James Wang Yu (28 March 1943 – 5 April 2022) was a Hong Kong-Taiwanese martial artist, actor, film director, producer, and screenwriter. Initially a contract player for

Shaw Brothers Shaw Brothers (HK) Limited () was the largest film production company in Hong Kong, operating from 1925 to 2011. In 1925, three Shaw brothers— Runje, Runme, and Runde—founded Tianyi Film Company (also called "Unique") in Shangh ...

, he rose to fame for his starring role in '' The One-Armed Swordsman'' (1967) and its sequels, and was one of the first major stars of

martial arts Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defence; military and law enforcement applications; combat sport, competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; ...

and ''

wuxia ( , literally "martial arts and chivalry") is a genre of Chinese literature, Chinese fiction concerning the adventures of martial artists in ancient China. Although is traditionally a form of historical fantasy literature, its popularity ha ...

'' cinema. At the height of his fame in the 1970s, he was the highest-paid martial arts actor in the world. According to ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'', Wang was "the biggest star of Asian martial arts cinema until the emergence of

Bruce Lee Bruce Lee (born Lee Jun-fan; November 27, 1940 – July 20, 1973) was an American-born Hong Kong martial artist, actor, filmmaker, and philosopher. He was the founder of Jeet Kune Do, a hybrid martial arts philosophy which was formed from ...

." Wang Yu was well known for his volatile personality and ties to organized crime off-screen. He was a suspected member of the Bamboo Union triad, and was charged in the 1981 murder of several Four Seas Gang members, though he was acquitted due to a lack of evidence.

Early life

Born Wang Zheng Quan (王正權) in

Shanghai Shanghai, Shanghainese: , Standard Chinese pronunciation: is a direct-administered municipality and the most populous urban area in China. The city is located on the Chinese shoreline on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the ...

in 1943, Wang and his family moved to

Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...

when he was still a child. From a young age, he trained in

karate (; ; Okinawan language, Okinawan pronunciation: ), also , is a martial arts, martial art developed in the Ryukyu Kingdom. It developed from the Okinawan martial arts, indigenous Ryukyuan martial arts (called , "hand"; ''tī'' in Okinawan) un ...

tai chi is a Chinese martial art. Initially developed for combat and self-defense, for most practitioners it has evolved into a sport and form of exercise. As an exercise, tai chi is performed as gentle, low-impact movement in which practitioners ...

, Wudang quan and taijijian. For a time he served in the

National Revolutionary Army The National Revolutionary Army (NRA; zh, labels=no, t=國民革命軍) served as the military arm of the Kuomintang, Chinese Nationalist Party (Kuomintang, or KMT) from 1924 until 1947. From 1928, it functioned as the regular army, de facto ...

, and was also a competitive swimmer and a car racing enthusiast.

Film career

Wang joined

Shaw Brothers Studio Shaw Brothers (HK) Limited () was the largest film production company in Hong Kong, operating from 1925 to 2011. In 1925, three Shaw brothers— Runje, Runme, and Runde—founded Tianyi Film Company (also called "Unique") in Shang ...

in 1963 as a stunt performer, and had his first acting role in the 1965 film ''Temple of the Red Lotus''. In 1968, he acted with Cheng Pei-pei in the

film '' Golden Swallow'', directed by

Chang Cheh Chang Cheh (; 10 February 1923 – 22 June 2002) was a Chinese people, Chinese filmmaker, screenwriter, lyricist and producer active in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. Chang Cheh directed more than 90 films in Greater China, the majority of them wi ...

. Following that, Wang starred in many other wuxia films, including '' One Armed Boxer'' (1971), '' Master of the Flying Guillotine'' (1976) and '' Return of the Chinese Boxer'' (1977). If '' The One-Armed Swordsman'' was the movie that launched Wang's acting career, '' The Chinese Boxer'' was the film that sealed his fame in Hong Kong cinema. The latter has been credited as being the first Hong Kong martial arts film that kickstarted the unarmed combat genre, mainly

kung fu Chinese martial arts, commonly referred to with umbrella terms Kung fu (term), kung fu (; ), kuoshu () or wushu (sport), wushu (), are Styles of Chinese martial arts, multiple fighting styles that have developed over the centuries in Greater Ch ...

. It also triggered a phenomenon that filled the ranks of many Chinese martial arts associations across

Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, southeastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of China, east of the Indian subcontinent, and northwest of the Mainland Au ...

. Chinese youths, in their bid to emulate Wang, took to punching sandbags, and reading up on the history of

Shaolin Kung Fu Shaolin kung fu (), also called Shaolin Wushu (), or Shaolin quan (), is the largest and most famous style of Chinese martial arts, kung fu. It combines Chan Buddhism, Chan philosophy and martial arts. It was developed in the Shaolin Temple in ...

. Controversy dogged Wang after the fame that exploded with '' The Chinese Boxer''. He broke his contract with the

, and was promptly slapped with a lawsuit. The legal tussle that ended in the studio's favour led to Wang being banned from making films in Hong Kong. Wang then looked to Taiwan for better career prospects, linking up with Golden Harvest and other independent film outfits. His subsequent works were mostly filmed in Taiwan. With the success of '' The Chinese Boxer'', Wang stood unchallenged in Southeast Asia for a short time as the Chinese actor with the most formidable fists and legs. But beginning in the 1970s, Wang's star began to be eclipsed with the entry of new actors, many with superior martial arts training such as Ti Lung, David Chiang, and especially

, whose role in ''

The Big Boss ''The Big Boss'' (; originally titled as ''Fists of Fury'' in the United States) is a 1971 Hong Kong martial arts film directed by Lo Wei (who also wrote the film) and Wu Chi-hsiang. Bruce Lee stars in his first major film in a lead role, and ...

'' (1971) revolutionised the martial arts film genre. In 1975, Wang starred in the

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

n action film '' The Man from Hong Kong''. In 1976, Wang appeared alongside Jackie Chan in

Lo Wei Lo Wei ( 12 December 1918 – 20 January 1996) was a Hong Kong film director and actor best known for launching the martial arts film careers of both Bruce Lee, in ''The Big Boss'' and ''Fist of Fury'', and Jackie Chan, in ''New Fist of Fury''. ...

's '' Killer Meteors''. In the late 1970s, Wang helped Chan when then the latter sought his help in settling a dispute with Lo Wei that allegedly involved Triads. Chan eventually repaid the favor with his roles in Wang's films, '' Fantasy Mission Force'' (1982) and '' Island of Fire'' (1990). In 1986,

Sammo Hung Samuel "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 Film director, director, known for his work in martial arts films, Hong Kong action cinema, and as a figh ...

cast Wang as Wong Kei-ying (the father of Chinese folk hero Wong Fei Hung) in '' Millionaire's Express''. In the years that followed, Wang kept a low profile, making a rare public appearance in 2002 at the funeral of

. Footage from Wang's 1976 film, '' Tiger & Crane Fists'' (also known as ''The Savage Killers''), was used in the 2002 film '' Kung Pow! Enter the Fist'', alongside new footage shot by Steve Oedekerk to create an original plot unrelated to the original film. In the film itself, Oedekerk, who wrote, produced, directed, and starred in the film, digitally inserted himself over Wang in many scenes where the ''Tiger & Crane Fists'' footage is used.

Organized crime

Wang often associated with members of the Bamboo Union, a Taiwan-based triad, though his status as a made man was never confirmed. In a 2007 interview with the '' Liberty Times'', Wang claimed that Bai Wan-hsiung, the

Kuomintang The Kuomintang (KMT) is a major political party in the Republic of China (Taiwan). It was the one party state, sole ruling party of the country Republic of China (1912-1949), during its rule from 1927 to 1949 in Mainland China until Retreat ...

Director of Mainland Affairs, had asked him and another Bamboo Union member to assassinate

Democratic Progressive Party The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is a centre to centre-left Taiwanese nationalist political party in Taiwan. As the dominant party in the Pan-Green Coalition, one of the two main political camps in Taiwan, the DPP is currently the ...

chairman Hsu Hsin-liang in 1979. The Kuomintang long held ties to Bamboo Union. At the time, Hsu was living in exile the United States. In the same interview, Wang implicated the Kuomintang in the murder of Henry Liu.

Xinghua Pavilion incident

On April 23, 1976, Wang invited Hong Kong film mogul Charles Heung and several friends, including Bamboo Union members, to the Xinghua Pavilion restaurant in

Taipei , nickname = The City of Azaleas , image_map = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = Taiwan#Asia#Pacific Ocean#Earth , coordinates = , subdivision_type = Country ...

. Several members of the Four Seas, a rival triad, were also present. Wang allegedly instigated a fight between the two groups that ended in the deaths of Four Seas members Qiu Wenxiang and Gao Wenzhang. The incident attracted much media attention, and Wang fled to Hong Kong to avoid arrest. He was eventually arrested and sentenced to five months in prison, which was reduced to a fine on appeal.

Tianchu Restaurant case and murder trial

On January 10, 1981, Wang and a group of friends were eating at the Tianchu Restaurant on Nanjing Road, when they were ambushed by members of the Four Seas triad in an apparent assassination attempt. Wang survived, but three of his friends were killed. Wang had previously had a falling out with the Four Seas after losing 1 million Yuan at a casino owned by Four Seas leader Liu Weimin, and his life had been repeatedly threatened. Wang reached out to Bamboo Union leader Chen Chi-li, requesting protection. Following a meeting between Bamboo Union leadership and Wang, the Union carried a string of retaliatory killings against the would be assassins. One of the targeted perpetrators, Liu Tieqiu, survived albeit with significant injuries. The murders led to a crackdown on triads by Taiwanese authorities. Chen Yonghe, a Four Seas higher-up, asked Flying Eagle Gang member Liu Taisheng to act as an intermediary between the Four Seas and Wang, but Wang berated him and offered 400,000 Yuan for Liu's leg. On May 8, Wang and Bamboo Union member Huang Shaocen were charged by the Taipei District Court for first-degree murder. The hearing was attended by members of Bamboo Union, Four Seas, and Flying Eagle. During a recess, Liu Taisheng attempted to negotiate with Wang. The conversation escalated into a fistfight, and Liu was stabbed by one of Wang's bodyguards. Wang and the other Bamboo Union members were subsequently taken into custody. Wang was eventually acquitted due to a lack of evidence, though Huang Shaocen was sentenced to two years in prison for the attempted killing of Liu Tieqiu.

Personal life

In 1969, Wang married actress Jeanette Lin Chui, who was nine years his senior. Before that, Wang had an affair with the wife of film director Chun Kim, who hanged himself before a divorce took place. Jeanette Lin, who had a high profile in Hong Kong cinema in the 1950s and 1960s, left the industry almost immediately after her marriage, which turned out to be tumultuous for both Wang and Lin. Amid allegations of domestic violence by Wang, the marriage crumbled in 1975. Wang and Lin had three daughters, and their eldest daughter Linda Wong became a popular

Cantopop Cantopop (a contraction of "Cantonese pop music") is a genre of pop music sung in Cantonese. Cantopop is also used to refer to the cultural context of its production and consumption. The genre began in the 1970s and became associated with Hon ...

singer in the 1990s. Lin migrated to the United States in 1977 and died in 1995 from an asthma attack. Wang later remarried in 1978 to air hostess Wang Kaizhen. This marriage was also tumultuous, with Wang Kaizhen ultimately filing for divorce and starting an affair with young businessman Zhang Zhao (張昭). After learning of it, Wang, accompanied by reporters and the police, surprised the couple at their lodging and publicly exposed his wife. After public humiliation was heaped on the couple, Wang divorced his second wife in 1997. Wang's involvement in public brawls also made headlines from time to time.

Health issues and death

In 2011, Wang suffered a stroke which caused him to lose much of his strength in the left side of his body. However, he worked vigorously in physical therapy, even exceeding the doctor's recommended pace. He would reportedly lift his arm 1000 times a day instead of 200 and walk three times the suggested distance. As a result of his efforts, he regained most of his ability to walk and talk, and he could lift his left arm, though he could no longer use its full strength. Since his recovery, Wang tried to live as normal a life as possible and had even returned to film work. In an interview, he admitted to even driving to his physical therapy session with the use of only one arm but explained that his daughter put a stop to it when she found out, and that she had hired a driver for him. Wang died on April 5, 2022, in Cheng Hsin Hospital, Beitou District,

Taipei , nickname = The City of Azaleas , image_map = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = Taiwan#Asia#Pacific Ocean#Earth , coordinates = , subdivision_type = Country ...

, at the age of 79.

Filmography

Actor

*' (1965) - Kuei Wu *'' The Twin Swords'' (1965) - Kuei Wu *''Tiger Boy'' (1966) - 'Tiger Boy' Lei Hu *' (1966) - Fang Lu *''Kuai lo qing chun'' (1966) *' (1966) - Yang Ming-Hsuan *' (1967) - He You-Wen *''Trail of the Broken Blade'' (1967) - Li Yueh *'' The Sword and the Lute'' (1967) - Kuei Wu *'' The One-Armed Swordsman'' (1967) - Fang Kang / One-armed Swordsman *''The Assassin'' (1967) - Nieh Cheng *'' Golden Swallow'' (1968) - Silver Roc Hsiao Peng *'' The Sword of Swords'' (1968) - Ling Tseng-hsiao *''Qing guan'' (1968) *'' Return of the One-Armed Swordsman'' (1969) - Fang Gang / One-armed Swordsman *''My Son'' (1970) - Yang Kuo-Liang *'' The Chinese Boxer'' (1970) - Lei Ming *'' Zatoichi and the One-Armed Swordsman'' (1971) - Wang Kong / One-armed Swordsman *''The Desperate Chase'' (1971) *''Xia yi shuang xiong'' (1971) *''The Magnificent Chivalry'' (1971) *''Jian'' (1971) - Hsia Ho Wei *''Zhui ming qiang'' (1971) - Lung Ti / The White Dragon *'' The Invincible Sword'' (1971) - Ling Yu Fong *''Wei zhen si fang'' (1971) - Tiger Wong *'' The Professional Killer'' (1971) *''Morale and Evil'' (1971) - Iron palm Bai Si-Feng *''Shogun Saints'' (1972) *'' Furious Slaughter'' (1972) - Ma Yung Shen *''Kuang feng sha'' (1972) - Ti Si-Guan *''Ma Su Zhen bao xiong chou'' (1972) *''The Adventure'' (1972) - Guan Dong-Shan *'' Chow Ken'' (1972) - Shi Ling Shu *'' One-Armed Boxer'' (1972) - Yu Tien Lung *''Yi shen shi dan'' (1972) - The Gallant (parts 1, 2, 3) *''The Invincible'' (1972) - Li Mu-Bai *''The Last Duel'' (1971) - Yi Chun *'' Ten Fingers of Steel'' (1972) *''Royal Fist'' (1972) *'' Boxers of Loyalty and Righteousness'' (1972) - Li Yu / Yeh Tian-Hsin *'' A Man Called Tiger'' (1973) - Chin Fu *''Knight Errant'' (1973) - Lin Hao-Shan *''Ai de tian di'' (1973) - Professor *''Seaman No. 7'' (1973) - Wang Hai-Lung *''Black Friday'' (1973) - Chen Ah Kwang *'' Beach of the War Gods'' (1973) - Hsia Feng *''The Two Cavaliers'' (1973) *''King of Boxers'' (1973) - Hong Ching Pau / Red Lantern *'' Kung Fu Mama'' (1973) - Ma Yung-Chen *''The Tattooed Dragon'' (1973) - Tattooed Dragon *''Flying Fists of Death'' (1973) *''Si da tian wang'' (1974) - Hsiao Pao *''My Father, My Husband, My Son'' (1974) *''The Iron Man'' (1974) - Chin *''The Hero'' (1974) - Kang *''Four Real Friends'' (1974) *''Rage of the Masters'' (1975) *'' The Man from Hong Kong'' (1975) - Inspector Fang Sing Leng *''A Cookbook of Birth Control'' (1975) *''The New Spartans'' (1975) - Material arts movie star Wang Fu *''Great Hunter'' (1975) *'' Master of the Flying Guillotine'' (1976) - Liu Ti Lung, The One-Armed Boxer *'' Tiger & Crane Fists'' (1976) - Ching Sing Chen *'' Killer Meteors'' (1976) - Mei Xing He *'' A Queen's Ransom'' (1976) - Jimmy *'' One-Armed Swordsman Against Nine Killers'' (1976) - Liu Ching Wu / Liu Yi Su / One Armed Swordsman *'' One-Arm Chivalry Fights Against One-Arm Chivalry'' (1976) - Fong Ping / One-armed Swordsman *''Point of the Finger of Death'' (1977) - Ziqiang Ji (AKA Ziqiang Chi) *'' Return of the Chinese Boxer'' (1977) - Sau Pai-lung *''The Criminal'' (1977) *''Brotherly Love'' (1977) *''Revenge of Kung Fu Mao'' (1977) - The Mayor *''Deadly Silver Spear'' (1977) - Lung Fei Yung / Silver Spear *''Blood of the Dragon'' (1978) *''Big Leap Forward'' (1978) *''Ma Su Chen'' (1979) *''Prisoners of Mao'' (1979) *''The Battle of Ku-ning-tou'' (1979) *'' Fantasy Mission Force'' (1983) - Don Wen *''Shanghai'' (1984) - Black Hat *''Chuang jiang'' (1985) *'' Millionaire's Express'' (1986) - Master Wong Kei Ying *''Thundering Ninja'' (1987) - David Wong *'' Island of Fire'' (1990) - Kui / Lucas *'' Once Upon a Time in China'' (1991) *'' The Beheaded 1000'' (1991) - Executioner Ren De Tie *''Shogun & Little Kitchen'' (1992) - Lam Chung Yuen *''Requital'' (1992) - Wai's hired assassin *''Kyokutô kuroshakai'' (1993) - Hong - Yan-Sheng *'' Kung Pow! Enter the Fist'' (2002) - The Chosen One (archive footage; digitally replaced by Steve Oedekerk) (uncredited) *''

Dragon A dragon is a Magic (supernatural), magical legendary creature that appears in the folklore of multiple cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but European dragon, dragons in Western cultures since the Hi ...

'' (2011) - The Master (Jiaozhu) *'' Let's Go!'' (2011) *'' The Guillotines'' (2012) - Gong-E *''

Soul The soul is the purported Mind–body dualism, immaterial aspect or essence of a Outline of life forms, living being. It is typically believed to be Immortality, immortal and to exist apart from the material world. The three main theories that ...

'' (2013) - Wang (final film role)

Producer

* '' Boxers of Loyalty and Righteousness'' (1973) * '' One-Armed Swordsman Against Nine Killers'' (1976) * '' Return of the Chinese Boxer'' (1977) * '' Island of Fire'' (1990) * '' The Beheaded 1000'' (1991) * ''Stand Behind the Yellow Line'' (1997) * '' Eighteen Springs'' (1997)

Director

*'' The Chinese Boxer'' (1970) *'' The Brave and the Evil'' (1971) *'' One-Armed Boxer'' (1971) *'' Beach of the War Gods'' (1973) *'' Four Real Friends'' (1974) *'' The Man from Hong Kong'' (1975) (Australian Brian Trenchard-Smith was principal director with Wang Yu doing some 2nd unit work) *'' Tiger & Crane Fists'' (1976) *'' Master of the Flying Guillotine'' (1976) *'' Return of the Chinese Boxer'' (1977) *'' Kung Pow! Enter the Fist'' (2002) (archival footage) (uncredited)

Action director

*'' Boxers of Loyalty and Righteousness'' (1973)

Screenwriter

*'' The Chinese Boxer'' (1970) *'' One-Armed Boxer'' (1971) *''Beach of the War Gods'' (1973) *'' Master of the Flying Guillotine'' (1976)