Yuen Woo-ping (; alias: Yuen Wo-ping; born 1945) is a

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 ...

martial arts choreographer Stage combat, fight craft or fight choreography is a specialised technique in theatre designed to create the illusion of physical combat without causing harm to the performers. It is employed in live stage plays as well as operatic and ballet pr ...

and

film director A film director or filmmaker is a person who controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfillment of that Goal, vision. The director has a key role ...

who worked in

Hong Kong action cinema Hong Kong action cinema is the principal source of the Hong Kong film industry's global fame. Action films from Hong Kong have roots in Chinese culture, Chinese and Culture of Hong Kong, Hong Kong cultures, including Chinese opera, storytelling a ...

and later

Hollywood films The cinema of the United States, primarily associated with major film studios collectively referred to as Hollywood, Los Angeles, Hollywood, has significantly influenced the global film industry since the early 20th century. Classical Holly ...

. He is one of the inductees on the Avenue of Stars in Hong Kong. Yuen is also a son of

Yuen Siu-tien Yuen Siu-tien () (27 November 1912 – 8 January 1979) (also known as Yuan Xiaotian, Simon Yuen, Sam Seed or "Ol' Dirty") was a Hong Kong actor and martial artist. In the late 1970s, Yuen is perhaps best known as Beggar So (a.k.a. Sam Seed) in ...

, a

martial arts film Martial arts films are a subgenre of action films that feature martial arts combat between characters. These combats are usually the films' primary appeal and entertainment value, and often are a method of storytelling and character expression a ...

actor. He attended the

China Drama Academy The China Drama Academy () was a Peking opera school in Kowloon, Hong Kong, known for being the childhood home of such famous actors as Jackie Chan (Yuen Lo), Sammo Hung (Yuen Lung), Yuen Biao, Yuen Wah, Yuen Qiu and Corey Yuen (Yuen Kwai). Famed ...

for one year as a day student of Master

Yu Jim-yuen Yu Jim-yuen (September 5, 1905 – September 8, 1997) () was a Chinese martial artist, actor, teacher and the master of the China Drama Academy, one of the main Peking Opera Schools in Hong Kong, from which Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung, Yuen Bi ...

as well.

Life and career

Yuen was born in

Guangzhou, Guangdong Guangzhou, previously romanized as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of Guangdong province in southern China. Located on the Pearl River about northwest of Hong Kong and north of Macau, Guangzhou has a history of over 2, ...

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

. With a support of Ng See-yuen, he achieved his first directing credit in 1978 on the seminal ''

Snake in the Eagle's Shadow Snakes are elongated limbless reptiles of the suborder Serpentes (). Cladistically squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales much like other members of the group. Many species of snakes have sku ...

'', starring

Jackie Chan Fang Shilong (born Chan Kong-sang; 7 April 1954), known professionally as Jackie Chan,; is a Hong Kong actor and filmmaker, known for his slapstick, acrobatic fighting style, comic timing, and innovative stunts, which he typically perf ...

, followed quickly by ''

Drunken Master ''Drunken Master'' (), also known as ''Drunken Master The Beginning'', is a 1978 Hong Kong martial arts comedy film directed by Yuen Woo-ping and produced and co-written by Ng See-yuen. The film features much of the same crew as Yuen's '' ...

''. The films were smash hits, launching Jackie Chan as a major film star, turning Seasonal Films into a major independent production company, and starting a trend towards comedy in

s that continues to the following two decades. Yuen went on to helm other

star vehicles In the motion picture industry, a star vehicle (or simply vehicle) is a film written or produced for a specific star, either to further their career or simply to profit from their current popularity. It is designed to optimally display that star's ...

for such figures as

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 ...

in ''

Magnificent Butcher ''The Magnificent Butcher'' () is a 1979 Hong Kong Martial arts film, martial arts comedy film directed by Yuen Woo-ping, and starring Sammo Hung, Kwan Tak-hing, Yuen Biao, and Wei Pai. The film is based on the story of Lam Sai-wing, one of t ...

'' (1979),

Yuen Biao Yuen Biao (born Ha Lingchun; 26 July 1957) is a Hong Kong actor, martial artist and stuntman. He specialises in acrobatics and Chinese martial arts and has also worked on over 80 films as actor, stuntman and action choreographer. He was one o ...

in '' Dreadnaught'' (1981),

Donnie Yen Donnie Yen Chi-tan ( zh, c=甄子丹, p=Zhēn Zǐdān, j=, first=j; born 27 July 1963) is a Hongkongers, Hong Kong actor, filmmaker, martial artist, and action director. He is the recipient of various accolades, including three Golden Horse Fi ...

in '' Iron Monkey'' (1993),

Jet Li Li Lianjie (courtesy name Yangzhong; born 26 April 1963), better known by his stage name Jet Li, is a Chinese-born Singaporean Martial arts, martial artist and actor. With a Jet Li filmography, film career spanning more than forty years, Li is re ...

in '' Tai Chi Master'' (1993), and

Michelle Yeoh Yeoh Choo Kheng (; born 6 August 1962), known professionally as Michelle Yeoh (), is a Malaysian actress. In a career spanning over four decades, Yeoh has appeared Michelle Yeoh filmography, in projects encompassing a wide array of genres, a ...

in ''

Wing Chun Wing Chun (Cantonese) or Yong Chun (Mandarin Chinese, Mandarin) (, lit. "singing spring") is a concept-based martial art, a form of Nanquan (martial art), Southern Chinese kung fu, and a close-quarters system of self-defense. It is a martial ...

'' (1994). Yuen's works, particularly his action choreography on ''

Fist of Legend ''Fist of Legend'' ( zh, , t=精武英雄, j=zing1 mou2 jing1 hung4) is a 1994 Hong Kong martial arts film directed by Gordon Chan from a screenplay by Chan, Lam Kee-to and Kim Yip. It features action choreography by Yuen Woo-ping and was pr ...

'' (1994), attracted the attention of

the Wachowskis Lana Wachowski (born Larry Wachowski, June 21, 1965) and Lilly Wachowski (born Andy Wachowski, December 29, 1967) are American film and television directors, writers and producers. The sisters are both trans women. Together known as the Wacho ...

, who hired him as the martial arts choreographer on ''

The Matrix ''The Matrix'' is a 1999 science fiction film, science fiction action film written and directed by the Wachowskis. It is the first installment in the The Matrix (franchise), ''Matrix'' film series, starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Ca ...

'' (1999). The success of this collaboration, plus his action choreography on the following year's hit ''

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon ''Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon'' is a 2000 epic romantic drama wuxia martial arts film directed by Ang Lee and written for the screen by Wang Hui-ling, James Schamus, and Tsai Kuo-jung. The film stars Chow Yun-fat, Michelle Yeoh, Z ...

'', made him a highly sought after figure in

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood ...

. He went on to work on the first two ''Matrix'' sequels, as well as '' Kill Bill: Volume 1'' (2003) and '' Kill Bill: Volume 2'' (2004). More recent action choreography duties in

Hong Kong cinema The cinema of Hong Kong ( zh, t=香港電影) is one of the three major threads in the history of Chinese-language cinema, alongside the cinema of China and the cinema of Taiwan. As a former Crown colony, Hong Kong had a greater degree of ar ...

have included ''

Kung Fu Hustle ''Kung Fu Hustle'' ( zh, c=功夫, l=Kung Fu) is a 2004 Martial arts film, martial arts action comedy film directed, produced and co-written by Stephen Chow, who also stars in the leading role, alongside Eva Huang, Huang Shengyi, Yuen Wah, Yue ...

'' (2004), starring

Stephen Chow Stephen Chow Sing-chi (; born 22 June 1962) is a Hong Kong filmmaker and former actor, known for his mo lei tau comedy. His career began in television, where he gained recognition through variety shows and TV dramas. Chow's breakthrough came in 1 ...

, and '' Fearless'' (2006), starring Jet Li. Yuen also choreographed the action sequences in ''

The Forbidden Kingdom ''The Forbidden Kingdom'' (: ''Gong Fu Zhi Wang'' (Mandarin) or ''Gung Fu Ji Wong'' (Cantonese) and translated ''King of Kung Fu'' ( English); Working title: ''The J & J Project'') is a 2008 Chinese-American fantasy wuxia film written by John ...

'' (2008), a Hollywood martial arts–adventure film, which was the first film to star together two of the best-known names in the martial arts film genre, Jackie Chan and Jet Li. He worked as a fight choreography consultant on ''

Ninja Assassin ''Ninja Assassin'' is a 2009 martial arts film directed by James McTeigue from a story and script by Matthew Sand and J. Michael Straczynski. The film stars Rain as a disillusioned assassin looking for retribution against his former mentor, pla ...

'' (2009). In late 2010, Yuen released his first film as director since 1996, '' True Legend'', starring

Vincent Zhao Vincent Zhao Wenzhuo ( Chinese: 赵文卓; born 10 April 1972), sometimes credited as Vincent Chiu or Chiu Man-cheuk, is a Chinese actor and martial artist. He is best known for portraying Chinese folk hero Wong Fei-hung in both film and televisi ...

Jay Chou Jay Chou Chieh-lun ( zh, s=周杰伦, t=周杰倫, first=t, p=Zhōu Jiélún; born 18 January 1979) is a Taiwanese singer-songwriter, actor, director, and businessman. Regarded as one of the most influential artists in the Chinese-speaking worl ...

and

David Carradine David Carradine ( ; born John Arthur Carradine Jr.; December 8, 1936 – June 3, 2009) was an American actor, director, and producer, whose career included over 200 major and minor roles in film, television and on stage. He was widely known ...

(in a minor role). Yuen went on to work as stunt co-ordinator in two South Indian films, ''

Enthiran ''Enthiran'' () is a 2010 Indian Tamil-language science fiction action film co-written and directed by S. Shankar. It is the first instalment in the ''Enthiran'' film series. The film stars Rajinikanth in dual lead roles as a scientist and th ...

'' (2010) and '' I'' (2014), both directed by

S. Shankar Shankar Shanmugam (born 17 August 1963) is an Indian film director, producer, and screenwriter, primarily known for his work in Tamil cinema. Known as one of the most prominent directors in the history of Indian cinema, he has also worked in H ...

. In 2015, Yuen directed '' Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny'', re-creating many of his signature action choreographies. The annual and highly anticipated Hong Kong International Film Festival was held for its 45th edition in April 2021. Yuen is one of the six veteran Hong Kong filmmakers who contributed segments to the

Johnnie To Johnnie To Kei-fung (born 22 April 1955) is a Hong Kong filmmaker. Popular in his native Hong Kong, To has also found acclaim overseas. Intensely prolific, To has made films in a variety of genres, though in the West he is best known for his H ...

-produced anthology film '' Septet: The Story of Hong Kong''. The other filmmakers who directed segments are

, Ann Hui On-wah, Patrick Tam,

Tsui Hark Tsui Hark (, , born 15 February 1950), born Tsui Man-kong (), is a Hong Kong filmmaker. A major director in the Golden Age of Cinema of Hong Kong, Hong Kong cinema, Tsui gained critical and commercial success with films such as ''Zu Warriors from ...

and

Ringo Lam Ringo Lam Ling-Tung (, 8 December 1955 – 29 December 2018) was a Hong Kong film director, producer, and screenwriter. He was known for his Action film, action and crime films produced during the Hong Kong New Wave, many of them comprising ent ...

. The short files were shot entirely on

35mm film 35 mm may refer to: Film * 135 film, a type of still photography format commonly referred to as 35 mm film * 35 mm movie film 35 mm film is a film gauge used in filmmaking, and the film standard. In motion pictures that record on ...

with each of them touches on a nostalgic and moving story set across different time periods, with every one acting as an ode to the city.

Filmography

As director

* ''

'' (1978) (Cantonese title: ''Se ying diu sau'') * ''

'' (1978) (Cantonese title: ''Jui kuen'') * ''

Dance of the Drunk Mantis ''Dance of the Drunk Mantis'' () is a 1979 Hong Kong kung fu comedy film directed by Yuen Siu-tien's real life son Yuen Woo-ping and written by Ng See-yuen and Lung Hsiao. It stars Yuen Siu-tien, Hwang Jang-lee, Linda Lin, Yuen Shun-yi, C ...

'' (1979) (Mandarin title: ''Nan bei zui quan'') * ''

''(1979) (Mandarin title: ''Lin shi rong'') * ''

The Buddhist Fist ''The Buddhist Fist'' (), also known as ''Secret of the Buddhist Fist'', is a 1980 Hong Kong action cinema, Hong Kong martial arts comedy film directed by Yuen Woo-ping with Tsui Siu-ming as an uncredited co-director. Plot Orphans Si Ming and ...

'' (1980) (Mandarin title: ''Fo Zhang luo han quan'') * '' Dreadnaught'' (1981) (Mandarin title: ''Yong zhe wu ju'') * ''

The Miracle Fighters ''The Miracle Fighters'' (; ) is a 1982 Hong Kong martial arts fantasy comedy film directed by Yuen Woo-ping and starring Bryan Leung, Yuen Cheung-yan and Yuen Yat-cho. The film's action sequences features various elements of fantasy, includin ...

'' (1982) (''Qi men dun jia'') * '' Legend of a Fighter'' (1982) (''Huo Yuan-Jia'') * ''

Shaolin Drunkard ''Shaolin Drunkard'' (; Orig. Tian shi zhuang xie, a.k.a. ''Wu Tang Master'', a.k.a. ''Miracle Fighters 2'') is a 1983 kung fu comedy film directed by Yuen Woo-ping, written by Yuen Woo-ping and Chung Hing Chiu, and starring Yuen Cheung-yan, ...

'' (1983) (''Tian shi zhuang xie'') * ''

Drunken Tai Chi ''Drunken Tai Chi'' is a 1984 Hong Kong martial arts action film directed by Yuen Woo-ping. It is notable for being the acting debut of Donnie Yen, who had previously performed as a stuntman. The film showcases Yen's martial arts skills as well ...

'' (1984) (''Xiao tai ji'') * ''

Mismatched Couples ''Mismatched Couples'' (a.k.a. ''Love Meets the Match'') is a 1985 Hong Kong action romantic comedy film directed by Yuen Woo-ping and starring himself alongside Donnie Yen. The film was created during hip hop culture's height of popularity in ...

'' (1985) (''Qing feng di shou'') * ''

The Close Encounter of the Vampire ''The Close Encounter of the Vampire'' (), also known as ''The Close Encounters of Vampire'', ''Dragon vs. Vampire'', or ''Dragon Against Vampire'',https://www.sogoodreviews.com/reviews/dragonagainstvampire.html is a 1986 in film, 1986 Cantonese ...

'' (a.k.a. ''Dragon Vs. Vampire'' (1986) (''Jiang shi pa pa'') * '' Tiger Cage'' (1988) (''Te jing tu long'') * '' In the Line of Duty 4: Witness'' (1989) (''Huang jia shi jie zhi IV: Zhi ji zheng ren'') : a.k.a. ''In the Line of Duty'' : a.k.a. ''In the Line of Duty IV'' : a.k.a. ''Yes, Madam 4'' * '' Tiger Cage 2'' (1990) (''Xi hei qian'') * '' Tiger Cage 3'' (1991) (''Leng mian ju ji shou'') * ''Su qi er'' (1993) : a.k.a. ''Fist of the Red Dragon'' (USA: video title) : a.k.a. '' Heroes Among Heroes'' * '' Iron Monkey'' (1993) * '' Tai Chi Master'' (1993) * ''

'' (1994) * ''Huo yun chuan qi'' (1994) : a.k.a. ''

Fire Dragon ''Fire Dragon'' (火雲傳奇) is a 1994 Hong Kong wuxia film directed by Yuen Woo-ping. It stars Brigitte Lin in the titular role. Plot Ah Ha (Brigitte Lin) is an assassin known as Fire Dragon serving the evil Sixth Prince (Tan Lap-Man), who ...

'' * ''Hu meng wei long'' (1995) : a.k.a. ''

Red Wolf The red wolf (''Canis rufus'') is a Canis, canine native to the southeastern United States. Its size is intermediate between the coyote (''Canis latrans'') and Wolf, gray wolf (''Canis lupus''). The red wolf's taxonomic classification as being ...

'' * ''Tai ji quan'' (1996) : a.k.a. ''

Tai Chi Boxer ''Tai Chi Boxer'' (), also known as ''Tai Chi II'' or ''Tai Chi Fist'', is a 1996 Hong Kong martial arts film directed by Yuen Woo-ping and Zhang Xinyan, co-written by Yuen and Sze Yeung-ping, and edited by Zhang and Koo Chi-wai. It is a sequel ...

'' (Hong Kong: English title) (UK: literal English title) : a.k.a. ''Tai Chi 2'' * '' True Legend'' (2010) : a.k.a. ''True Legend of Beggar Su'' (Working title) * '' Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny'' (2016) * ''

The Thousand Faces of Dunjia ''The Thousand Faces of Dunjia'' ( zh, 奇門遁甲) is a 2017 Chinese fantasy-wuxia film directed by Yuen Woo-ping; scripted and produced by Tsui Hark. The film stars Da Peng, Aarif Lee, Ni Ni, Wu Bai, and Zhou Dongyu. Plot The film follows a g ...

'' (2017) * '' Master Z: The Ip Man Legacy'' (2018) * '' Septet: The Story of Hong Kong'' (2020) * '' Biao Ren'' (TBA)

Selected filmography as action choreographer/fight advisor

* '' The Bloody Fists'' (1972) * '' The Awaken Punch'' (1973) * ''

Born Invincible ''Born Invincible'' () is a 1978 Taiwanese kung fu film directed by Joseph Kuo, with action choreography by Yuen Woo-ping, and starring Carter Wong, Jack Long and Lo Lieh. Currently, only the English-language dubbed version is widely availabl ...

'' (1978) * ''

Once Upon a Time in China II ''Once Upon a Time in China II'' is a 1992 Hong Kong martial arts film written, produced and directed by Tsui Hark. Jet Li stars as Chinese martial arts master and folk hero of Cantonese ethnicity, Wong Fei-hung. It is the second instalment in ...

'' (1992) * ''

'' (1994) * '' Black Mask'' (1996) * ''

The Water Margin ''Water Margin'' (), also called ''Outlaws of the Marsh'' or ''All Men Are Brothers'', is a Chinese novel from the Ming dynasty that is one of the preeminent Classic Chinese Novels. Attributed to Shi Nai'an, ''Water Margin'' was one of the ear ...

'' (1998) * ''

'' (1999) * ''

'' (2000) * '' Black Mask 2: City of Masks'' (2002) * ''

The Matrix Reloaded ''The Matrix Reloaded'' is a 2003 American science fiction action film written and directed by the Wachowskis. It is the sequel to ''The Matrix'' (1999) and the second installment in the ''Matrix'' film series. The film stars Keanu Reeves, L ...

'' (2003) * ''

The Matrix Revolutions ''The Matrix Revolutions'' is a 2003 American science fiction action film written and directed by the Wachowskis. The direct sequel to ''The Matrix Reloaded,'' it is the third installment in ''The Matrix'' film series, released six months foll ...

'' (2003) * '' Kill Bill: Volume 1'' (2003) * '' Kill Bill: Volume 2'' (2004) * ''

'' (2004) * '' Danny the Dog'' (a.k.a. '' Unleashed'') (2005) * '' House of Fury'' (2005) * '' Fearless'' (2006) * ''

'' (2008) * ''

'' (2010) * '' The Grandmaster'' (2013) * '' Once Upon a Time in Shanghai'' (2013) * ''

Man of Tai Chi ''Man of Tai Chi'' is a 2013 martial arts film directed by Keanu Reeves in his directorial debut. It also stars Reeves, Tiger Chen, Iko Uwais, Karen Mok and Simon Yam. The film is multilingual, featuring dialogue in Mandarin, English and Cantones ...

'' (2013) * '' I'' (2015) * ''

Ip Man 3 ''Ip Man 3'' is a 2015 Hong Kong biographical martial arts film directed by Wilson Yip, produced by Raymond Wong and written by Edmond Wong with action choreography by Yuen Woo-ping. It is the third film in the ''Ip Man'' film series base ...

'' (2015) * '' Gong Shou Dao'' (2017) *'' Ip Man 4: The Finale'' (2019)

Actor

* ''

'' (1985) as Mini * ''

Eastern Condors ''Eastern Condors'' () is a 1987 Hong Kong action war film starring and directed by Sammo Hung. The film co-stars Yuen Biao, Joyce Godenzi, Yuen Wah, Lam Ching-ying, Yuen Woo-ping, Corey Yuen and Billy Chow. The film was released in Hong Kong o ...

'' (1987) as Grandpa Yun Yen-hoy * '' The Wicked City'' (1992) as Sergeant Kayama * '' The Grandmaster'' (2013) as

Chan Wah-shun Chan Wah-shun ( 1836 – 1913), nicknamed Money Changer Wah (找錢華) and Money Clutcher Wah (爪錢華), was a student of the Wing Chun grandmaster Leung Jan (梁贊). He is noted for being the martial arts teacher of Ip Man. Background ...

* ''

'' (2013) as Man at fight club (uncredited)

Awards and nominations

References

* http://www.chinesefilms.cn/141/2012/11/06/122s12782.htm * http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/05/17/weinstein-updates-crouching-tiger-sequel

External links

*
Associated Press article
about Yuen including quotes from Ronny Yu and Jet Li {{DEFAULTSORT:Yuen, Woo-ping 1945 births Hong Kong action choreographers Male actors from Guangzhou

Yuen Woo-ping Yuen Woo-ping (; alias: Yuen Wo-ping; born 1945) is a Hong Kong people, Hong Kong Stage combat, martial arts choreographer and film director who worked in Hong Kong action cinema and later Hollywood films. He is one of the inductees on the Avenue ...

Cantonese people Chinese comedy film directors Male actors from Guangdong Film directors from Guangdong Hong Kong male film actors Hong Kong film directors Hong Kong film producers Hong Kong kung fu practitioners 20th-century Hong Kong male actors 21st-century Hong Kong male actors Living people Chinese male film actors Chinese film directors