He is also proficient in the styles of Wing Chun, Taekwondo, and judo.[4]
Film career
[change | change source]Hung's early work as action director include the films The Iron Buddha (1970), The Blade Spares None (1971), Lady Whirlwind, Hapkido (both 1972), When Taekwondo Strikes (1973), The Shrine of Ultimate Bliss (1974), The Man from Hong Kong (1975), Hand of Death (1976), The Iron-Fisted Monk (1977), which marked his directorial debut, and Game of Death (1978), among others. In 1978, Hung established his reputation as a skilled physical comedian with Enter the Fat Dragon. He continued appearing in action comedies, including the commercially successful Winners & Sinners (1983).[5] Throughout the 1980s, he was part of the "Three Dragons" along with Chan and Biao; the three starred in six Hong Kong films together.[6]
In 1983, Hung won Best Actor at the 2nd Hong Kong Film Awards for playing the leading role in Carry On Pickpocket (1982). Painted Faces (1988) landed him Best Actor at the 33rd Asia Pacific Film Festival and the 8th Hong Kong Film Awards. Hung is one of the pivotal figures who spearheaded the Hong Kong New Wave movement of the 1980s, helped reinvent the martial arts genre and popularized the zombie-like jiangshi genre with films such as Encounters of the Spooky Kind (1980) and Mr. Vampire (1985). He is widely credited with assisting many of his compatriots, giving them their starts in the Hong Kong film industry, by casting them in the films he produced, or giving them roles in the production crew. In the late 1990s, Hung became one of the most well-known Hong Kong performers in Hollywood due to the success of the American CBS television series Martial Law (1998-2000).[7]
Personal life
[change | change source]Hung is an avid horse racing fan, owning the horse "Amber Sky", which won the Dubai-based Al Quoz Sprint in 2014.[8][9]
References
[change | change source]- ↑ "Sammo Hung Kam-Bo - Rotten Tomatoes". www.rottentomatoes.com. Retrieved 2023-11-05.
- ↑ https://iffr.com/en/person/sammo-hung
- ↑ "The silver screen's greatest martial arts stars". 26 August 2024.
- ↑ https://www.stormtaekwondo.com/what-martial-arts-does-sammo-hung-know
- ↑ https://www.martialartsentertainment.com/sammo-hung/
- ↑ "15 Best Jackie Chan Movies, Ranked". 20 September 2023.
- ↑ https://amp.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3129841/how-cbs-martial-law-brought-martial-arts-star-sammo-hung
- ↑ https://amp.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/1458593/cast-colourful-characters-all-part-hong-kongs-dubai-desert-raid
- ↑ https://amp.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/1460660/hong-kong-breezes-early-dubai-double