Yuen Woo-ping
The choreographer and director who launched Jackie Chan as a major film star.
Yuen Woo-ping is a Hong Kong 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 of Stars in Hong Kong. Yuen is also a son of Yuen Siu-tien, a martial arts film actor. He attended the China Drama Academy for one year as a day student of Master Yu Jim-yuen. With the support of Ng See-yuen, he achieved his first directing credit in 1978 on Snake in the Eagle's Shadow, starring Jackie Chan, followed quickly by Drunken Master. The films were smash hits, launching Jackie Chan as a major film star.
Quick Facts
- Born
- 24 August 1945
- Birthplace
- Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
Lore & Background
Yuen Woo-ping was born in Guangzhou, Guangdong, China. He is the son of Yuen Siu-tien, a martial arts film actor. 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 martial arts films that continued to the following two decades. Yuen went on to helm other star vehicles for Sammo Hung in Magnificent Butcher (1979), Yuen Biao in Dreadnaught (1981), Donnie Yen in Iron Monkey (1993), Jet Li in Tai Chi Master (1993), and Michelle Yeoh in Wing Chun (1994).
Reader's Guide
Yuen Woo-ping's first directing credit was in 1978 on Snake in the Eagle's Shadow, starring Jackie Chan. He followed quickly with Drunken Master. These films were smash hits that launched Jackie Chan as a major film star. Yuen later directed star vehicles for Sammo Hung (Magnificent Butcher, 1979), Yuen Biao (Dreadnaught, 1981), Donnie Yen (Iron Monkey, 1993), Jet Li (Tai Chi Master, 1993), and Michelle Yeoh (Wing Chun, 1994). His action choreography on Fist of Legend (1994) led to work on The Matrix (1999) and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000). He also choreographed Kung Fu Hustle (2004), Fearless (2006), and The Forbidden Kingdom (2008). In late 2010, he released his first film as director since 1996, True Legend. In 2015, he directed Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny. He contributed a segment to the anthology film Septet: The Story of Hong Kong (2020).
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