Cheung Cheun-Nam, known professionally as Yuen Qiu (; born 19 April 1950), is a
Hong Kong
Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a List of cities in China, city and Special administrative regions of China, special ...
actress and
martial artist. She is an expert of both
Chinese martial arts and
Beijing-opera skills, and was apprenticed at the
Peking Opera School
Professional schools for Chinese opera, known as ''keban'' (), existed in China from the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) to the 20th century. Formerly attached to performing troupes, many ''keban'' became independent boarding schools by the late 19th ...
under the same master,
Yu Jim-yuen, as
Jackie Chan, and
Sammo Hung
Sammo Hung Kam-bo ( zh, t=洪金寶, j=Hung4 Gam1-bou2; born 7 January 1952) 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 ...
.
Early life
On 19 April 1950, Yuen was born as Cheung Cheun-Nam in Hong Kong.
Yuen was given the performance name of Yuen Qiu.
Education
Yuen attended a
Peking Opera School
Professional schools for Chinese opera, known as ''keban'' (), existed in China from the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) to the 20th century. Formerly attached to performing troupes, many ''keban'' became independent boarding schools by the late 19th ...
in Kowloon, Hong Kong.
Career
Yuen was a stuntwoman and a night club performer from the late 1960s to early 1970s.
In 1974, Yuen had a small role in the international production, ''
The Man with the Golden Gun'' (1974), portraying as Hip's niece Nara rescuing
Roger Moore as
James Bond
The ''James Bond'' series focuses on a fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections. Since Fleming's death in 1964, eight other authors hav ...
.
In 1979, Yuen was able to demonstrate her acrobatic and kicking abilities in Dragon's Claw.
In 1970s, there were limited opportunities for stuntwomen.
After being away from the
Hong Kong film industry for nearly 20 years, she landed a role in ''
Kung Fu Hustle'' only by chance. She was accompanying a junior woman fellow of the China Drama Academy at the audition but the director's eye was on her. It was reported that
Stephen Chow
Stephen Chow Sing-chi (, born 22 June 1962), known professionally as Stephen Chow, is a Hong Kong filmmaker, former actor and comedian, known for '' Shaolin Soccer'' and '' Kung Fu Hustle''.
Early life and education
Stephen Chow was born in Hong K ...
convinced her to take on the role only after unremitting and persistent persuasion.
Yuen later appeared in the movie ''
Kung Fu Mahjong'', with
Yuen Wah
Yuen Wah (born Yung Kai-chi; 2 September 1952) is a Hong Kong action film actor, action choreographer, stuntman and martial artist who has appeared in over 160 films and over 20 television series.
Early life
Born Yung Kai-chi on 2 September 1950 ...
, and has been active in cinema since then.
Personal life
In 1985, Yuen was married to martial arts director Lu Chun-koo (魯俊谷) and has a son and a daughter. Yuen and Lu divorced in 1995.
On 31 March 2005, Yuen was arrested along with 10 other women and two men for illegal gambling.
Filmography
See also
*
Yu Jim-yuen
*
Wuxia film
( ), which literally means "martial heroes", is a genre of Chinese fiction concerning the adventures of martial artists in ancient China. Although is traditionally a form of historical fiction, its popularity has caused it to be adapted fo ...
References
External links
*
Yuen Qiu at chinesemov.comYuen Qiu at Simonyam.com
1948 births
Living people
Place of birth missing (living people)
20th-century Hong Kong actresses
21st-century Hong Kong actresses
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