Sammo Hung

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Both Sammo Hung and Jackie Chan were often addressed as 'Dai Goh', meaning 'Big Brother', until the filming of Project A (1983), which featured both actors. As Hung was the eldest of the kung fu 'brothers', and the first to make a mark on the industry, he was given the nickname 'Dai Goh Dai', meaning 'Big, Big Brother', or 'Biggest Big Brother'. Hung joined the China Drama Academy, a Peking Opera School in Hong Kong, in 1961. He was enrolled for a period of seven years, beginning at the age of 9. 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 whilst 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.

In Their Own Story

At the age of 14, Hung was selected by a teacher who had connections to the Hong Kong film industry to perform stunts on a movie. This brief foray into the industry piqued his interest in film and he took particular interest in the operation of film cameras. As the eldest of the troupe, Hung would give his opera school brothers pocket money from his earnings, endearing him greatly to his young friends. Shortly before leaving the Academy at the age of 16, Hung suffered an injury that left him bedridden for an extended period, during which time his weight ballooned. After finding work in the film industry as a stuntman, he was given a nickname after a well-known Chinese cartoon character, Sam-mo (三毛; Three Hairs). Many years later, in 1988, Hung starred in Alex Law's Painted Faces, a dramatic re-telling of his experiences at the China Drama Academy. Despite some of the more brutal exercises and physical punishments shown in Painted Faces, Hung and the rest of the Seven Little Fortunes consider the film a toned-down version of their actual experiences.

Reader's Guide

Hung appeared as a child actor in several films for Cathay Asia and Bo Bo Films during the early 1960s. His film debut was in the 1961 film Education of Love. In 1962, he made his first appearance alongside Jackie Chan in the film Big and Little Wong Tin Bar. In 1966, at the age of just 14, Hung began working for Shaw Brothers Studio, assisting the action director Han Yingjie, on King Hu's film Come Drink with Me. Between 1966 and 1974, Hung worked on dozens of films for Shaw Brothers, their two main rivals Golden Harvest and Cathay, as well as numerous independent production companies. In 1970, Hung began working for Raymond Chow and the Golden Harvest film company. While in Korea he became the martial arts director on three Angela Mao vehicles: Lady Whirlwind, Hapkido, and When Taekwondo Strikes. In 1973, he was seen in the Bruce Lee classic Enter the Dragon. Hung was the Shaolin student Lee faces in the opening sequence. In 1978, Raymond Chow gave Hung the task of completing the fight co-ordination for the re-shoot of Game of Death. In 1983, the collaboration between the triumvirate of Hung, Jackie Chan, and Yuen Biao began with Chan's Project A. Hung, Chan and Yuen were known as the 'Three Dragons' and their alliance lasted for 5 years. The final film to date starring all three was 1988's Dragons Forever.

Did You Know?

• Sammo Hung was given the nickname 'Dai Goh Dai' (Big, Big Brother) because he was the eldest of the kung fu 'brothers' and the first to make a mark on the industry.
• Hung joined the China Drama Academy at age 9 and adopted the name Yuen Lung, becoming the foremost member of the Seven Little Fortunes.
• At age 14, Hung performed stunts on a movie, which sparked his interest in film and particularly in the operation of film cameras.
• Hung earned his black belt in hapkido while in Korea, studying with Master Ji Han-Jae.
• In 1973, Hung appeared in Bruce Lee's Enter the Dragon as the Shaolin student Lee faces in the opening sequence.