Sammo Hung

Sammo Hung had a profound influence on the development and popularity of Hong Kong action cinema. He helped shape new genres, launch film careers, and shed light on the personalities behind traditional kung fu styles.

As a performer, Sammo is a mixture of contradictions. His powerful physique belies his incredible grace, and his often buffoonish on-screen persona belies the incredible cinematic intelligence of his director, producer and fight choreographer. His lack of a typical leading man look meant that he was often overshadowed by his martial arts film contemporaries - people like his childhood friend Jackie Chan. Despite this fact, fans of the genre generally agree that no kung fu fighter has ever looked better than when he was led by San Mao.

He was one of four children of Shanghai actor Chin Ching-gan, but due to his parents' busy lives, he was mainly taken care of by his grandparents.

Sammo Hung was born on January 7, 1952 in Hong Kong, into a family of film industry workers. He was one of four children of Shanghai actor Chin Chingang, but due to his parents' busy schedules, he was mainly taken care of by his grandparents. Hong Junho, prolific director of the 1930s and '40s, and Chen Zhigong, one of the first female action stars of Chinese cinema.

With the help of his grandfather, Sammo was enrolled in the Beijing Opera Academy Yu Jim-yuan at the age of nine. He would become a leading member of the Lucky Seven troupe (which included Jackie Chan, Yuen Wah, Yuen Biao, Corey Yuen Kwai), performing acrobatic kung fu performances for the next seven years. During this time he took on an authoritative name “Big Brother” is a referential nickname that stuck with him throughout his life and career. As for his sifu, Sammo's name was changed to Chu Yuen-long, under which he debuted in the first film in 1961, “Lessons of love” .

As a teenager, Sammo was a relatively thin young man. But during one of the performances he seriously injured his leg, and during rehabilitation he ate a lot, but did not train. The leg healed, but the excess weight gained did not go away even after resuming physical activity.

In the 1960s he worked with the director King Hu as a supporting actor and choreographer in the film “A touch of zen” (1971), which became the first Chinese film to win the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival. Their collaboration continued in the films “Fate of Li Han” (1973) and “Brave” (1975).

Shaw Brothers performanceGolden sword” (1969) marked Hong's first credit as a fight choreographer.

In 1970, Sammo signed a contract with a young production studio Raymond Chow Golden Harvest. His first job with the troupe was as a fight choreographer in the film “Swift Sword” (1971), and he starred in a number of successful films from this studio, including “Hapkido” (1972),"Master Dragon's Sting” (1973) and “Himalayan”(1976). During this same period, Hong also appeared in a fight scene Bruce Lee, which was shown at the beginning of the film “Exit the dragon” (1973).

He worked with Jimmy Wang Yu, trying to promote him as an Asian James Bond in the international market in the film “Man from Hong Kong” (1975). Later collaborated with John Woo in film "Hand of death” (1976), and also by Korean director Jeon Chang-hwa In movie "sky hawk” (1974) and “Broken oath” (1977).

Sammo made his directorial debut with the film “Monk with an Iron Fist” (1977), in which he played the prototype of the unlucky kung fu clown made famous by Jackie Chan in the highly successful comedy “Snake in the Eagle's Shadow”(1978). His second directorial work was a comedy tribute to Bruce Lee called “Exit the Fat Dragon” (1978). Fascinated by the origins of traditional kung fu styles, he made two films that are considered among the best examples of this genre - “Warriors together” (1978), and “Prodigal son” (1981).

"The Magnificent Butcher” (1979) Yuen Wu-ping It perfectly featured Sammo as Wong Fei-hung's hunky disciple, the butcher Lam Sai-wing, and marked his first collaboration with the eminent director.

In 1978 he founded the company Gar Bo Motion Picture Company together with the comedian Karl Maka и Lau Kar-Wingom. Their first film together was the crime comedy “Dirty Tiger, Crazy Frog” (1978), followed by “Eternal enmity” in 1979 before Karl Maka left the company in 1980. In the same year Sammo founded Boho Films, which eventually produced about 40 films. These included the groundbreaking supernatural kung fu action film “Encounters with ghosts” (1980), which sparked a craze for “jiangshi,” Hong Kong horror films. Later, on this wave, Hong's participation in the film “Dead and deadly” (1982) directed by Wu Ma, and the series “Mister Vampire” .

In 1983, Sammo, together with a Hong Kong entrepreneur Dixon Poon and comedian John Shum founded another production company, D&B Films. They made 77 films together before breaking up in 1992. D&B were best known for setting the trend in female-led action films throughout the 1980s, helping launch the careers of Cynthia Rothrock и Michelle Yeoh.

Hungg also helped promote the comedy genre in Hong Kong with his highly successful franchise “Lucky stars“, which stars an ensemble of recurring comedic actors. The first film in the series is “Winners and Sinners” (1983), featuring bawdy humor and many famous cameos, grossed almost HK$22 million. Second film, “My lucky stars 2” (1985), was completed in time for the Chinese New Year release date thanks to the simultaneous filming of Eric Tsang and Jackie Chan. The film grossed a whopping HK$10 million in its first week.

Throughout the 1980s, Sammo was instrumental in changing the fortunes of his former school friend at the Beijing Opera, and Golden Harvest contract actor. Jackie Chan, whose career stalled due to lack of success in the West with Brawl at Battle Creek (1980). He directed Jackie in the popular action comedy film “Project A” (1983), which grossed HK$14 million in its first week and helped establish Chan as a modern action star. Sammo went on to star in some of the actor's best films with Jackie Chan, including “Food truck” (1984),"Dragon Heart” (1985), and “Dragons forever” (1988). According to a co-star, Yuen Biao, it was on the set of the latter film that tensions began to develop between the two friends as Chan's international fame continued to rise while Sammo's success began to decline towards the end of the 1980s and into the '90s.

Although he has produced some of his best work, including the star-studded film “Millionaire Express” (1986), a brutal action film about the Vietnam War in “Eastern condors” (1987) and excellent"Rickshaw” (1989), none of his films of the late 80s were very successful. “Rickshaw” was his first work for a new production company Bojon, created with the support of Golden Harvest. He made a total of five films for Bojon, and most of them flopped, such as the underrated gay comedy “Hero in tights(1990) and a quirky action movieScoundrels vs. Murderers” (1991). When Golden Harvest withdrew its production “On fire” (1991) due to low profitability, Sammo ended his working relationship with them, which had lasted for over two decades.

In the early 1990s, Hong focused more on behind-the-scenes roles, and helped capitalize on the new wave of wuxia productions by directing the films “Warriors of the Moon” (1992) and “Blade of Fury” (1993), as well as working as a fight choreographer in classic arthouse Wong Kar-Wai "Ashes of time” (1994).

Ironically, it was thanks to Jackie Chan that his fortunes changed again when they resumed their collaboration in the film “Thunderbolt” (1995), in which Sammo worked as a fight choreographer, and then in the film “Mister Cool” (1997), when Hong directed a movie with Chan for the first time in 10 years.

In 1998, Sammo Hung landed the lead role in the American prime-time television series for CBS, “Chinese policeman“. Despite having difficulty pronouncing much of the English dialogue phonetically, the series was a huge success and ran for two seasons before Sammo dropped out, citing poor writing as the reason.

In the 2000s, there was a resurgence in its popularity in Hong Kong, starting with “Legends of Zu” (2001). Sammo was the first action comedy director with Stephen Chow "Showdown in kung fu style”(2004). He finally reunited on screen with Jackie Chan in the 2004 Disney production “Around the world in 80 days” (2004).

Hong again found success in bad guy roles, especially in films Wilson Yip. In "SPL” (2005) he played a major villain, and for the first time in his career he fought against Donnie Yen. In 2006, Hong promoted the style of Wing Chun in the TV series “Wing Chun“, in which he and Yuen Biao reprized their roles as Wong Wai-bo and Leung Jan from his 1981 masterpiece “Prodigal Son.” The series also stars Sammo's real-life son, Sammy Hungg. He later worked as a fight choreographer for “Yip Man” (2008). During the filming of the second part of this film, Sammo was taken to the hospital for emergency heart surgery. He later cited his weight and love of cigars as the cause of the illness. The same year he appeared in the film “Birth of a Legend: Ip Man”.

In 2010, Sammo Hung was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award at the New York Asian Film Festival. In 2016, he returned to the director’s chair for the first time in almost 20 years to film “Old bodyguard“. In 2016, he starred in the Benny Chan action film “Call of Heroes“, and in 2017 – “god of War“, Gordon Chan.

A big-budget action movie with a star cast was released in 2024, “Siege of Kowloon“, in which Sammo has a big role. The film broke box office records in the Chinese market.

Hong has four children with his former Beijing Opera Academy girlfriend, Cho Yoon Ok. Three sons: Timmy Hungg Ting-ming (born 1974), Jimmy Hungg Tin-chung (born 1977), and Sammy Hungg Tin-chiu (born 1979); and daughter Stephanie Hong Chao-yu (born 1983). The couple divorced in 1994 when Sammo began a relationship with a former Miss Hong Kong Joyce Godenzi.