Sammo Hung Short biography
Sammo Hung Kam-bo (born January 7, 1952) is a Hong Kong actor, martial artist, film producer, director, and screenwriter. He is known for his work in martial arts films and Hong Kong action cinema, and as a fight choreographer for other actors such as Jackie Chan. Hung is one of the pivotal figures who spearheaded the Hong Kong New Wave movement of the 1980s, helped reinvent the martial arts genre and started the zombie-like jiangshi genre. He is widely credited with assisting many of his compatriots, giving them their starts in the Hong Kong film industry, by casting them in the films he produced or giving them roles in the production crew.
Hung was born in Hong Kong to parents who worked as wardrobe artists in the local film industry. His grandparents were martial art actress Chin Tsi-ang and film director Hung Chung-ho. Hung joined the China Drama Academy, a Peking Opera School in Hong Kong, in 1961. He was enrolled for seven years, beginning at the age of nine, after his grandparents heard about the school from their friends. The opera school was run by Master Yu Jim Yuen and, as was customary for all students, Hung adopted the given name of his sifu as his family name while attending. Going by the name Yuen Lung (元龍), Hung became the foremost member of the Seven Little Fortunes (七小福) performing group, and would establish a friendly rivalry with one of the younger students, Yuen Lo. Yuen Lo would go on to become international superstar Jackie Chan.
