MARITAL STATUS
Professions Actor , Director , Choreographer more
Birth name Hong Jin Bao
Nicknames Hong Chin-Pao, Hong Jinbao more
Nationality Hong Kong
Birth January 7, 1952 (Hong Kong, China)

BIOGRAPHY
Sammo Hung underwent intensive martial arts training at a very young age at the Chinese Theater Study Academy within the Peking Opera where he met a certain Jackie Chan, then aged 7. The two boys become friends and form, with other comrades, the Seven Little Fortunes, a close-knit group of acrobatic artists. Sammo was considered the big brother.

His skills allowed him to be noticed by the production company Golden Harvest, which hired him in 1970 as a stuntman and martial arts instructor. He began working for the film The Fast Sword by Huang Feng . The two men became friends and collaborated many times afterward.

Sammo then began a long career as an actor-choreographer and made a series of films. Few of them stood out at that time but we can cite the films of King Hu in particular. The rotund Sammo is no less a formidable fighter and finds himself in 1973 fighting with the great Bruce Lee in the opening of Operation Dragon . He made a sort of parody of it in 1978, Enter the Fat Dragon .

After these successful experiences, the Chinese decided to found his own stunt company, Hung Ga Ban or Sammo Hung Action Group in 1977. Helped by his friend Huang Fen, he directed his first film, The Steel Monk . Sammo then began a collaboration with Jackie Chan in 1983 with The Sailor of the Seas of China . The two “brothers” will be accomplices many times, notably in the saga The Hong Kong Cop , Soif de justice , Mister Cool , Around the World in 80 Days or Wushu . The two fighters will be the pioneers of kung fu comedy. He also directed Jet Li in Evil Cult in 1993 and Once Upon a Time in China VI in 1997. He also collaborated with Wong Kar Wai in 1994 in The Ashes of Time as fight choreographer.

We can also grant him the authorship of the Ghost kung fu comedy subgenre, mixing horror, terror and martial arts like The Chinese Exorcist , which he performed and directed in 1980. He will very quickly impose his big man paw with a harmless appearance that can transform in two movements into a formidable, agile and powerful fighter.

Director, choreographer, actor recognized in China, Sammo Hung nevertheless remains in the shadow of the immense stars such as Jackie Chan, Jet Li and Donnie Yen . The situation will change in 1998 when Carlton Cuse ( Lost ) created the series Shanghai Cop and hired Sammo to play the main character, Inspector Sammo Law. The show only lasted two seasons but greatly contributed to making the actor known internationally. He then participated in the popular series Demain à la une and Walker, Texas Ranger and played the character of Wong Fei Hung in Around the World in 80 Days by Frank Coraci . Sammo is also a stunt choreographer in the American films of Tsui Hark with Jean-Claude Vandamme , Double Team and Trap in Hong Kong .

After this Hollywood stint, the actor returned to Hong Kong to collaborate in particular with Wilson Yip and Donnie Yen on the films SPL and Ip Man 2 , two great successes. He is also featured in the historical fresco The 3 Kingdoms – The Resurrection of the Dragon alongside Andy Lau .

In 2011, the actor made a foray into the dramatic register in A Simple Life by Ann Hui and once again opposite Andy Lau. He was also the fight choreographer for Tsui Hark’s action blockbuster Detective Dee: The Mystery of the Phantom Flame and was able to collaborate with Lau again. The two men would eventually reunite in 2014 to film The Bodyguard , directed by Sammo. The filmmaker-actor also stars in his film and co-stars with Andy.

Vincent Formica