Education
Born Yung Chi on 9 September 1950 in Hong Kong, Yuan attended the China Drama Academy, a Peking Opera School in Hong Kong in the late 1950s and 1960s.
Born Yung Chi on 9 September 1950 in Hong Kong, Yuan attended the China Drama Academy, a Peking Opera School in Hong Kong in the late 1950s and 1960s.
Like the other students, he took his sifu"s given name – "Yuen". In his biography, Jackie Chan stated that Yuen Wah"s martial arts ability was well respected among his fellow students. After leaving the opera school, many of the students entered the Hong Kong film industry.
Yuen Wah was given an anglicised stagename, Sam Yuen, but like Yuen Biao (Bill Yuen / Jimmy Yuen), the name was not used.
Rather than reverting to their birth names, both retained their opera school names, as did several other former students. Known for his agility and acrobatic skills, Yuen Wah began his film career working as Bruce Lee"s stunt double in the films Fist of Fury (1972) and Enter the Dragon (1973).
He also made his acting debut in Fist of Fury, as a Japanese who asks Bruce Lee"s character to crawl like a dog and is soundly beaten for lieutenant He began to receive a number of roles in Shaw Brothers films.
Yuen"s versatility, his lean, wiry frame and later, his distinctive moustache often saw him cast as the villain in most films.
The films included Mr. Vampire (1985), My Lucky Stars (1985), Millionaire"s Express (1986), Eastern Condors (1986), and Dragons Forever (1988). During the 1990s, whist still appearing in a number of films, Yuen began to focus on television series roles for TVB. His comical and endearingly scrooge-like image earned him popularity on the Hong Kong television circuit.
Since then, he has appeared in over 20 different television series.
In 2004, Yuen was cast as The Landlord in Stephen Chow"s comedy film Kung Fu Hustle. During the 2005 Hong Kong Film Awards, his colleagues took the opportunity to award him with the award for Best Supporting Actor.
Yuen made his debut in English language film in Aiming High (1998). He appeared in another English language production, the Baz Luhrmann period film, Australia (2008), alongside Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman.
He was instructed by Master Yu Jim Yuen and became a member of the Seven Little Fortunes along with fellow students including Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung, Yuen Biao, Yuen Qiu and Corey Yuen.
