Yuen Woo-ping


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 as well.

Life and career

Yuen was born in Guangzhou, Guangdong, China. With a support of Ng See-yuen, he achieved his first directing credit in 1978 on the seminal 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, turning Seasonal Films into a major independent production company, and starting a trend towards comedy in martial arts films that continues to the following two decades.
Yuen went on to helm other star vehicles for such figures as Sammo Hung in Magnificent Butcher, Yuen Biao in Dreadnaught, Donnie Yen in Iron Monkey, Jet Li in Tai Chi Master, and Michelle Yeoh in Wing Chun.
Yuen's works, particularly his action choreography on Fist of Legend, attracted the attention of the Wachowskis, who hired him as the martial arts choreographer on The Matrix. The success of this collaboration, plus his action choreography on the following year's hit Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, made him a highly sought after figure in Hollywood. He went on to work on the first two Matrix sequels, as well as Kill Bill: Volume 1 and Kill Bill: Volume 2.
More recent action choreography duties in Hong Kong cinema have included Kung Fu Hustle, starring Stephen Chow, and Fearless, starring Jet Li.
Yuen also choreographed the action sequences in The Forbidden Kingdom, a Hollywood martial arts–adventure film, which was the first film to star together two of the best-known names in the martial arts film genre, Jackie Chan and Jet Li. He worked as a fight choreography consultant on Ninja Assassin.
In late 2010, Yuen released his first film as director since 1996, True Legend, starring Vincent Zhao, Jay Chou and David Carradine.
Yuen went on to work as stunt co-ordinator in two South Indian films, Enthiran and I, both directed by S. Shankar.
In 2015, Yuen directed Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny, re-creating many of his signature action choreographies.
The annual and highly anticipated Hong Kong International Film Festival was held for its 45th edition in April 2021. Yuen is one of the six veteran Hong Kong filmmakers who contributed segments to the Johnnie To-produced anthology film Septet: The Story of Hong Kong. The other filmmakers who directed segments are Sammo Hung, Ann Hui On-wah, Patrick Tam, Tsui Hark and Ringo Lam. The short files were shot entirely on 35mm film with each of them touches on a nostalgic and moving story set across different time periods, with every one acting as an ode to the city.

Filmography

As director

  • Snake in the Eagle's Shadow
  • Drunken Master
  • Dance of the Drunk Mantis
  • Magnificent Butcher
  • The Buddhist Fist
  • Dreadnaught
  • The Miracle Fighters
  • Legend of a Fighter
  • Shaolin Drunkard
  • Drunken Tai Chi
  • Mismatched Couples
  • The Close Encounter of the Vampire
  • Tiger Cage
  • In the Line of Duty 4: Witness
  • Tiger Cage 2
  • Tiger Cage 3
  • Su qi er
  • Iron Monkey
  • Tai Chi Master
  • Wing Chun
  • Huo yun chuan qi
  • Hu meng wei long
  • Tai ji quan
  • True Legend
  • Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny
  • The Thousand Faces of Dunjia
  • Master Z: The Ip Man Legacy
  • Septet: The Story of Hong Kong
  • ''Blades of the Guardians''

    Selected filmography as action choreographer/fight advisor

  • The Bloody Fists
  • The Awaken Punch
  • Bruce Lee and I
  • Secret Rivals 2
  • Snuff Bottle Connection
  • Broken Oath
  • Born Invincible
  • Snake in the Eagle's Shadow
  • Drunken Master
  • Tower of Death
  • Once Upon a Time in China II
  • Last Hero in China
  • Fist of Legend
  • Black Mask
  • The Water Margin
  • The Matrix
  • Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
  • Black Mask 2: City of Masks
  • The Matrix Reloaded
  • The Matrix Revolutions
  • Kill Bill: Volume 1
  • Kill Bill: Volume 2
  • Kung Fu Hustle
  • Danny the Dog
  • House of Fury
  • Fearless
  • The Forbidden Kingdom
  • Enthiran
  • The Grandmaster
  • Once Upon a Time in Shanghai
  • Man of Tai Chi
  • I
  • Ip Man 3
  • Gong Shou Dao
  • ''Ip Man 4: The Finale''

    Actor

  • Mismatched Couples as Mini
  • Eastern Condors as Grandpa Yun Yen-hoy
  • The Wicked City as Sergeant Kayama
  • The Grandmaster as Chan Wah-shun
  • Man of Tai Chi as Man at fight club

    Awards and nominations