Considering the project’s impressive line up and the respective characters they’re playing, Kung Fu League is essentially “The Expendables of kung fu legends and myths.”
Vincent Zhao will once again portray Wong Fei Hung, as he did in Once Upon a Time in China IV-V and the 1996 TV Wong Fei Hung Series; Dennis To will once again portray Ip Man, as he did in The Legend is Born – Ip Man; frequent “Bruce Lee” actor, Danny Chan, will portray Chen Zhen (made famous by Bruce Lee in Fist of Fury); and Andy On will portray Huo Yuan Jia (previously portrayed by Jet Li in Fearless).
Cold blooded killer Zhang Ning sneaks back into China to blend in. He is quickly pursued by two fierce and brutal bounty hunters. A grisly battle ensues between the killer, bounty hunters and cops. After a flurry of gunfights, martial arts combats, car chases, equestrian acrobatics, and pyrotechnic extravaganza, many a life will be lost and much honor and glory won in this grimly exciting Chinese “martial arts Western” that should not be missed.
On October 15th, 2019, Universal is releasing the Blu-ray for Riley Stearns’ The Art of Self-Defense, a “Certified Fresh” dark comedy set in the crazy world of karate.
In The Art of Self-Defense, Casey (Jesse Eisenberg, Zombieland) just can’t seem to win. Attacked on the street, humiliated at his job and even emasculated by his dog, he joins a local karate dojo led by the enigmatic Sensei (Alessandro Nivola, Face/Off) to learn how to defend himself. In the midst of his training, Casey becomes friendly with a female instructor (Imogen Poots, Green Room) and soon realizes he is caught in a bizarre world of outcasts, fraternal rituals and hilarious hyper-masculinity.
If you’re at all interested in movies, celebrities, or strip clubs, you’ve probably heard about the upcoming Hustlers movie, which beautifully ties together all three. It’s slated for a September 2019 release, and its star-focused promotion has brought in many people who have never even heard of the story before.
Whether you’ve been invested in this movie since the beginning or this is the first time you’re really hearing about it, there’s one thing you probably haven’t thought about. Where does the title of the movie even come from? You’ve likely heard the term and maybe even used it before, but what does it mean to be a hustler? Here’s everything you need to know about Hustlers — the movie and the term.
What Is the Hustlers Movie About?
The 2019 Hustlers movie is based on a 2015 article in the New York Times profiling one specific woman who at the time was pending felony charges. This woman was the alleged ringleader of a group of former strippers who decided to go further in order to make more money. Rather than just relying on tips, these woman had a complicated system through which they would lure in men, wine and dine them, then drug them — either literally or metaphorically — and take as much of their money as possible.
It’s a wild story, and it incorporates so many nuances that it was almost inevitable that there would eventually be a movie about it. It’s a star-studded cast, too: Cardi B, Jennifer Lopez, Lizzo, Keke Palmer, and Constance Wu, among others. The movie’s shaping up to be at the very least an incredible ride.
Where Did the Term Hustler Come From?
You’ve probably taken the term “hustler” for granted. The original New York Times article was actually called “The Hustlers at Scores,” referring to the strip club that the women used as a hub for their work. Nobody really had to ask what it meant; most people know that “hustling” is a term regularly used for making money, no matter how you have to do it.
But where did it come from?
It’s a word that’s been used for centuries — it has its roots in 17th-century Dutch and spread to American English by the late 1800s. But the concept was introduced to the American public through pool. Ironically, it was really cemented in the American lexicon through another movie named The Hustler, a classic from 1961. In the movie, a pool player hustles his way through a number of games, leading to its widespread use as a reference to cheating someone else.
The word’s usage in hip-hop then led to a definition that had more to do with making money, regardless of how that money was made. Over time, it’s morphed into a variety of meanings. You can use it to refer to someone aggressively making money, to illicit means of making money, to prostitutes searching for clients, or to generally moving quickly.
Essentially, being a hustler can mean being a lot of things.
What Does HUSTLER® Have to Do With It?
For many people, the concept of hustling makes them think of HUSTLER® the brand. Although HUSTLER® was created nearly a decade after the movie The Hustler came out, it played a big part in linking the term to prostitution and stripping. As the first major US publication to really lean into the sexual aspects of the magazine, it made quite the splash.
In 1998, HUSTLER® Hollywood was first opened in West Hollywood, and its legacy continues even today. Although there are still physical stores, the online HUSTLER® Hollywood store makes it easy to buy sex toys and other gear from anywhere, even if you don’t live near a physical store. That’s one of the biggest associations with the term for many Americans, and its ubiquity is 40 years in the making.
Conclusion
Lots of people are interested in the upcoming Hustlers movie for lots of reasons. You might be interested in seeing a movie maker’s take on the situation, getting more information on everything that happened, or just watching your favorite celebrities on the big screen. One thing’s for sure, however: being a hustler has seemingly always been in style. From its roots in pool sharking to its existence as HUSTLER® Hollywood to the 2019 movie, being a hustler has never been this good.
A sequel to the martial arts actioner BuyBust (read our review) is currently in-the-works from returning filmmaker Erik Matti (On the Job).
The first film, which starred Anne Curtis (Blood Ransom),Brandon Vera (Kamandag) and Victor Neri (Citizen Jake), told the story of cop (Curtis) who finds herself trapped inside a dangerous slum area in Manila after a poorly planned buy-bust operation goes awry.
On October 29th, 2019, HBO Home Entertainment will be releasing the Blu-ray & DVD for the First Season of Cinemax’s Warrior, a 10-episode crime series, based on unpublished writings by the late Bruce Lee.
Warrior stars Andrew Koji (Finding Akira), Olivia Cheng (Marco Polo), Jason Tobin (Pound of Flesh), Dianne Doan (Descendants 2), Kieran Bew (Green Street Hooligans) and Dean Jagger (Game of Thrones).
The series follows Ah Sahm (Koji), a martial arts prodigy who immigrates from China to San Francisco under mysterious circumstances, and becomes a hatchet man for one of Chinatown’s most powerful tongs (Chinese organized crime family).
Other cast members include Joanna Vanderham (What Maisie Knew), Tom Weston-Jones (Copper), Hoon Lee (Outcast), Joe Taslim (The Raid), Dustin Nguyen (Zero Tolerance), Langley Kirkwood (Dredd), Christian McKay (The Young Messiah) and Perry Yung (John Wick: Chapter 2).
Assaf Bernstein (Netflix’s Fauda) is directs the series’ pilot. Justin Lin (Star Trek Beyond, Finishing the Game) is producing along with Jonathan Tropper, co-creator of Banshee.
After barely surviving an attack by an elusive serial killer, crime boss Jang Dong-su (Lee) finds himself forming an unlikely partnership with local detective Jung Tae-seok (Kim Moo Yul, Illang: The Wolf Brigade) to catch a sadistic killer.
“Luc Van Tien: Tuyet Dinh Kungfu” Vietnamese Theatrical Poster
Director: Hoang Phuc Cast: Andy Long, Diep Lam Anh, Thanh Loc, Kim Tuyen, Du Au, Khoi Chau, Andy Le, Brian Le Running Time: 90 min.
By Martin Sandison
Some years back my friends and I were active in the Indie kung fu movie scene, and made some features and shorts. We posted on the Stunt People Forum, which is a great way to share videos and support each other. Although there were many great performers, one stood out: Andy Long Nguyen. His story has now gone down in legend, that of being Jackie Chan’s biggest fan. Many people may lay claim to this, but Nguyen is the one who trained and worked so hard, eventually becoming a member of the Jackie Chan stunt team. Appearing in for me the last movie to show Jackie at his fighting best, Chinese Zodiac, Nguyen has subsequently worked on the fantastic (but sadly cancelled) AMC show Into The Badlands. A few years ago he also realised another dream; to stunt co-ordinate and star in his own feature, Lục Vân Tiên. Unfortunately the film still hasn’t been distributed, a real shame. It’s damn good, and as a homage to his hero he couldn’t have done it better, and more than that: here it is plain to see he’s a worthy successor to Chan.
Nguyen stars as the historical hero Lục Vân Tiên, who is magically (and unexplainably) transported to future Vietnam. He befriends a scammer Teo (Huu Tien) who attempts to use Lục for his own monetary ends. Soon the two get mixed up with a bunch of traffickers after Lục saves Nga (Kim Tuyen) from them, and the stage is set for kick assery of the highest order.
As soon as the first two fights kicked in; a realisation hit me: Nguyen has the skills and innovation in action of Jackie in his prime. An important point, and one that distinguishes him from merely being a clone, is he combines this with modern styles. His abilities as a tricker have been there from the start, so much so I would say he’s up there with exponents like Scott Adkins, whom he fought in Boyka: Undisputed. Back years ago the best stuff I saw in the Indie groups was all about this combination, and with Lục Vân Tiên here is the apotheosis. Two group fights, one involving that classic old school prop, metal rings, the other a hard hitting hand to hand fight reflect the ability of Nguyen and his stuntmen. All of them have the techniques, reactions and falls that are right up there with the cream of Hong Kong in the golden age. Early in the film Lục gets his ass handed to him in a two-on-one, and come the end I was expecting a rematch. Boy, does it deliver.
The Ruwwe brothers, Lorenz Hideyoshi and Felix Fukuyoshi, part of the Young Masters group, square up against Nguyen in a fight that awakens my inner kung fu movie child. I’ve rewatched it three times now, and that’s not usual when I watch a martial arts movie these days. The rhythm and timing, high energy exchanges and invention of the choreography makes my jaw drop. Another group that get in on the action are Martial Club, the only young guys I’ve seen in their shorts that can do proper old school shapes (check out one of their collaborations with Nguyen, Drunken Fist vs Praying Mantis Kung Fu on Youtube). Andy Le, Brian Le and Du Au have a few very cartoony comedic fights with Nguyen, and though they bring the skills and hilarity (a running joke with a blade piercing Andy Le’s ass is up their with vintage Jackie), I did think they were a bit underused in terms of their abilities as screen fighters.
As an overall film Lục Vân Tiên is very entertaining throughout, despite being very silly. The set up alone speaks of this, not to mention the tone which is consistent in this way. The whole thing feels like a Hong Kong movie of the 80’s, where anything goes and you gotta flow with it and enjoy the ride, not questioning what you see. Nguyen’s triumph is not only creating this, but making the film feel modern and fresh, not just in the action also in the film making style that utilises a bold colour scheme. There is a depth of knowledge in how to use a low budget to your advantage that should make Independent filmmakers sit up and take note. Director Hoang Phuc Nguyen, in his directorial debut, peppers the movie with nice compositions and eye-catching locations, meaning the screen doesn’t go dead when there’s no fighting.
Something that simultaneously makes me smile and irks me is the approach of this movie; one that the Indie guys, and some professional filmmakers like Chad Stahelski and Iko Uwais are taking. It’s one wherein the the skills of the performers are given room to breath, and have pleasingly old school ways about them, with proper stunt falls and the style of film making that Hong Kong cinema revolutionised. What irks me is that Hong Kong movies, with a few exceptions a year, are not following this beautiful pattern they lade out. I don’t have to mention Chan’s output in recent times, Sammo Hung hasn’t choreographed a film in 2 years (the last one, Paradox, conveys his still complete mastery of the form), and Ching Siu Tung’s return looks to be wading in the mire of Mainland CGI bullshittery. In fact, it more makes me very sad than irks me. A few years back I wrote a review of gangster film Trivisa, saying I was worried about the future of Hong Kong. With all of the troubles happening now, my worries have become a reality. Hong Kong and its culture is compromised beyond belief, and the movies we all loved have become sanitised and expressionless shadows of what they used to be.
The only constant in life is change, and it’s now up to other countries and filmmakers like Nguyen to give us the beautiful action we all crave. I hope that you guys can check out this movie soon, it certainly deserves distribution and a wide release. Nguyen’s natural talent, not just as an action performer and choreographer but as an all-round filmmaker, is plain to see. I sincerely hope this new generation, including the likes of Eric Jacobus (Blindsided) and Jean Paul Ly (Nightshooters), take the world by storm and develop the beauty and visual poetry of onscreen martial arts action.
“Jo Pil-ho: The Dawning Rage” Korean Theatrical Poster
AKA: Bad Lieutenant Director: Lee Jeong-Beom Cast: Lee Sun-Kyun, Jeon So-Nee, Park Hae-Joon, Song Young-Chang, Park Byung-Eun, Kim Min-Jae, Jung Ga-Ram, Lee Yoo-Young, Kwon Han-Sol Running Time: 127 min.
By Paul Bramhall
It’s been almost 10 years since director Lee Jeong-beom struck gold with his 2010 action thriller The Man from Nowhere. Made at a time when, looking back in retrospect, it was a golden era for Korean thrillers, Jeong-beom’s sophomore feature hit all of the right notes. The director would try to recreate the success of The Man from Nowhere 4 years later with No Tears for the Dead, once more sticking with the action thriller to craft a distinctly gloomier affair than its predecessor. Jeong-beom’s 2014 production is an uneven effort, containing one of the best action sequences of the decade in the form of a mid-film apartment shootout, while also recycling scenes wholesale from his previous effort. It may not have been perfect, but it was certainly indicative of a director looking to strike the balance between expertly crafted action sequences, and plots that aren’t afraid to explore some dark territory.
5 years on, and Jeong-beom is back in 2019 with Jo Pil-ho: The Dawning Rage. The title takes the name of the main character, played by Lee Sun-kyun. A cop who’s as corrupt as they come, Sun-kyun’s ‘bad lieutenant’ (which was originally going to be the English title) clearly echoes Sol Kyung-gu’s similar character from the 2002 classic, Public Enemy. In the opening scene he’s teamed up with a small-time crook (Jung Ga-ram, Believer) to rob an ATM under the cover of night, and during the day he has to deal with Internal Affairs constantly breathing down his neck. Like more than one of the roles Sun-kyun has taken since his entertaining turn in 2013’s A Hard Day, the role allows him to plug into his frazzled cop under pressure persona, however at least here it’s not as gratuitous as his performance in the likes of The Advocate: A Missing Body.
It’s when he sets his sights on using Ga-ram to break into a police warehouse that things begin to go wrong. An unexpected explosion sends the warehouse up in flames, incinerating Ga-ram who’s still inside, and knocking Sun-kyun unconscious outside. Waking up in hospital Sun-kyun finds himself as the suspect behind the blast, however it turns out that Ga-ram wasn’t alone when he initially broke in, discovering some shady characters from a wealthy conglomerate attempting to destroy evidence which would clear them of corruption charges. When it comes to light that Ga-ram filmed his fellow visitors in the act, and sent the video to his tearaway girlfriend, both Sun-kyun and the conglomerates resident psycho (Park Hae-joon, Heart Blackened) find themselves in a race to get to her first.
While the plot of Jo Pil-ho: The Dawning Rage differs significantly from The Man from Nowhere and No Tears for the Dead, it soon becomes clear that those differences only really stand out on paper. Onscreen, the plot acts as a framework to hang the same tropes we’ve seen before in Jeong-beom’s previous productions. The girl is played by Jeon Son-nee (After My Death), and eventually Sun-kyun becomes her protector, echoing the relationship between Won Bin and Kim Sae-ron in The Man from Nowhere. Song Young-chang (who, let me just put this out there, I’m sure has been killed more times onscreen than any other Korean actor), who played the villain running the organ trafficking ring in The Man from Nowhere, is also back as the villainous CEO of the conglomerate. Whereas last time he had a South East Asian assassin at his disposal, this time they’ve decided to keep it local, with the previously mentioned Park Hae-joon playing the eager to please right-hand man who isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty.
While it’s clear that Jeong-beom believes that the formula used in The Man from Nowhere was a winning one, this is after all the second time he’s now looked to recycle it, it’s also clear from his latest effort that you can’t strike gold twice by staying in the same spot. What I’d really like to see is for him to apply his talents to a different genre, however instead he’s become a director that seems to be stuck running back to the kitchen for the same ingredients each time, preparing them a little differently, then hoping no one notices. At its core Jung Pil-ho: The Dawning Rage is another riff on the theme of ‘flawed male character seeks to protect vulnerable female character, and in the process find redemption’.
While previously Jeong-beom’s concoctions have come with a heavy dose of action, often so good that it became possible to turn a blind eye to the weaker elements of the production, this time action is the one ingredient which is sourly missing. Clocking in at an unnecessarily long 125 minutes, Jeong-beom’s latest is also his longest production to date, giving us plenty of time to dwell on its shortcomings. One of my biggest complaints about The Man from Nowhere was how one dimensional the villains where, and almost 10 years on, Jeong-beom is still unable to write a fully realised villain. This time the excellent Song Young-chang is reduced to doing little more than belting out villainous cackles, and Hae-joon is no better, with seemingly the only motivation behind doing what he does being to please Young-chang (and of course, the fact that he enjoys hurting others, because that makes him that little bit extra bad).
Like far too many Korean thrillers in recent years, Jo Pil-ho: The Dawning Rage spends too much of its time feeling like a ‘greatest hits’ of other, better titles, than it does one that wants to have its own identity. The ‘dawning rage’ the title alludes to is representative of Sun-kyun’s shift to someone who’s willing to do the right thing, no matter what the cost, but it’s clumsily handled. Suddenly finding himself angered at an unlicensed doctors assumption that he’s Son-nee’s pimp, the beating he proceeds to unleash on the doctor is also one that’s felt by the audience, as the scene is overly-obvious in its intention to signal the change in Sun-kyun.
Perhaps in an effort to differentiate itself from other Korean thrillers of the same ilk, the one aspect of Jeong-beom’s latest that does feel fresh is its Ansan setting. When the Sewol ferry disaster occurred in 2014, of the 304 deaths, 250 of them were high school students studying in Ansan. The plot directly references the incident, with Sun-kyun meeting a father who lost a daughter over the course of his investigations, and Son-nee herself traumatised by losing one of her best friends in the sinking. It’s the first time for me to see the incident directly integrated into the plot of a mainstream production, and it left me with mixed feelings. The topic was handled respectfully, so if I can put my finger on it, I’d say it was probably seeing such a recent tragedy only used in the context of providing a setting, rather than it being the main plot that made me feel slightly uncomfortable.
Proceedings don’t get any better as the finale approaches, with the bizarre decision to include not one but two flashback scenes that play back-to-back completely knocking off the pacing, while adding nothing to build up the anticipation. The flashbacks are indicative of one of the biggest flaws in the bloated runtime, and that’s that there’s simply too much going on. We have a police officer who’s corrupt, we also have a big conglomerate that’s corrupt as well, we have family drama and tragedy based on real events, runaway teens with nowhere to go, the politics of the police station, and oh, in case you forgot a guy got burnt to a crisp somewhere along the way as well. What Jeong-beom’s script could have benefited from was some focus, but by trying to cover too many themes, what’s left is an overlong unwieldy mess.
There was a time when I eagerly looked forward to whatever Jeong-beom was going to do next, however with Jo Pil-ho: The Dawning Rage it feels like that time has now passed. Perhaps it’s a lack of confidence to move out of his comfort zone and try something different, as he’s now made a very similar movie three times, with each one being gradually less entertaining than the last. While A Hard Day meets The Man from Nowhere may sound like an exciting prospect on paper, onscreen it feels tired and overly familiar. When you’re working in a genre that’s already saturated, those feelings are only personified. If Jo Pil-ho: The Dawning Rage serves one purpose, then perhaps it’s to remind us of just how good those movies it riffs on really were. Now, time for me to dig out my copy of Public Enemy.
Today’s Deal on Fire is the Blu-ray for Beyond Skyline(read our review), the sequel to Skyline. The film stars The Raidbadasses, Iko Uwais and Yayan Ruhian, who star alongside Frank Grillo (Purge: Anarchy).
When the population of Los Angeles is vacuumed off the face of the earth, Detective Mark Corley storms his way onto an alien ship to rescue his estranged son. But after crashing the ship in Southeast Asia, he must forge an alliance with a band of survivors to discover the key to saving his son and taking back the planet once and for all.
Also appearing in Beyond Skyline are Bojana Novakovic, Callan Mulvey, Valentine Payen, Betty Gabriel, Jack Chausse, Kevin O’Donnell, Antonio Fargas (“Huggy Bear” from the original Starsky and Hutch TV series) and Singaporean actress, Pamelyn Chee (Point of Entry).
Sylvester Stallone’s “action film” Production Company, Balboa Productions, is enlisting martial arts star Iko Uwais (The Raid 2, Triple Threat, Mile 22,Headshot) for The Bellhop.
Not much is known about the film’s plot, but if its title is any indication, we’re thinking Uwais will play an ass-kicking hotel attendant (Four Rooms meets The Raid?).
The company, which was formed in 2018 with producer Braden Aftergood (Hell or High Water), has a number of films in-the-works, including an an English-language remake of Lee Won-Tae’s The Gangster, the Cop, the Devil, as well as a biopic on Jack Johnson, the first African-American heavyweight champion.
We’ll keep you updated as we learn more (via Variety/FCS). For now, here’s the Trailer for Uwais’ soon-to-be-release Netflix series, Wu Assassins:
At the age of 14, I took the plunge in to the world of my favourite director, John Woo. The adrenalin rush seemed to last for days after watching the best pure action film ever made: Hard Boiled. The unending coolness of Chow Yun Fat and emotional depth of Tony Leung leapt off the screen, and both are on my list of Top 10 Actors. The villainous actor made less of an impression, however, and he has said he doesn’t like the film.
Then I saw Beast Cops. Then I saw Exiled. Then I saw Bunman. Then I saw Ebola Syndrome. Anthony Wong was made for the latter golden age of Hong Kong cinema; name me an actor who personifies the 90’s style more than him? – I dare you. Disregarding the martial arts genre, Wong stamped his incredible individual style on countless classics, even winning the Hong Kong film award for best actor in ’93 for Bunman. Only in Hong Kong at the time could this happen; the film is one of the most extreme I’ve ever seen, and Wong manages to look constantly psychotic throughout.
Author Martin Sandison and Anthony Wong at The Udine Far East Film Festival
When it was announced that he would be attending Udine Far East Film Festival, I was ecstatic. Despite a reputation as being a little hard to interview, everyone attests to how genuine, nice and accommodating he is. Previous to the interview section at the end of this piece, I was in a ‘drinks party’ at the festival, and noticed him there. I jumped at the chance, and asked him to sign my Bunman DVD, already signed by director Herman Yau two years ago. Wong was lovely, and I talked a little about his feature debut My Name Ain’t Suzie, that had been screened the previous day. He joked “Oh, that was my son, my son”, as he looks so young and fresh faced in the role.
This spirit of humour and humbleness extended throughout the time I was in his company, and he walked past me after his new film Still Human won the Audience Award, looking so genuinely happy and giddy. With the recent protests in Hong Kong he has raised his voice again to support democracy, the only Hong Kong actor from the golden age to do so; this authenticity makes me even more proud to have met and interviewed him, at the same time sad and scared about the place of my dreams and its future. Whatever happens, Anthony Wong will continue to make challenging, vital films.
In the following interview with Anthony Wong, Martin Sandison is joined by Matija Tomic, Tim Youngs, Sabrina Baracetti and an un-named journalist.
“My Name Ain’t Suzie” Chinese DVD Cover
Tim Youngs: So My Name Ain’t Suzie was your first film. You had been in TV for about three years before. I know you auditioned for the film, what was the experience like auditioning and then acting in the film?
Anthony Wong: If I speak in Cantonese it will be more clear and more interesting. (laughter) I saw the advertisement in the newspaper. Reading the description I thought it was the best feature for me. So I spoke to my friend Herman Yau. He told me one of the assistant directors was his friend, so he made the contact for me, and I went to the audition. There were lots of models, pretty ladies (laughter), no, I mean male models. (laughter) I was a little scared, worried. One of the guys there was Max Mok, he was very tall, handsome, masculine, very attractive (laughter). But the thing was, he wasn’t mixed race. Looking at him, I thought: “I could be qualified too”. My features were more prominent at that time, being mixed race. Because I’m not such a typical handsome boy, I thought: “maybe my acting will win them over”. So after that I only had one chance, I went home and waited. I waited a long, long time. As it was so long, I asked Herman to make a phone call for me. He said his friend wasn’t involved in the project any more. He sneaked around and found some news for me. So thought that I found out the director Angie Chen was the one who really liked my audition. So there were a lot of foreigners playing the sailors. They blocked a whole street in Wan Chai, and made it look like the 50’s. Many girls dressed like prostitutes, but they were all very pretty. Everyone was speaking English, and I didn’t speak one word of English at the time. The only line I had to say in English was: “you know this guy?”, and “good money”. So my first screen kiss was in the movie, I had two bottles of beer, but I was still very intimidated. Actually Angie was very nice and did not force me or pressure me to do anything. But Patricia Ha forced the kiss on me! I was very happy and learned a lot through this experience. My role in the film was I had been abandoned as a child, my father had gone back to America, and I was fatherless, and I grew up in Wan Chai. In reality, I also grew up in the Wan Chai area, and didn’t know my real father, who was English. So finally after all these years I reconnected with my family in England, my relatives. They all live in Australia. I found my fathers grave and paid my respects. So the role I played in this movie is like my real life.
TY: We’re here celebrating your career, you will receive the Golden Mulberry Lifetime Achievement award. After you made this first film you went to study acting at the Academy For Performing Arts. Did the experience making this film influence how you went forward as an actor?
Anthony Wong: After making this movie I realised I knew nothing about acting. After many years I watched this film again, I realised why the director Angie chose me, because I didn’t know how to act! (laughter). If I played this role again today, I wouldn’t be able to do it right. In the cinematic world, actors were only a tool to make the movie. In the balance of this world, the actors actually do directing too. So I went to the Academy to study acting because I wanted to be a director.
“Ip Man: The Final Battle” Theatrical Poster
Journalist: I know you studied kung fu, how was did that help your acting? How did that help with your role as Ip Man?
Anthony Wong: It helped NOTHING with Ip Man! (laughter) The style I studied is a totally different style. I had to learn Wing Chun from the very beginning. In terms of my career, it helped me to move faster! (laughter) For instance on set the countdown to an explosion..3..2..1! I can jump, before they count to one (laughter)
Journalist: I know you worked with my friend Bey Logan on The Medallion, how was that?
Anthony Wong: (very sarcastically) Oh, Master Bey. Oh…he’s a funny guy. Very hilarious. Tell him to call me. He’s your friend? Good guy. On The Medallion? There was a lot of waiting around.
Sabrina Baracetti: When was the last time you watched My Name Ain’t Suzie?
Anthony Wong: I’ve seen the film many times. I bought the DVD. It’s been more than ten years. I didn’t want to watch it, because I didn’t want to see myself as so handsome! (laughter)
Journalist: I want to know about your views on the political situation in Hong Kong now, and civil rights there.
Anthony Wong: So five years ago there was a mix up in the media, I thought they had a mix up between me and the activist Anthony Wong. The destiny of the other Anthony Wong is that he is on the list. Somebody told me I’m not on the list. Actually I don’t know what is happening, but I do know that my job is kind of banned by the Government. Maybe it’s time for me to retire and move to Italy!
Journalist: I heard you don’t want to make horror movies any more. Is this true, and why?
“Still Human” Theatrical Poster
Anthony Wong: Because I’m ageing! (laughter) When people are young, they have a kind of anger, power in the heart. When you get older, you don’t have that any more. I don’t want to do horror movies anymore. It’s time to try something new.
TY: Concerning the film Still Human, what appealed to you about the script?
Anthony Wong: Well actually I can’t remember. The director is pretty (laughter) and decent. I liked the story. In my opinion Hong Kong cinema has been missing a film wherein the main character is from the Phillipines or India. So when I received the script, and my costar would be from the Philippines, and her character was not portrayed negatively, this was the main reason I picked up the script.
TY: Did you do some research in to wheelchair users in preparation for the film?
Anthony Wong: Before my mum passed away, the last ten years of her life, she was in a similar situation to the character who I play, Cheong Wing. She was in a wheelchair, she was not mobile, she was sick. I took care of her for those ten years, so I familiarised myself with the situation, and I learned a lot. In terms of the behaviour, the way of communication, I picked up a lot from one of my friends. This is a guy who is blue collar, and speaks in this manner, a local dialect. The director of this film also wrote the script, so she has a very clear vision. So as an actor, I just followed her lead, and delivered what she wanted. The execution and implementation was not difficult.
TY: Still Human was made by a first time director. Is working with new talent something you want to do?
Anthony Wong: I don’t think they are new at all! They are all so experienced already! She (Oliver Chan) has already mastered a lot of technical aspects of film-making. And Krisel Consunji (his co-star) has been acting and performing since she was ten years old. I feel like I’m working with some con-artist. (laughter) she is so good!
TY: Is the industry in Hong Kong supporting new talent well?
Anthony Wong and Tony Leung in Hard Boiled.
Anthony Wong: I actually said to those in the funding department in the Government that 3 million Hong Kong dollars can not make a good movie. I guess everyone is doing the work without worrying about getting paid. So there were changes, and they raised it to 5 million. We have all noticed the industry has changed a lot. In the past Hong Kong produced over 300 movies a year. Now there are around 20 films a year made by new film makers. There are a lot of political reasons for this. There are a lot of challenges to make movies. There are still a group of passionate, brave young film-makers who are tackling issues they are passionate about. Not necessarily political topics, just stories they want to tell. This is very admirable. In Hong Kong right now there are certain things that are ridiculous. You could be criticised just for eating Italian pasta.
Sabrina Baracetti: When you think about your career and all of the films you made, what is your feeling about it?
“The Mission” Chinese Theatrical Poster
Anthony Wong: There’s a lot of complex feelings. In the past a lot of my projects are big budget, a lot of experienced film makers involved, and many people working on one project. I felt like I was really in the movie industry, it’s very glamorous, a big spectacle, big productions. Except some of the stories are not that spectacular, they are boring. If we made Still Human in the old days, Krisel’s character would be played a very famous actor, with her skin coloured darker to become a Filipino maid. Most likely I wouldn’t be cast. Maybe they will cast Andy Lau. (laughter) And in the end Krisel’s character and mine would get married! (laughter)
Journalist: Could you elaborate more on why you chose to make this film without getting paid?
Anthony Wong: Because the director only had 3 million dollars, she couldn’t afford me! I couldn’t lower my fee. So if the movie made some money I get some profit-sharing! (laughter)
Journalist: Of your films is there one you are more attached to? One which you like watching again and you feel a personal connection to?
Anthony Wong: This is the most recent one, but I really like Still Human. Otherwise, Exiled.
TY: What’s your next project?
Anthony Wong: It will be a theatre production.
Journalist: What do you think about the story of Still Human? Does it show a different side of Hong Kong? What do you think of the lack of diversity in Hong Kong cinema?
Anthony Wong: I think there should be more films made like this. Hong Kong is an international city, and it seems like there have been few stories like this one. Maybe next time someone should make a movie about the Indian population in Hong Kong. That would be interesting. Like a Bollywood-type thing.
“Exiled” U.S. DVD Cover
Adriana Rosati: What challenges did you have shooting Still Human?
Anthony Wong: Nothing. It was easy for me. We don’t have to work overnight, which is a nightmare. I didn’t have to do wirework! (laughter) We had a beautiful director and a gorgeous actress! For me it was very easy.
Matija Tomic: Could you talk about where you studied kung fu and which style, and for how long?
Anthony Wong: When I was very young, I shared a flat in Hong Kong with a lot of people, even with my sifu. When I was growing up I went to my sifu and learned Ba Gua, a Shaolin style. I also learned Karate and Tai Chi. Of course I learned Wing Chun for the Ip Man movie. In Hong Kong, and also Guangzhou. There’s a master there called Wong Lim Yee, he’s very good, I studied Wing Chun with him.
MT: You seem to like improvising on set. Is the scene In Johnnie To’s The Mission when you play football with a little paper ball, is that improvised?
Anthony Wong: First of all…there’s no script! (laughter) Second, Johnnie To asked us to play with the paper ball. It was not improvisation. You can never do any improvisation in Johnnie To’s films. (laughter) You will get killed. (laughter)
Martin Sandison: You seem to like acting in serious roles as much as comedic ones. Which do you prefer?
Anthony Wong: I’m a serious guy. But I’m funny. (laughter) Sometimes I act in the wrong way!
Journalist: Apart from film you’ve done a lot of different things recently…
Anthony Wong: You mean like political…(laughter)
“The Untold Story” Japanese Theatrical Poster
Journalist: You have done a lot of other acting, like drama and theatre. Maybe because of you being outspoken about China. It means you’ve had to go elsewhere. Do you think other Hong Kong actors should expand like you have?
Anthony Wong: They don’t. They don’t have to. Because they earn a lot of money in China. If I got the opportunity to work in China, I won’t…What’s the point for others to do theatre? They make no money. In China, you get money. You get rich. Then you get in trouble. (laughter) My next role is in a Broadway play called A Normal Heart. Only a small part, it’s good for me.
MT: If you had the opportunity to make a martial arts film would you do it again?
Anthony Wong: You would have to give me two years to prepare!
MS: What do you think of the future of Hong Kong action cinema?
Anthony Wong: You have to ask the young generation. I think it will be totally different from the past. How to tell the story, the style, how to fight. The future is all in their hands.
The following feature is about the many actors who have portrayed Bruce Lee in movies, TV and advertisements. In an effort to put together the most comprehensive list, I’ve also included those who portrayed him in ways that I can’t explain. It should also be noted that the term “biopics” should be taken lightly, as ALL biopics listed are extremely sensationalized. Yes, even the ones endorsed, produced and blessed by The Bruce Lee Estate (controlled by Bruce Lee’s daughter, Shannon).
Keep in mind this is NOT a Bruceploitation article; in other words, you won’t see Dragon Lee (aka Moon Kyoung-seok) on the list – why? – well, despite capturing the essence of Bruce Lee (his image, mannerisms, Cheshire Cat-smile, clothes, etc), he never actually played Bruce Lee, unless you count The Clones of Bruce Lee, which is where I draw the line (“clones” being the key word; but Bruce Lee “ghosts” are accepted).
This article is not meant to review or rate any of the titles or performances, but that’s not to say I won’t go off track with some criticism here and there.
Enough chit chat. Let’s not keep our Bruces waiting…
Mike Moh
MIKE MOH
We’ll start the list off with Mike Moh, the newest actor to portray Bruce Lee in a “Hollywood” movie (literally!). This Atlanta-based martial artist earned his fifth-degree Taekwondo Black Belt when he was 14, so he definitely has all the right kicks.
In 2006, Moh landed a bit part in Benny Chan’s Rob-B-Hood, where he shared the screen with his idol, Jackie Chan. But it was perhaps his role as Ryu in the Street Fighter: Assassin’s Fist web series (based on the popular video game) that put him on the map. Since then, he has appeared in a number of high-profile TV shows, including Marvel’s Inhumans as Triton, as well as a recurring character in Fox’s hit drama, Empire.
Moh portrayed Bruce Lee in Quentin Tarantino’s 2019 epic, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, opposite Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio. So what is “Bruce” doing in the film? Here’s the facts: In the late 1960s, Bruce was a rising talent within an inner circle of Hollywood friends that included Sharon Tate, Jay Sebring, Roman Polanski and Steve Mcqueen. It was during this time that Bruce marketed his martial arts skills to mentor stars, choreograph films and even earned him small parts in a number of TV shows and movies (he was a marketing genius as far a I’m concerned). So having Bruce in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood makes perfect sense – after all – the film’s subplot involves Charles Manson’s reign of terror that left two of Bruce’s friends brutally murdered.
Although he looks less like Bruce than the next guy, Moh’s mannerisms and speech execution are spot on, despite some oddball controversy from Bruce Lee fanatics (i.e. “The movie is BS, there’s no way anyone would ever lay a hand on Bruce!”). Even Donnie Yen admitted he didn’t complete watching Once Upon a Time in Hollywood when he felt “As filmmakers, I feel we should be more respectful to someone like Lee”. The movie’s theatrical release was cancelled in China after Shannon Lee “filed a complaint to China’s National Film Administration” due to the portrayal of her late father as “arrogant” and “boastful” (via RS).
It’s worth mentioning that Moh had once auditioned for the role of Bruce Lee in 2016’s Birth of the Dragon, but he lost to our next guy…
Philip Ng
PHILIP NG WAN-LUNG
Born in Hong Kong, with a good portion of his youth spent in America, Philip Ng Wan-lung is an avid practitioner/teacher of various forms of martial arts, including Hung Gar, Wing Chun and Taekwondo. He also founded the Wing Chung Association during his attendance at the University of Illinois. As both an actor and fight choreographer, he’s had a solid film career in his homeland since the early 2000s. If you look at his filmography, you’ll see that he’s already worked with some of the best in the industry, such as Ringo Lam, Donnie Yen, Corey Yuen, Sammo Hung and Jackie Chan.
Birth of the Dragon was a huge turning point in Ng’s career. Not only was it his first Hollywood gig he’s appearing/starring in, but he’s also portraying Bruce Lee, so expectations for his performance were set high (playing Bruce is comparable to playing James Bond for the first time).
Unfortunately, many fans dismissed Birth of the Dragon as and said it was a disgrace to Bruce’s legacy – and their negative reaction towards it had nothing to do with Ng’s performance. When the film made early screenings, fans were upset that the character of Bruce (Ng), the Asian, took a backseat, while the character of Steve (Billy Magnussen), the white guy, was front and center; in other words, they accused the filmmakers of racially “white washing” the film. Due to the backlash, director George Nolfi (The Adjustment Bureau) was forced to recut Birth of the Dragon, so it focused more on Bruce, and less on Steve.
The irony about this alleged “white washing” thing is that Birth of the Dragon (despite its title, it’s NOT a biopic) is centered around Bruce’s legendary fight with Wong Jack Man (Yu Xia). This real-life, controversial bout was initiated due to Lee’s teaching of Chinese martial arts to non-Chinese, which was a big no-no to Chinese traditionalists at the time. The deal behind the fight was simple: if Bruce won, he’d earn the right to teach non-Asians; if he lost, he’d have to give up these teachings. To put it simply, it’s a movie about the right to educate ALL races in complete harmony.
Not surprisingly, the Bruce Lee Estate also called it inaccurate travesty, but their words are questionable because of their own 1993 biopic starring…
Jason Scott Lee
JASON SCOTT LEE
To mainstream audiences, Chinese/Hawaiian actor Jason Scott Lee (no relation) is the most widely recognized person to ever portray Bruce. In 1993, he starred in Rob Cohen’s Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story, which was the first Hollywood project to explore Bruce’s life – an the first “officially authorized” film about Bruce.
Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story is based on the 1975 book, Bruce Lee: The Man Only I Knew, by Bruce’s widow, Linda Lee, who gave the film her complete blessing (at the time, she was head of The Bruce Lee Estate). If the book’s title is an indication of truth, then Bruce’s blood parents, blood brothers and blood sisters have no idea who the hell Bruce ever was, despite living with him during his most crucial years in Hong Kong. In fact, it’s open for debate if the demonic samurai appearing in Bruce’s nightmares really happened, but only Linda would know that – after all – she’s the only one who knew Bruce.
Anyway, back to Jason…
To prepare for the role, Jason trained in Jeet Kune Do under the late, white Jerry Poteet, who was one of Bruce’s actual students. Poteet would go on to become Jason’s personal fight choreographer again for both 1998’s Solider and 2003’s Timecop 2: The Berlin Decision.
Dragon: The Bruce Lee story was, for the most part, was adored by the general public. Some of those well-read on Bruce were quick to point out inaccuracies (and fantasy-additives, such as the demon samurai) and dismissed the acrobatic-laced choreography as bring more “Jackie Chan” than they were Bruce.
Since then, Jason has become a certified Jeet Kune Do instructor himself. Til this very day, he still uses his JKD skills, but now, they’re laced with computer enhancements, as recently noted in 2016’s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny. Hey, just like Bruce says,”There are no limits!”
Our next actor to portray Bruce is a Killer actor…
Danny Lee
DANNY LEE SAU YIN
Hong Kong director/producer/star Danny Lee Sau Yin (again, no relation) is perhaps best known for starring in John Woo’s 1989 ultra-violent masterpiece, The Killer, opposite Chow Yun-fat. But if you dig deeper into his decades-long career, you’ll eventually come across a sleazy, Shaw Brothers-produced oddity that goes by a number of sexy titles like: 1) Bruce Lee: His Last Days, His Last Nights, 2) I Love You, Bruce Lee, 3) Bruce Lee & I and my personal favorite, 4) Sex Life of Bruce Lee.
This biopic centers on Bruce’s final days, as told through the eyes of Betty Ting Pei, who reenacts her slutty ways. Here’s a little background info on her so you have a clear understanding: In the late 60s/early 70s, Betty was a Taiwanese actress who was known for appearing in sleazy films, often as a sex symbol, seductress, or some sort of bad girl. Her popularity grew when she became romantically linked with Bruce towards the tail end of his film career. She became notorious to the public and Hong Kong press for being the last person to talk to – and see – Bruce just hours before his death, as he was found unconscious in her apartment, in her bedroom and on her bed. Somehow I doubt they were having a conversation about puppy dogs and ice cream. But let’s get back on topic…
In the film, Danny’s portrayal of Bruce involves smoking lots of weed, getting drunk, picking fights with white people, swallowing mysterious prescription drugs and having sex, lots of it, but not with Linda (if Matthew Polly’s Bruce Lee: A Life is any indication, then Bruce’s sexual affairs with other woman is accurate).
The Bruce Lee Estate wants you to stay away from Bruce Lee: His Last Days, His Last Nights the same way the Elvis Presley Estate wants you to stay away from Elvis’ 1977 concert footage.
Our next actor has been the Estate’s official go-to “Bruce” for the last 12 years…
Danny Chan
DANNY CHAN KWOK-KWAN
Stephen Chow’s 2001 Blockbuster hit, Shaolin Soccer, featured a Bruce Lee-wannabe played by newcomer Danny Chan Kwok-kwan. His breakout performance in the film earned him steady work in a number of movies, most notably 2004’s Kung Fu Hustle, which became another box office smash for Chow, in turn, giving Danny yet another career boost. But regardless of the characters Danny played, he was stuck as the “Bruce Lee dude in Shaolin Soccer.” Film producers took note of this and Danny became the go-to guy when a “Bruce Lee” was needed for a project.
His first real portrayal as Bruce Lee came in the form of 2008’s The Legend of Bruce Lee, a 50-episode series that centered on Bruce’s life starting from his early Hong Kong years to his untimely death. The series, which was executively produced by Shannon Lee, is filled with so much embellished and historical inaccuracies that it makes Dragon: The Bruce Lee story look like Das Boot. But hey, gotta keep the legend alive, right?
Danny’s next gig as Bruce came in the form of a 90-second television commercial for Johnnie Walker Blue Label whiskey. For the advertisement, Danny’s face was digitally altered to resemble Bruce as accurately as possible (the final product resembles a PS3-era video game with no evidence of Danny being present).
Danny’s assistance was once again needed for 2015’s Ip Man 3, starring Donnie Yen. Originally, the plan was for Ip Man 3 to feature a computer generated version of Bruce (over a real guy, laced with CGI, just like they did for his favorite beverage), but due to a last minute legal threat from The Bruce Lee Estate, the CGI idea was ditched. Note: The Bruce Lee Estate owns Bruce’s likeness, image, name, persona, voice, signature, DNA and the air he used to breathe.
Eventually, an agreement was made between Ip Man 3 producers and The Bruce Lee Estate to bring Danny back as Bruce. Perhaps it was Danny’s association with Shannon’s The Legend of Bruce Lee that saved Ip Man 3 from scrapping Bruce from the storyline completely? Make sense.
Danny reprised his role as Bruce Lee in 2019’s Ip Man 4.
Aarif Rahman
AARIF RAHMAN
In 2010, a rising heartthrob named Aarif Rahman (aka Aarif Lee, no relation) – who is of mixed Arab, Malay and Chinese descent – portrayed Bruce in Raymond Yip and Manfred Wong’s Bruce Lee, My Brother (aka The Young Bruce Lee), a Bruce Lee biopic that takes place between 1940 and 1959.
Bruce Lee, My Brother is noted for being produced by Robert Lee, Bruce’s younger brother (the film even opens with an introduction by him and his older sister, Phoebe Lee), which gives the movie a sense of credibility, hence the film’s title.
Even before Bruce Lee, My Brother went into production, Robert approached Shannon about the details of the film’s investors: “Then she didn’t want to work with me. She wanted the whole deal to herself,” he said. “We don’t talk as much as I would like to. They don’t want to collaborate with us. We are one family. There is no reason why we shouldn’t collaborate. We share different parts of Bruce’s life.” (via SCMP)
Unfortunately, the film has yet to see an official release in the U.S., due to legal clashes with The Bruce Lee Estate.
Aarif never portrayed Bruce or played Bruce Lee-like characters again, but his singing and acting career continues to flourish in a number of high profile projects. He recently co-starred with Jackie Chan in 2017’s Kung Fu Yoga, where he was able to show more of his fighting skills.
Ho Chung-tao
HO CHUNG-TAO
Ho Chung-tao, a Taiwanese actor/martial artist who goes by the screen name, Bruce Li, has played Bruce so many times, that it’s nearly impossible to give you an accurate list of his Bruce-related titles.
Although he’s not not the first person to play Bruce (technically, some dude’s sweaty back in 1972’s Fist of Unicorn gets that honor), he was the first to portray him in the first ever biopic, Bruce Lee: A Dragon Story, which was a cheaply produced, 1974 Chinese production filmed months after Bruce’s death. Ho would go on to play Bruce again in a handful of biopics such as 1975’s Super Dragon, 1976’s Story of the Dragon and 1978’s The Dragon Lives.
Of all Ho’s biopics, the one that’s considered the most legitimate was 1976’s Bruce Lee: The Man, The Myth. It had a big budget, was shot on location in Hong Kong, USA, Korea and Rome, and it had one hell of a director, Ng See Yuen (The Secret Rivals), whose Seasonal Films Corporation would skyrocket both Yuen Woo-ping and Jackie Chan – with 1978’s Snake in the Eagles Shadow and Drunken Master – into a new level stardom.
It was because of Ho’s biopic output that a planned 1975 Hollywood movie titled Bruce Lee: His Life and Legend never saw the light of day. The film was to be directed by Robert Clouse (Enter the Dragon), in association with Linda Lee. Producers had even found their “Bruce” with Alex Kwok (aka Alex Kwon). Ultimately, the project was shelved due to the oversaturated market of Chinese-made biopics. So because of Ho, Alex Kwok isn’t on this list.
Ho would go on to star in a number of acclaimed projects that had little or nothing to do with Bruce. Films like 1977’s Last Strike, 1979’s The Golden Connection and 1981’s The Chinese Stuntman, which he also directed, proved that Ho could stand on his own, without the help of his marketable idol. By mid-late 80s, Ho semi-retired from film industry, before completely quitting the scene by 1990.
Huang Chien Lung
HUANG CHIEN LUNG
If Ho Chung-tao is the “Walmart” of Bruce Lee-inspired actors, then Huang Chien Lung was the “Walmart Bargain Bin” of Bruce Lee-inspired actors. Ho had some oddballs in his filmography, but Huang takes the cake for making movies that resembled the cheapest Filipino exploitation films – in fact, a handful of them were actually made in the Philippines.
Better known as Bruce Le, this Chinese-Burmese native – and avid martial artist – got his start as taking minor roles in a number of films produced by the famous Shaw Brothers studios.
When Bruceploitation-era was taking shape in the 70s, Huang’s likeness to Bruce Lee caught the eye of producers, and he was eventually cast as Cheng Chao-an’s brother in 1976’s The Big Boss Part II (Bruce Lee played Cheng Chao-an in the 1971 original). The same year came Bruce’s Deadly Fingers, starring Huang as a very Bruce-like character, where he teamed up with frequent Bruce Lee co-star, Nora Miao (Way of the Dragon).
From this point forward, Huang would churn out titles like 1978’s Enter the Game of Death (it was Fist of Fury meets Game of Death), 1980’s Clones of Bruce Lee (with Dragon Lee, Bruce Lai and Bruce Thai), 1982’s Bruce Strikes Back (with Hwang Jang Lee, Casanova Wong, Harold Sakata) and 1986’s Future Hunters (starring Terminator 2’s Robert Patrick and directed by Filipino film legend Cirio H. Santiago).
But the reason why Huang is even on this list is because he actually plays Bruce Lee in 1980s Bruce – The King of Kung Fu, a highly fabricated biopic he also directed. The film features main Enter the Dragon villain, Sek Kin, as well as Bolo Yeung (which is really nothing special, since he’s in everything).
Today, Huang is still going at it, but mainly behind the camera as a director. One of his recent projects include 2014’s Eyes of Dawn (a redux of his 1992 film, Comfort Women) and he has just wrapped up the war movie, Bloody Hero. He’s also keen on going back to martial arts movies with a dream project that would be a worthy successor to Enter the Dragon.
Kim Tai-chung
KIM TAI-CHUNG
If there’s one guy that qualifies as a certified “Bruce Lee” actor, it’s Korean martial arts star, Kim Tai-chung, who also goes by his Chinese screen name, Tong Lung.
A few years after the death of Bruce Lee in 1973, Golden Harvest Studios (the company behind all of Bruce’s films) started pre-production on Bruce’s incomplete film, Game of Death. Bruce had already shot the film’s action finale, which meant that all that was left to shoot was… well… the rest of the damn movie. This meant they needed someone who could not only fight like Bruce, but also walk, move, and capture his overall essence.
After an exhaustive search, producers finally found their leading man in Kim Tai-chung. With the help of some cardboard cut outs, sunglasses, a prosthetic beard, Bruce’s actual corpse, two or three other body doubles and footage from Bruce’s other completed films, they were able to finally complete 1978’s Game of Death, which was directed by Robert Clouse (Enter the Dragon). The film features a cast consisting of so many white people that’s probably the most white washed movie ever made. They even threw in clips of Chuck Norris to give it a little financial boost.
Despite its sloppy finished product, Game of Death was a box office smash. The demand for more Bruce Lee was obviously evident, so Golden Harvest called Kim called back for 1981’s Tower of Death (aka Game of Death II). This time around, Kim was able to fully sell himself, as he was playing his own character (let’s just say he’s supposed to be Bruce’s brother). Together with director Corey Yuen (Raging Thunder), choreographer Yuen Woo Ping (Dance of the Drunken Mantis) and the perfect villain in Hwang Jang Lee, Tower of Death is considered one of the greatest Brucepoitation movies ever made. There was even a Korean cut of the film, which proved that Kim was becoming a star in his homeland.
After Tower of Death, Kim returned to Korea where he immediately began work on 1981’s Miss, Please Be Patient (our very own yellow washed Paul Bramhall premiered the film at the Korean Culture Office in Sydney) and then came 1982’s Jackie vs. Bruce to the Rescue, where Kim, as a Bruce-like character starred alongside a Jackie Chan-like character, played by Lee Siu-Ming.
Even though I just went through a bunch of paragraphs regarding Kim’s Bruceploiation output, the main reason he makes this list is because of his role as Bruce Lee’s ghost in 1985’s No Retreat, No Surrender. The film, which reunites Kim with Corey Yuen, follows the Karate Kid mold, only instead of Pat Morita, we get the ghost of Bruce Lee and better fight choreography. Above of all, No Retreat, No Surrender is predominantly remembered for launching the career of Jean-Claude Van Damme (who is now doing shit like Kill ’em All).
Shortly after the release of No Retreat, No Surrender, Kim retired from acting to pursue a successful career in business. Sadly, Kim passed away in 2011, due to a stomach hemorrhage.
Leung Siu-lung
LEUNG SIU-LUNG
Just as producers did with Ho Chung-tao (Bruce Li) and Huang Chien Lung (Bruce Le), Leung Siu-lung was given the name Bruce Leung to help market his movies as Bruce Lee products. But unlike Li and Le, only a couple of Bruce-centric titles made their way into Leung’s 65+ filmography.
Legend has it that Leung once took on 13 armed attackers and defeated them single-handedly (too bad Smartphones and YouTube didn’t exist back then), which eventually led to his film career. Trained in the Cantonese Opera, as well as various forms of karate and kung fu, Leung spent the most of the early 70s taking minor roles or action directing in a number of movies. It wasn’t until Ng See Yuen’s 1975 film, Little Superman, that Leung finally gained momentum as a kung fu star.
In 1978, Leung co-starred in Magnificent Bodyguards with Jackie Chan (who was only months away from becoming an overnight sensation). Directed by Lo Wei (The Big Boss), the film is groundbreaking for being Hong Kong’s first ever 3D film (it’s also infamously known for ripping off John Williams’ Star Wars score). Then in 1979, Leung teamed up with Ho Chung-tao (Bruce Li) in Bruce and the Iron Finger. Although neither of the two technically connected to Bruce Lee, the “Bruce” the title is referring to is for Ho, since he’s the first-billed star (makes sense to me).
But let’s jump back to 1976’s Dragon Lives Again, which is one of the reasons Leung is qualified for this list. Taking place after Bruce Lee’s passing in 1973, this over-the-top flick starts with “Bruce Lee” (Leung) rising from his death and waking up in a mysterious after-life universe where people like James Bond, The Godfather, The Blind Swordsman, The One Armed Swordsman, Clint Eastwood, Dracula, Emmanuelle (yes, you guessed right), Zombies, Mummies and Popeye (played by Eric Tsang) roam the streets. Bruce takes on most of these guys (sometimes, in his Kato outfit).
Leung played Bruce again in the 2010 TV series, Jeet Kune Do. This time around, he portrays an elderly version of Bruce who mentors a character played by Chen Tian Xing (Nunchucks), who actually happens to be one of the newest additions of Bruceploitation era.
For the most part, Leung has had a steady career that still goes strong, but it was his memorable role as “The Beast” in Stephen Chow’s Kung Fu Hustle that gave him a second wind of success not seen since his 70s glory days.
Stephen Au
STEPHEN AU KAM-TONG
In 1999, rising Hong Kong actor Stephen Au Kam-Tong directed, starred-in and wrote What You Gonna Do, Sai Fung?, which focused on Bruce Lee’s turbulent years in Hong Kong during the late 1950s.
If you’re wondering who the film’s title is referring to, here’s the explanation: In the film, Stephen’s character doesn’t go by the name Bruce, he goes by the name Sau Fung (or Sai Fon), which was Bruce’s childhood name that meant Little Unicorn.
It was said that Bruce’s family gave him this nick name (a substitute for his real name, Lee Jun-fan) which was actually a girl’s name. They believed that evil spirits did not like boys in the family (their firstborn was a son who died in infancy). So, by calling him Sau Fung, they were able to trick demonic spells into thinking Bruce was female.
I’ve never seen What You Gonna Do, Sai Fung?, but judging from the footage, Stephen is almost a spitting image of a late 1950s-era Bruce Lee. Since Stephen holds a Black Belt in Karate, he’s probably not too shabby in the action department either.
Prior to What You Gonna Do, Sai Fung?, Stephen appeared in yet another 1992 Bruce Lee biopic (not as Bruce), which is the subject of our next Bruce Lee actor.
Today, Stephen is still very active in the industry. Some of his film’s include 2000’s The Blood Rules, 2009’s Overheard, 2014’s That Demon Within and just recently, 2016’s Three.
David Wu
DAVID WU DAI-WAI
I’m going to struggle with this one. All I have to say is thank God for Wikipedia…
David Wu Dai-Wai (aka Wu-Man) is Chinese-American actor and TV personality. In 1992, he took a stab at playing Bruce Lee in the ATV series, Spirit of the Dragon.
I’ve never seen the series, but there is a character named Linda, played by Gwennie Tam (reverse white washing?). Of special note, the series features Lau Kar-leung, Nick Cheung, Eddy Ko Hung and of course the guy you just read about, Stephen Au.
Since 1985, David has had a solid career as he’s appeared in a number of films, including 1990’s Tiger Gage 2, 1991’s Robotrix, 1995’s Full Throttle and 1996’s Temptress Moon.
Jiang Dai-Yan
JIANG DAI-YAN
There have been many of child actors – some infants, possibly some fetuses – who have played Bruce, but I’m excluding them because their roles weren’t substantial enough (even if they were included, we wouldn’t be able to properly identity them).
When the original Ip Man movie came out in 2008, its trailers, posters, TV spots and other advertising material were branded with the words “Mentor of Iconic Legend Bruce Lee” – it was as if both Ip Man, the master of Wing Chun, and Donnie Yen, a top martial arts action star, were living in the shadow of Bruce Lee (even Donnie himself has had his share of Bruce-like performances in the 1995 Fist of Fury TV series, as well as 2010’s Legend of the Fist). If anything, it was proof that the words “Bruce Lee” were a powerful marketing tool.
Ip Man would go on to become a box office smash and its leading man, Donnie Yen, went from star to international superstar (for more on this, read How ‘Ip Man’ made Donnie Yen ‘The Man’). Instantly, the public wanted more Ip Man. They also wondered if a Bruce Lee character would be making an appearance in future Ip Man sequels. Let’s face it, most of the general public wouldn’t even know who Ip man was if it weren’t for Bruce’s close association with him. Besides, the two names were practically synonymous with each other (imagine making a John Woo biopic without the appearance of a Chow Yun-fat character).
When Ip Man 2 finally made its way to theaters in 2010, the audience was treated to a nice surprise during the last few minutes of the movie: A digit old version of Bruce, played by Jiang Dai-Yan. Depending on how big of a Bruce Lee fan you are – and depending if you were expecting him or not – the cameo is worthy of goose bumps.
To date, Ip Man 2 was the first and only acting gig for Jiang. There are a number of premier/press conference photos of him performing kung fu stances in front of cast and crew, so this establishes that he’s had some martial arts training. What’s next for him? Only time will tell.
Who’s our next Bruce?
For the last few years, Shannon Lee/The Bruce Lee Estate has been in the process of producing an all-new official Bruce Lee biopic (read about it here). At time of writing this article, a “Bruce Lee” has yet to be cast, but filmmaker Shekhar Kapur, who helmed Elizabeth (1998) and New York, I Love You (2008), is attached to direct.
According to Variety, Little Dragon will be a contemporary dramatization of the 1950s Hong Kong social and political forces that shaped Bruce Lee into both the most famous martial arts star of all time and a significant modern day philosopher. Themes include family disappointment, young love, true friendship, betrayal, racism, deep poverty and an inner fire that threatened to unravel his destiny.
5,000 people around the world have auditioned for the role of a 17 to 18-year-old Bruce Lee – one of the four shortlisted is an unnamed Malaysian actor (via MMO). And that’s where we’re at.
We’ll be sure to keep this article updated as new Bruces hit the market. Until then, here’s our favorite performance of Bruce:
In 1954, an enormous beast clawed its way out of the sea, destroying everything in its path—and changing movies forever. The arresting original Godzilla soon gave rise to an entire monster-movie genre (kaiju eiga), but the King of the Monsters continued to reign supreme: in fourteen fiercely entertaining sequels over the next two decades, Godzilla defended its throne against a host of other formidable creatures, transforming from a terrifying symbol of nuclear annihilation into a benevolent (if still belligerent) Earth protector.
Collected here for the first time are all fifteen Godzilla films of Japan’s Showa era, in a landmark set showcasing the technical wizardry, fantastical storytelling, and indomitable international appeal that established the most iconic giant monster the cinema has ever seen.
Special Features/Technical Specs:
High-definition digital transfers of all fifteen Godzilla films made between 1954 and 1975, released together for the first time, with uncompressed monaural soundtracks
High-definition digital transfer of Godzilla, King of the Monsters (1956), the U.S.-release version of Godzilla
Japanese-release version of King Kong vs. Godzilla from 1962
Audio commentaries from 2011 on Godzilla and Godzilla, King of the Monsters featuring film historian David Kalat
International English-language dub tracks for Invasion of Astro-Monster, Son of Godzilla, Destroy All Monsters, Godzilla vs. Megalon, Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla, and Terror of Mechagodzilla
Directors Guild of Japan interview with director Ishiro Honda, conducted by director Yoshimitsu Banno in 1990
Programs detailing the creation of Godzilla’s special effects and unused effects sequences from Toho releases including Destroy All Monsters
New interview with filmmaker Alex Cox about his admiration for the Showa-era Godzilla films
New and archival interviews with cast and crew members, including actors Bin Furuya, Tsugutoshi Komada, Haruo Nakajima, and Akira Takarada; composer Akira Ifukube; and effects technicians Yoshio Irie and Eizo Kaimai
Interview with critic Tadao Sato from 2011
Illustrated audio essay from 2011 about the real-life tragedy that inspired Godzilla
New English subtitle translations
Trailers
PLUS: A lavishly illustrated deluxe hardcover book featuring an essay by cinema historian Steve Ryfle, notes on the films by cinema historian Ed Godziszewski, and new illustrations by Arthur Adams, Sophie Campbell, Becky Cloonan, Jorge Coelho, Geof Darrow, Simon Gane, Robert Goodin, Benjamin Marra, Monarobot, Takashi Okazaki, Angela Rizza, Yuko Shimizu, Bill Sienkiewicz, Katsuya Terada, Ronald Wimberly, and Chris Wisnia
VCI Entertainment, the U.S. distribution company that recently released Bruce’s Deadly Fingers (1976) on Blu-ray, have announced The Pearl Collection, a label “dedicated to publishing important classic and neglected martial arts films from Asia in editions that offer the highest technical quality available and original supplements and content.”
The first title from the The Pearl Collection is The Leg Fighters (1980), which hits Blu-ray/DVD on October 15th.
Read the official details below:
Phoenix (Kuang-Li Hsia) is a rebellious young student in martial arts, so when her father brings in a new Kung Fu instructor, high-kicking Tan Hai-Chi (Tao-Liang Tan), she will find herself having to shape up quickly as a deadly master approaches (Kang Peng) looking for Tan to avenge his brother’s death. With action scenes from Sun Jung-Chi Sun and Kang Peng, the fights set new standards in kicking choreography under the knowledgeable action eye of Tso Nam Lee (The Hot, The Cool and The Vicious).
Special Features:
New! 2K Restoration of original 35mm Chinese print
Audio commentary by filmmaker, actor and Kung Fu Film fan Michael Worth
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At the age of 14, I took the plunge in to the world of my favourite director, John Woo. The adrenalin rush seemed to last for days after watching the best pure action film ever made: 
Who’s our next Bruce? 
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