"Kung Fu Stuntman Dragon Tiger Warrior" Sammo Hung "Never say no!" Stuntmen tell us about the behind-the-scenes history of Hong Kong action [Actor's Interview Vol.27]

For me, who was an elementary and junior high school student in the 1980s, watching Hong Kong movies was "everyday life." Almost every week, action movies starring Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung are shown on TV, and the next day at school they imitate action movies and have fun with their friends. These are the movies that made us who we are. ``Kung Fu Stuntman Dragon Tiger Warrior'' depicts the stuntmen who supported the kung fu action movies made in Hong Kong from the 1970s to the 1990s. This is a must-see film that is sure to warm the hearts of all action movie fans, as well as those who know about the era.

Testimonies from action movie masters and stars such as Sammo Hung, Donnie Yen, Tsui Hark, and Yuen Woo-ping reveal the history of Hong Kong action and the behind-the-scenes of the insane production scenes of the time. The pride of Hong Kong stuntmen is to "never say no." He will take on any dangerous stunts if asked, and there are no guarantees that he will survive. Of course this is a big problem now, but it is also true that many masterpieces were created by their reckless challenges.

I would really like to interview the people involved in this work...As if my thoughts were realized, it has been decided that our "Debugon" Reverend Sammo Hung will be making an appearance! A miraculous interview happened. We spoke to a big brother in the Hong Kong film industry.

*1) In 1998, Sammo Hung King Bo shortened his English name to Sammo Hung.

Index

• Lessons from Bruce Lee
• How to join Sammo Hung's stunt team
• What is Sammo Hung's toughest movie ever?
• Creating action with Jackie Chan

Lessons from Bruce Lee

Q: As depicted in this film, Sammo Hung and others laid the groundwork for the Hong Kong film boom in the 1980s by presenting a new style of kung fu films in the 1970s. In order to establish a new style of kung fu, what aspects did you focus on and what improvements did you make at the time?

Sammo Hung: What I did was not create a new style or anything like that. At that time, I was still a newcomer to the film industry and had no choice but to do my best and do what I had to do. Every day I try to improve myself and improve my actions. What was important at that time was to understand ``what kind of kung fu can I do?'' and ``what kind of action would the audience want to see?'' Another special skill is that ``only I can do this action.'' So, what I focused on was to do what I just said in a fun and interesting way.

“Kung Fu Stuntman Dragon Tiger Warrior” ©ACME Image (Beijing) Film Cultural Co., Ltd

Q: You have also performed with Bruce Lee. What kind of influence has he had on you?

Sammo Hung: Bruce Lee influenced me in two ways. First, focus on personality. If a person's personality is not well-developed, they will not be able to portray an attractive character in a movie. The other thing is to always be aware of being Chinese and the characteristics of your ethnicity. I was able to learn a lot about these things from Bruce Lee.

How to join Sammo Hung's stunt team