 |
Lau Kar-wing | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
劉家榮 | |||||||||||
| Born | 1944 (age 79–80) | ||||||||||
| Other names | Chia-Yung Liu | ||||||||||
| Occupation(s) | Actor, director, action choreographer | ||||||||||
| Years active | 1964–present | ||||||||||
| Children | Lau Wing-kin (son) | ||||||||||
| Father | Lau Cham | ||||||||||
| Awards | Hong Kong Film Awards – Best Action Choreography 1991 Once Upon a Time in China | ||||||||||
| Chinese name | |||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 劉家榮 | ||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 刘家荣 | ||||||||||
| |||||||||||
Lau Kar-wing (born 1944) is a martial artist, Hong Kong film director, action choreographer and actor. [1]
Born in the Xinhui District of Jiangmen in Guangdong, China, Lau Kar-wing was the fourth child of Lau Cham (劉湛), a martial arts master who studied under Lam Sai-wing, pupil of the legendary Chinese folk hero, Wong Fei-hung.
Lau began learning kung fu in his early teens, learning in secret at his father's school. When his older brother, Lau Kar-leung, discovered this, he began teaching Kar-wing himself.
Before becoming famous, Lau worked as an extra and choreographer on the black & white Wong Fei-hung films, which starred Kwan Tak-hing as the titular hero. Lau was given his start working under his father and brother in these films, and followed his brother to become a stuntman and assistant choreographer.
In the 1960s he became one of the Shaw Brothers Studio's main action choreographers, working with many directors on films such as King Boxer (1972). Lau evolved to become a director in the late 1970s. By this time he was already an accomplished actor and action choreographer outside of Shaw Brothers.
In the 1970s, Lau formed a partnership with Sammo Hung and Karl Maka. The trio started their own film production company in 1978, Gar Bo Motion Picture Company. They made just two films, before Maka left to start Cinema City. Both films starred Lau, Hung and Maka, Dirty Tiger, Crazy Frog (1978) and Odd Couple (1979). During this period, Lau continued to make films for Shaw Brothers Studio. He moved with the times, in the 1980s he alternated between his own work, and that of Sammo Hung. He also found the time to appear in several of his brother, Lau Kar-leung's films. In 1989, Lau Kar-wing directed City Cops , one of Cynthia Rothrock's most popular films.
During the late 1980s and early 90s, Lau's output slowed down. Since 1994 he has virtually retired from the industry. One of his best known efforts from this period is Skinny Tiger, Fatty Dragon (1990), alongside his old collaborators Sammo Hung and Karl Maka. Kar-wing worked alongside his brother, Kar-leung, as martial arts choreographer on the film Drunken Monkey (2002), and was an uncredited martial arts advisor on Tsui Hark's Seven Swords (2005). Footage of Wing's performance in the 1976 film Tiger & Crane Fists was utilized for the character Wimp Lo in the 2002 American comedy film Kung Pow! Enter the Fist .
Lau is also a skilled lion dance performer, and has demonstrated this ability in at least two films Why Me? (1985) and Once Upon a Time in China and America (1997).
Lau is the younger brother of actor, director and action choreographer Lau Kar-leung. Gordon Liu (a.k.a. Lau Kar-fai) is a godson to Lau's parents. He is father to TVB actor Lau Wing-kin. His nephew, Lau Kar-yung (the son of Lau's older sister), is also an actor, action choreographer and director.
Samuel "Sammo" Hung Kam-bo is a Hong Kong actor, martial artist, film producer and 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.
Hung Ga (洪家), Hung Kuen (洪拳), or Hung Ga Kuen (洪家拳) is a southern Chinese martial art belonging to the southern Shaolin styles. The hallmarks of Hung Ga are strong stances, notably the horse stance, or "si ping ma" (四平馬), and strong hand techniques, notably the bridge hand and the versatile tiger claw. Traditionally, students spent anywhere from several months to three years in stance training, often sitting only in horse stance from half an hour to several hours at a time, before learning any forms. Each form could then take a year or so to learn, with weapons learned last. In current times, this mode of instruction is generally considered impractical for students, who have other concerns beyond practicing kung fu. However, some instructors still follow traditional guidelines and make stance training the majority of their beginner training. Hung Ga is sometimes mischaracterized as solely external—that is, reliant on brute physical force rather than the cultivation of qi—even though the student advances progressively toward an internal focus.
Yuen Biao is a Hong Kong actor, martial artist and stuntman. He specialises in acrobatics and Chinese martial arts and has also worked on over 80 films as actor, stuntman and action choreographer. He was one of the Seven Little Fortunes from the China Drama Academy at the Peking Opera School along with his "brothers" Sammo Hung and Jackie Chan. Yuen Biao has appeared in over 130 films. He has played roles in eight television series for the Hong Kong channel TVB.
Corey Yuen Kwai was a Hong Kong film director, film producer, action choreographer, and actor. Yuen attended the China Drama Academy and was one of the Seven Little Fortunes. In Hong Kong, he worked on several films such as Bruce Lee's Fist of Fury (1972), Hwang Jang-lee's Snuff Bottle Connection, Secret Rivals 2, The Invincible Armour, Dance of the Drunk Mantis (1979), Ninja in the Dragon's Den (1982), Millionaire's Express (1986), and Jet Li's Fong Sai-yuk II (1993), The New Legend of Shaolin (1994), High Risk, and My Father Is a Hero.
Alexander Fu Sheng, also known as Fu Sing, was a Hong Kong martial arts actor. One of Hong Kong's most talented performers, Fu rose to prominence in the 1970s starring in a string of movies with the Shaw Brothers that accrued him international stardom throughout Asia and parts of North America.
Lau Kar-leung was a Chinese actor, filmmaker, choreographer, and martial artist from Hong Kong. Lau is best known for the films he made in the 1970s and 1980s for the Shaw Brothers Studio. His most famous works include The 36th Chamber of Shaolin (1978) starring Gordon Liu as well as Drunken Master II (1994) starring Jackie Chan.
Kung fu film is a subgenre of martial arts films and Hong Kong action cinema set in the contemporary period and featuring realistic martial arts. It lacks the fantasy elements seen in wuxia, a related martial arts genre that uses historical settings based on ancient China. Swordplay is also less common in kung-fu films than in wuxia and fighting is done through unarmed combat.
Knockabout is a 1979 Hong Kong martial arts comedy film starring Yuen Biao and directed by Sammo Hung, who also co-stars in the film.
Bruce Liang is a Hong Kong martial artist and actor who has appeared in many Hong Kong martial arts movies. He often appeared billed as "Bruce Leung", "Bruce Liang", "Bruce Leong", or "Bruce Leung Siu-lung", and is thus generally grouped among the Bruce Lee clones that sprang up after Lee's death in the subgenre known as Bruceploitation.
Philip Kwok is a Hong Kong-based Taiwanese actor, martial artist, and stuntman. He rose to fame as a member of the Venom Mob, an ensemble of highly-talented martial arts actors that starred in several films for Shaw Brothers Studio in the 1970s and 1980s.
Hsiao Ho, is a Hong Kong martial arts film actor, stunt performer and action choreographer. A Hakka, he has acted in many films directed by Lau Kar-leung, including Mad Monkey Kung Fu and Legendary Weapons of China. In 1985 he portrayed legendary kung fu warrior Fong Sai-Yuk in the Lau directed action-comedy, Disciples of the 36th Chamber and also took a lead role in Fake Ghost Catchers, directed by Lau Kar Wing. Fake Ghost Catchers is marketed by Celestial Pictures as being made two years before Ghostbusters. Hou is also known for portraying the "disfigured swordsman" and doubling complicated action scenes in 1993's Iron Monkey. He was also the action director for the movie Shaolin Avengers (1994). In 1982 he was nominated for Best Action Choreography for the movie Legendary Weapons of China at the Hong Kong Film Awards alongside Lau Kar Leung and Ching Chu who also provided choreography for the film.
Five Shaolin Masters, a.k.a. 5 Masters of Death, is a 1974 Shaw Brothers kung fu film directed by Chang Cheh, with action choreography by Lau Kar Leung and Lau Kar Wing.
The Victim is a 1980 Hong Kong martial arts comedy film starring and directed by Sammo Hung. It was released in the US as Lightning Kung Fu in June 1982.
Filmography for the Indo-Chinese Hong Kong film actor and martial artist Lo Lieh:
Jimmy Lung Fong (龍方) was a Hong Kong actor, film director, and action choreographer. Lung was best known to moviegoers for his frequent portrayal of villains in various Hong Kong films, most notably in films made by Wong Jing. Lung retired from the film industry, and died from lung cancer in 2008.
Cheung Wing-fat, also known as Mars, is a Hong Kong actor, action director, stuntman and martial artist. He is one of Jackie Chan's best friends.
Phillip Ko-fei was a Hong Kong based actor, screenwriter and film director.
Chung Fat is a Hong Kong-based actor, choreographer, producer, and director. He primarily stars in jiangshi fictions and martial art movies.
Mang Hoi was a Hong Kong actor. He won the Best Supporting Actor at the 5th Hong Kong Film Awards. Mang died from oesophageal cancer on 9 October 2023, at the age of 65.
Chui Chung-San was a Hong Kong actor, director, choreographer, martial artist and stuntman. He was known for being an action director and stuntman. Chui was known for films such as The Rebellious Reign, Kung Fu Vs. Yoga, Two Fists Against the Law and 7 Grandmasters as well as other various Taiwanese television shows.