Yuen Wo Ping served as the kung fu choreographer for 1999’s ground-breaking The Matrix. Yuen’s extended list of film credits encompasses his diverse talents: from action choreographer to film director; from actor to producer.
Yuen was born the eldest son in a family of 12 in Guangzhan, China. In the 1960s, he found work as a stuntman and kung fu fighter. By the age of 26, in the early ’70s, he had earned his first film choreography credits with the early kung fu hits of Ng See Yuen. In 1978, Yuen directed his first film; the well regarded The Eagle’s Shadow, starring the now legendary international star Jackie Chan. He went on to direct another Jackie Chan feature, Drunken Master.
By 1979, Yuen had formed his own production and choreography company. The timing proved fortuitous, as kung fu was fast securing a following outside of China.
Through the years, Yuen has worked with or directed many of China’s top film talent. Last Hero in China, Tai Chi Master and First of Legend featured the incomparable Jet Li, recently seen as the memorable villain in Lethal Weapon 4. Sammo Hung, now of CBS-TV’s Martial Law, worked with Yuen in both The Magnificent Butcher and Eastern Condors. One of Yuen’s most highly regarded films in 1991 was Iron Monkey, starring the popular Donnie Yen.
