Mr Sammo Hung Kam Po

1952-

Actor & Director

Director, actor and action choreographer Sammo Hung was born into a family of filmmakers. His grandparents were director and producer Hung Chung Ho and China’s first-generation martial arts actress Ching Chi Ang. At age seven, Hung was sent to the Hong Kong-China Opera Institute, where he was the eldest of what came to be known as the “Seven Little Fortunes”. At 12, he began acting in films such as Education of Love (1961) and The Grateful Monkey (1963) using the stage name Chu Yuen Lung. At 18, he became a stuntman. In 1975, then an action choreographer and actor. He made his directorial debut with The Iron-Fisted Monk in 1977. Thus began a successful career that saw him directing and starring in some of Hong Kong’s highest-grossing action comedies. In 1983, Hung won Best Actor at the 2^nd Hong Kong Film Awards for playing the leading role in Carry On Pickpocket (1982). Painted Faces (1988) landed him Best Actor at the 33^rd Asia-Pacific Film Festival and the 8^th Hong Kong Film Awards. In 1985, he directed and played a mentally disabled man in Heart of Dragon (1985), marking a breakthrough in his on-screen persona. In 1998, Hung took his career to the United States where he appeared in the TV series Martial Law (1998-2000). Hefty but agile, Hung is an award-winning action choreographer who works closely with a group of film professionals and martial arts experts collectively known as Hung’s Stunt Team. Team members past and present have made significant contributions to the local film industry. Hung’s recent works include SPL (2005) and Ip Man 2 (2010).