Philip Ng is a Hong Kong-born American actor, fighter and choreographer. He spent much of his youth in Chicago, Illinois, and then returned to Hong Kong to begin a career as a film and television action director. Among his most prominent works in Hong Kong are paintings such as: "Once Upon a Time in Shanghai", "Teacher vs Vampires", "Naked Soldier", "The Princess and the Seven Kung Fu Masters", as well as the series "Fist within four walls". In addition, he acted as a director of fight scenes in films: "Zombie Fight Club", "Young and Dangerous: Reboot" и "Star Runner". He also played the legendary Bruce Lee in an American film "Birth of the Dragon".
When did you start practicing martial arts?
Philip Ng: It all started when I immigrated to the United States from Hong Kong at the age of seven. Like many new immigrants, we lived as a large family in one house. We lived in my grandparents' house in the suburbs of Chicago. Several of my uncles practiced martial arts. At first, I think it was more of a way to calm me down. You know, I was a little hyperactive. We didn't have a lot of money, but we did have a backyard, and that's where I started learning kung fu.
What martial arts styles have you studied?
Philip Ng: I practiced the styles of Hungga, Wing Chun and Choy Li Fut with my father and uncles. Basically it all came down to executing the forms. It was good exercise. But one day, when I was about 13, and I was playing on the playground, some guy hit me in the chest, after which I fell to the ground. I remember this very clearly. After that, I asked myself - for what purpose am I actually doing this? Many people who learn traditional martial arts are given application and specific strategies, but the training often lacks the progression that allows a person to use the entire skill set for their intended purpose. I think many modern kung fu schools often neglect this aspect of training.
So I looked for other teaching methods, other skill sets for further inspiration. Then, one of my uncles, who studied Wing Chun, advised me to go to Hong Kong and study with Wong Shun Lunu, who himself once studied with Bruce Lee and was a senior student Ip Man. He is also known for being the "King of Talking Hands", so people nicknamed him Gong So Wong. “Talking hands” was the name given to one-on-one battles that were often carried out at that time. The biggest thing I took away from his training was his approach to combat and the practicality of his approach.
Martial arts have always been shrouded in mystery, especially when I was younger. People were completely confused by the films and books. Now, with the advent of MMA and the Internet, people know what a real fight looks like.
And so I began to fly to Hong Kong every year to study with Sifu Wong until he passed away. In America I learned from my father, mainly the Choy Li Fut style. I also received a black belt in Taekwondo, I also studied a little judo, jiu-jitsu, eskrima, Muay Thai, and even did Western boxing, albeit at an amateur level. I studied various martial arts because I was primarily interested in the skills I could use. I didn’t see the point in the banal “collection” of forms.
You probably watched a ton of martial arts movies as a teenager?
Philip Ng: Of course! When I was a kid, my friends and I would rent VHS tapes in Chinatown. So here's a copy "Drunken Master" с Jackie Chan, I watched it so many times that the film became unusable. My father also took me to the cinema, this is one of my most vivid memories, which later resulted in a strong desire on my part to succeed in the film industry. Whenever we watched a martial arts movie, he would recognize every master in the movie! It doesn't matter if he played a supporting role, a bad guy role, or only appeared in one scene. He knew them all by name, and could immediately determine how high their skill was. So, after I got into the industry, I was very glad that I was able to introduce my father to many of the same people whose films we once watched together, such as Yuen Biao и Sammo Hung. I could try to get him to act in one of my films, but he is very shy. Maybe someday he will decide.
Then I plunged headlong into all this and began to study the Hong Kong film industry. I was interested not only in martial artists, but also in stuntmen. When I was a child, many people looked with rapture at mystical warriors and Shaolin monks, but my heroes were stuntmen. They did real things, without all this false mysticism. You could see with your own eyes what they did using their physical capabilities.
I admired it even as a child, so when I was finally able to move to Hong Kong and started working in the film industry, it seemed to me that everyone in the Hong Kong film industry knew kung fu very well. As a result, I noticed that there are many levels of skill, there are very good masters, and there are intermediate masters. The bygone generation that I managed to catch consisted of first-class masters.
But with the popularity of MMA, I think people are becoming interested in martial arts again. Only they are already studying kickboxing, jiu-jitsu, but not traditional kung fu. I understand them because often Chinese martial arts were taught in a very esoteric way rather than in a concise and scientific way. You don't see people standing in sparring, which is fundamentally wrong, as I firmly believe that kung fu was created precisely to prepare the practitioner for real combat.
How did you get into Hong Kong cinema in the first place?
Philip Ng: In the USA, I went to university and received a master's degree in education, then taught at school for a year. But I still firmly decided that I would go to Hong Kong in the summer. Through a friend, I was able to get a very small role in a film, and something inside me ignited. I thought then: “It’s probably not that difficult, it’s quite doable.” I expected to be successful within a year. But as soon as you get into this environment, you realize that this requires much more time and effort. You either give it your all or you give up.
Every aspiring film actor has a dream, which is why so many people come to Hong Kong. But once you get here, you realize that it is much more difficult than you first thought. It's a tough fight. After all, besides you, there are many more people here, and they all want the same thing as you. This is the classic contradiction: you can’t get a job if you don’t have experience under your belt, but you can’t get experience if you haven’t worked anywhere! It requires persistence and luck, but if you are determined to achieve your goal, you understand that there are certain loopholes.
I'm lucky. Through my church group I met a singer and actor Joe Ty. And he was on good terms with [legendary stunt coordinator] Chin Kar Lokom, who was involved in the preparation of the film “Star Runner”. They needed someone who knew the styles of Wing Chun and Hungg to train and choreograph the actors. I consider this my first real film work. I was a coach Vanessa Wu и Andy She. It was there that we met and eventually became best friends. Our friendship has lasted for more than ten years.
Who was the first film character you had the opportunity to work with, and what was it like?
Philip Ng: Before “Star Runner,” I flashed “The Gemini Effect,” and I managed to cross my fists with Jackie Chan. It was just one scene, but for a boy from America who grew up erasing the tape of Drunken Master, it was a dream come true. Meeting your idols is always great, but it should also push you to something more.
Could you tell us about your upcoming projects?
Philip Ng: I have a movie called “The Hidden Dragon Attacks”, which is tentatively scheduled for release in the fall. I'm very proud of him. I was one of the producers, fight choreographer and actor, along with Andy and Vanessa. We tried our best to capture the energy and style of Hong Kong films from the 80s and 90s, not only in terms of action but also in terms of comedy.
I remember during the filming of Star Runner in 2002, the three of us sat in a diner in the town of Lau On Pai, devoured our portions of rice, and kept wondering where we would be in, like, ten years. Vaness was on the verge of fame with his pop group F4, and Andy was the new rising star (who won the Hong Kong Film Award for Breakthrough of the Year for this very role). This was Vanessa's first film and he played the lead role. This was the first serious experience in cinema for all of us. More than ten years later, we all got together and made Hidden Dragon Attacks. Some scenes of this film were filmed in Lau On Pai. It was great to get the three of us back together in the same place.
In addition to this, I have another film called “Color Game”. I was the director of fight scenes and performed one of the main roles along with Simon Yam и Jordan Chan. This is a funny, very well put together gangster movie. It should be released by the end of the year. I also appeared in a film with Donnie Yen "Chasing Dragons", and I was lucky enough to cross fists with another one of my idols, so I was pretty excited.
What was it like playing Bruce Lee?
Philip Ng: It was something unreal. I read everything Bruce Lee wrote, studied his films, his ideas about martial arts, his philosophy. When I started filming Birth of the Dragon, they asked me how long I had been preparing for the role, to which I replied: “Pretty much my whole life!” Everyone imitates Bruce Lee in some way. When you play a character, you study it to better portray it on screen. I've been reading, watching and thinking about Bruce Lee for as long as I can remember. His philosophy influenced both my thinking and my training methods equally. So actually portraying him was just beyond amazing.
It's actually funny how I got this role. They auditioned a lot of different people, and one of them was Andy On. Basically, he told them, “I don't look like Bruce Lee, but I have a friend who does,” and he sent them my stuff, then they said, “Yeah, let him make a record.” So he, his fiancee, another friend, and I spent several hours filming scenes for this audition. I sent them the recording and never thought about it again. In the film industry, auditions happen all the time, and this is a Bruce Lee movie, after all! What were the chances that I would even get this role!? But the director really liked my performance, and in the end I was approved for the role.
So, I finished filming “A Fist Within Four Walls” in Hong Kong on November 4, 2015, and on the XNUMXth I flew to Vancouver to start filming “Birth of the Dragon.” I heard many stories about working in Hollywood from my older students in the stunt community. And all these stories were true. It was a wonderful experience! Then, when I was already on the set of this film, I told my colleagues on the set about working in Hong Kong, for example, about my schedule, or how I sometimes had to work with a broken arm or cracked ribs, and they thought that I I embellish or try to inflate my worth.
The worst thing about filming Birth of the Dragon was that there was always food on set. Lots of delicious food, especially donuts. But I can’t eat them, I’m playing Bruce Lee! My students came to the set and ate these donuts so deliciously right in front of my eyes.
I had a scene; it was right before the Christmas break that I had to take my shirt off. Immediately after this, the makeup artist went to the service desk and brought me three donuts. And I immediately chased after them like a bull after a red rag.
I also got the opportunity to direct one scene in the film. I myself did not take part in it. It was filmed in China. Since our production director's schedule Corey Yuen was completely overwhelmed, he did not have time to do this personally. But he trusted me enough in this matter. Working on the film was a great experience for me and I am very happy about it. We are all proud of the work we have done.
When did you start directing fight scenes in films?
Philip Ng: After I was accepted into Chin Kar Lok's stunt team, I began directing fight scenes in the film Star Runner, my first project in the Hong Kong film industry. I knew martial arts, but there were other technicalities that I needed to master, which I did. I pick things up on the fly, so I choreographed a lot of the fight scenes in this movie. Looking back, I realize how lucky I was that they entrusted me with such a responsible job so quickly. I quickly gained credibility and was able to learn more nuances in this craft.
But I also worked a lot on the film. I rarely chilled while on set. I kept looking around and asking questions. When it came to editing, I went straight to the editing room, watched and learned, and sometimes helped if I needed to remember where a particular shot was. I sat next to the editor, asked questions, and took some notes for myself along the way. As technology improved, I slowly began to teach myself how to edit video, working with a computer and some of the early software needed to do it.
My job as a choreographer and fight director is to help the director tell the story. So, if the story requires a shaky camera effect or some other tricks that will help better convey the mood of a particular scene, I have the necessary technical gadgets for this. Obviously, I have certain preferences about what I like to do, and they are based on vivid impressions from childhood. I absolutely loved Hong Kong films of the 80s and 90s with actors such as: Jackie Chan, Yuen Biao, Sammo Hung, Donnie Yen, Jet Li, and Yuen Woo Ping, among others.
These films had a big influence on me when I was young. Filmmaking is an art form, a kind of self-expression. And often my work is an expression of the excitement, pleasure and awe that I felt as a child watching those films that made such a strong impression on me.
Who did you enjoy working with the most?
Philip Ng: Yes with everyone! They all have something to learn, and I was able to learn something from each choreographer and director. There are too many names to mention all, but let me mention a few of them. Yuen Wu Ping is without a doubt a master of his craft. When he was cast as the choreographer for Once Upon a Time in Shanghai, it was a dream come true for me. Needless to say, I was glad to have the opportunity to work with him. After all, it was he who staged the fights "The Matrix"! He is so skilled and also very meticulous about little things like the "camera rules" regarding framing and editing, because sometimes if these things are done incorrectly, they can disrupt the dynamics of the entire scene and make the audience feel uncomfortable.
Sometimes you can break these rules to make your editing clearer. So, during the filming of Once Upon a Time in Shanghai, the director, the guy in charge of special effects and I, all of us, working on the editing, wanted to show a certain blow from a certain angle. Yuen Wu Ping thought for about ten seconds. There was silence. Then he suggested we do it differently, and when we did that version together, it turned out better. These things come from experience. This is not taught in school. One of the advantages of living in the West is that I am not afraid to speak up and ask questions, so I have learned a lot from the people I have worked with. Just be polite and 90% of the time people will answer all your questions.
I also can’t help but mention Stephen Tung Wei, actor and director who filmed “Killer” with Jet Li. I respect him greatly, both on a personal and professional level. He's very demanding on set, but that's because he cares about your safety and at the same time wants everything to look right. He helped me out more than once, and in general taught me a lot in terms of choreography and framing, and some of the action scenes only benefited from this. He turned out to be a very unselfish person. In general, there were so many people from whom I learned something, even if the experience I gained was not always needed in the future, but still in most cases all these skills were useful to me.
Who would you like to work with?
Philip Ng: With Jet Li. I have already worked with all my childhood idols, except him! It just so happened that I came into the industry at a time when it was no longer acting as actively, especially in Asia. I worked with Jackie Chan, I worked with Yuen Biao, with whom, by the way, we became very close friends, which is simply incredible! I worked with Sammo Hung, I recently worked with Donnie Yen, and all the people whose films I grew up watching.
As an action actor, do you try to maintain a balance between risk and safety?
Philip Ng: I would not say. It is clear that you approach performing the trick with maximum responsibility, but you still take risks. That's why it's called a trick. You just prepare as best you can. Few people get injured doing big stunts. More often than not, people get hurt doing something small because they take it lightly. For example, if I have to jump over a table, I'll think, "It's a piece of cake," but that's usually where you twist your ankle and land on your face. It's another matter if you, say, need to jump from a 10-story building, here everything is usually carefully prepared, and everyone is very careful. You need to take all this into account when performing every trick, which is what I try to do.
And when I'm the choreographer and stunt coordinator on set, I try to keep everything under control and make sure everyone is safe, because the set is a very dangerous place. As an action actor, I have to be careful because most of the sets are very fragile and are held together almost by nails. Everything is as safe as possible, but many things are easily destroyed. You just have to be careful and always take care of your surroundings.
While filming Hidden Dragon Attacks, Andy He broke two of my ribs, I also dislocated my kneecap, and I also had several stitches under my eye. I almost went blind. You hope this doesn't happen, but no one is safe from bumps and bruises. I have had to jump through car windshields and get hit by cars, but my experience and the experiences of those around me help me do my best to stay as safe as possible. But in the profession of a stuntman, safety is always a relative concept!
Technology has made stunts not only safer, but better. CG is now much better at erasing cables, so thicker cables or even climbing ropes can be used. This makes tricks safer. Of course, they are still dangerous, but they are not as reckless as before.
I think people enjoy watching action films because they are interested in watching real people demonstrate their real abilities with a minimum of special effects.
I think fans of old school films appreciate it, and so do mainstream audiences. But very few people are willing to perform such stunts. Part of the reason some of those old tricks were so exciting was because they weren't just dangerous, they were crazy. So today stunts have become safer and people are being smarter about doing them, but that's understandable. The producers understand that if their star gets hurt, production will have to stop. And the film costs millions of dollars.
So unless you're a stuntman, and unless you're an actor who can actually do his own stunts, I wouldn't advise you to do it. Let the stuntmen do their job better. On the other hand, if you are a stuntman and an actor, you do as much as you can when necessary.
Official source: www.jetli.com
Published: August 2017
Translation: Black Dragon
Home » The Interview »
Tags: Birth of the Dragon, Chasing the Dragon, Vanessa U, Philip Ng, Andy He
Tags: Birth of the Dragon, Chasing the Dragon, Vanessa U, Philip Ng, Andy He
Thank you for the article. For me, Ng is one of the most interesting young hand-to-hand actors of recent times.
Lee,
Please. By the way, "Bruce Lee: Birth of the Dragon" is quite a good film. I liked it, even though it was hated by everyone and everything as soon as the trailers started coming out.
It’s strange, my comment disappeared somewhere... I wrote there about a small mistake I made in the translation.
Black Dragon,
It looks like nothing was removed from the post.
Danil Chupakhin,
This means that some kind of technical glitch occurred. Happens. Yes, in general the error is not significant. But still, I think it is important to emphasize that Master Wong Shun Lun was not a student of Bruce Lee, but rather helped him with training when they studied together with Ip Man. Unfortunately, I noticed the error after publication.
In my opinion, calling Ng an American actor is not entirely correct. If I'm not mistaken, he hasn't starred in more than one American film, he started as a stuntman in Hong Kong, where he has a relatively successful career