Sammo Hung, also known as Hung Kam-bo, is a Hong Kong actor, producer, director, and martial artist. He has choreographed fight scenes for renowned artists like Jackie Chan and John Woo, and played a crucial role in popularizing martial arts in movies. With his significant contributions to Hong Kong cinema, Sammo Hung is often referred to as ‘Da Goh Da’ or ‘Big, Big Brother’. He is also known for providing opportunities to actors, directors, and technicians. Since his debut as a lead actor in ‘Shaolin Pilot’ in 1977, Sammo Hung has established himself as an important figure in the Hong Kong film industry.
Quick Facts
- Also Known As: Hung Kam-bo
- Age: 71 Years, 71 Year Old Males
- Family: Spouse/Ex-: Joyce Godenzi (m. 1995), Jo Yun Ok (m. 1973–1994), children: Jimmy Hung, Stephanie Hung, Timmy Hung, Tin Chiu Hung
- Born Country: Hong Kong
- Actors
- Directors
- Height: 5’7″ (170 cm), 5’7″ Males
- Notable Alumni: Peking Opera School
- Education: Peking Opera School
Childhood & Early Life
Sammo Hung was born in British Hong Kong on January 7, 1952. His parents worked as wardrobe stylists in the local movie industry. Due to their busy schedules, Hung had to spend his childhood with his grandparents, who were also artists. He has a brother named Lee Chi Kit, who is also an actor.
In 1961, Hung was enrolled at the China Drama Academy, where he studied for seven years. He became known as Yuen Lung and became the first member of a performing group called the Seven Little Fortunes. Jackie Chan, who was then known as Yuen Lo, later joined the group.
Before graduating from the academy, Hung suffered an injury at the age of 16, which forced him to take a break from action. Despite the injury, he decided to become a stuntman and soon found himself working in the industry.
Early Career
Hung made his debut as a child actor in 1960, but his first movie, “Education of Love,” was released two years later in 1962. He also appeared in a movie titled “Big and Little Wong Tin Bar” in 1962, alongside Jackie Chan. After working in a few movies, Hung became an assistant director at Shaw Brothers Studio. He worked in 30 movies for Shaw Brothers as an actor and stuntman and also assisted several directors. He then choreographed action scenes for movies such as “The Angry River” (1970), “A Touch of Zen” (1971), and “The Fate of Lee Khan” (1973). In 1973, he worked with Bruce Lee in “Enter the Dragon” and started promoting the combination of martial arts and humor. He continued working in various other movies as well.
Career
In 1977, Hung played an important character in “Shaolin Pilot,” produced by Golden Harvest Production. In 1978, he made a movie called “Warriors Two,” which featured the martial art style called Wing Chun. In 1981, he made another movie based on the same martial art style titled “The Prodigal Son.”
In the 80s, there was a major transformation in martial arts movies, with more realistic and longer fighting scenes. Hung saw this as an opportunity and experimented with his action choreography in movies such as “Winners and Sinners” (1982) and “Wheels on Meals” (1985).
In 1983, Hung, Jackie Chan, and Yuen Biao became known as the “Three Dragons” as they appeared together in Jackie’s movie “Project A.” They once again appeared together in the 1988 movie “Dragon Together.” Hung then introduced other genres like comedy in his movies, which until then had only featured action sequences. Some of his movies with comical sequences include “My Lucky Stars” (1985), “Twinkle, Twinkle Lucky Stars” (1985), “Lucky Stars Go Places” (1986), and “How to Meet the Lucky Stars” (1996).
Hung’s movies “Encounters of the Spooky Kind” (1980) and “The Dead and the Deadly” (1983) became popular among his fans and achieved cult status. He also introduced movies that had women in leading roles, such as “Yes, Madam,” which gave actress Michelle Yeoh an opportunity to showcase her skills.
Hung had his share of failures in the 90s but focused on producing many movies through his own production house, Bojon Films Company Ltd. In 1997, he reunited with Jackie Chan for “Mr. Nice Guy,” which brought him success in the 90s. In 1998, he became the only East Asian actor to have a prime time show on the CBS network, playing a Chinese cop in the adventure-comedy series “Martial Law.”
He made a comeback with “The Legend of Zu” in 2001, a sequel to the 1983 hit “Zu Warriors from the Magic Mountain.” He continued to work in various movies, including “SPL: Sha Po Lang” (2005), where he played a negative character for the first time in his career. He also choreographed the action sequences in the 2010 hit movie “Ip Man” and appeared in several TV series.
Hung owns four production companies and has produced many movies under his production houses. He has won numerous awards, including Hong Kong Film Awards, Asian Film Award, and Golden Horse Award, in categories such as acting, direction, choreography, and production.
In 2010, he was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the New York Asian Film Festival. He is also one of the few celebrities to have been honored at the Avenue of Stars in Hong Kong.
Personal Life & Legacy
Hung met Jo Eun-ok in his martial arts school and married her in 1973. They have three sons and a daughter together. Hung and Jo got divorced in 1994, and he married actress Joyce Godenzi in 1995.
Trivia: Hung’s son Timmy Hung has appeared alongside him in several movies.