- Yuen Biao is regarded as one of the most acrobatic martial artists
ever. Unfortunately, he is still underrated and not as popular as other
contemporaries such as Jackie Chan, Sammo Kam-Bo Hung, and Jet Li even though he is
the most critically acclaimed out of all of them and the most talented
as well. And now he is receiving a cult following due to word of mouth.
Born of his parents Ha Kwong-Tai (father) and Ha Sau-Ying. Yuen Biao
was first enrolled in the China Drama Academy at the age of 5 (he was
the youngest there). He met Sammo Kam-Bo Hung and Jackie Chan while attending the
Academy. Jackie Chan took him under his wing, and they became lifelong
friends. Yuen Biao stayed at the Academy until the age of 16 where he
moved with Master Jim-Yuen to America. However, two years later he came
back, citing there were no opportunities for Chinese martial artists to
star in American films. After being in some bit part roles in films
such as The Shrine of Ultimate Bliss (1974) (aka Stoner), The Hand of Death (1976) (aka Hand of Death), he didn't
receive his first major breakthrough role until Sammo Kam-Bo Hung cast him in
Knockabout (1979) (aka Knockabout). However, his first role which gave him full
exposure and established his status as a A-list star was The Prodigal Son (1981) (aka
The Prodigal Son), which also starred and was directed by Sammo Kam-Bo Hung.
After that, 'Jackie Chan' cast him in the classic Project A (1983) (aka Project A).
After starring in some other films with Sammo Kam-Bo Hung and/or Jackie Chan, he
decided to go his own way and to forge his own career to get out of the
shadows of Jackie Chan and Sammo Kam-Bo Hung. He met his future wife DiDi Phang
Sau-Ha in 1984 while working as a stunt coordinator on the film DiDi
Phang was working on: Carry on Pickpocket (1982) (aka Carry On Pickpocket). They have two
children. His daughter Yi-Bui was born in 1986 and his son Ming-Tsak in
1988. The film On the Run (1988) (aka On The Run) confirmed his abilities as a
brilliant actor as his portrayal as a married man seeking vengeance for
his wife's brutal murder was critically acclaimed. The following year
he starred in probably his best film, The Iceman Cometh (1989) (aka The Iceman Cometh),
in which he starred with acclaimed actress Maggie Cheung. The film is
regarded as a cult classic and is remembered not only for the fantastic
fighting scenes and hilarious comedy, but also the wonderful acting of
Biao Yuen and Maggie Cheung and the wonderful simmering sexual chemistry
between them. After starring in the acclaimed Once Upon a Time in China (1991) (aka Once Upon a
Time in China, in which most of his scenes were cut), he directed his
first movie (A Kid from Tibet (1991). aka A Kid From Tibet), in which he also starred.
In 1994, he worked for the first time in years, with Sammo Kam-Bo Hung in the
gloriously titled Don't Give a Damn (1995) (aka Don't Give a Damn). In recent years,
Yuen Biao has complained of poor scripts, so he appears in films
sparsely nowadays. He also has a second home in Canada where he spends
most of time pursuing his hobby of golf.- IMDb Mini Biography By: Rehan Yousuf <rehanyousuf15@hotmail.com>
- SpouseDiDi Phang Sau-Ha(1984 - present) (2 children)
- Is one of the rare HK performers who have a more loyal following in
Japan than in his native Hong Kong. Thus the many Japan/HK
co-productions in his work (The Setting Sun (1992), Baka yarô! 4 You! Omae no koto da yo 3 Sagi naru Japan (1991), No Problem 2 (2002).)
For the Kung Fu-soccer comedy The Champions (1983)), he
was promoted as a wholesome, super-athlete version of Japan's pop idol
culture. As the norm for idols in Japan, Yuen released several music
albums despite his rudimentary grasp on Japanese and pop music.
Documented as recently as 2004, Yuen still makes the occasional
personalized replies to his Japanese fans. - Attended Peking Opera school, run by Jim-Yuen Yu who moved to Hong Kong
from Mainland China. By the time Yuen Biao, Jackie Chan, and Sammo Kam-Bo Hung
graduated, Peking Opera performances were declining in popularity (a
fictionalized account is told in Painted Faces 1988, starring Sammo
Hung as their infamously strict teacher Yu Jim Yuen.) These graduates
skilled in Peking Opera and martial arts then entered film business to
apply their life-long skills, transforming the waning swordplay and
(old school) kung fu genres in 1970s-1980s, and inventing the now
classic, multi-genre modern action of 1980s. - Biao has worn spectacles since adolescence. Although in most movies he
does not not wear spectacles he can be seen wearing his own pairs in
Wheels on Meals (1984), Mr. Vampire II (1986), and Dong on X: Sat yan fan (1997). - "Yuen" is the surname of his Peking Opera school teacher, Jim-Yuen Yu.
Many school graduates take the name as their stage name, in honor of
their teacher. "Biao" means a youthful tiger in its prime.
- "By the time we came out to work in Hong Kong film industry, we
realized that our teacher had taught us useful things, since we didn't
go to normal schools. We studied opera so we entered the entertainment
industry. If there wasn't a film industry, we would have been lost. We
were lucky that in Hong Kong, people liked this kind of film, and there
were people who could perform it to represent Hong Kong. This became
the mainstream film. Then eventually, Hong Kong became renowned for
it." - from Project A DVD interview. - "We'd known about Bruce Lee ever since we were children. Regarding what
he could do, he did deserve people's admiration. On film, his kung fu
was magnificent, but as far as filming technique is concerned, those
old films were not that sophisticated. They were one-man shows. If he
hadn't been so great, there would have been nothing to see. [Jackie
Chan, Sammo Hung and I] had all done "Enter the Dragon" together with
Lam Ching-Ying. Bruce Lee liked our group, the stunt-men, very much.
After he died, action films declined for a while. Then Sammo Hung and
[the rest of] us emerged. We made action films together, with Sammo
Hung as leader." - from Project A DVD interview. - "Kung fu talent is abundant in China. But is there an experienced
person who can mold this potential to make films, action films? Like
Sammo Hung or Jackie Chan, who have the desire for action films, and
able to teach them? I don't think there ever will be." - from Project A
DVD interview.
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