Dicky Cheung
Encyclopedia
Dicky Cheung Wai Kin born on 8 February 1965) is a Hong Kong
television actor/singer.
in 1984. Up until the mid 90's, Dicky struggled for many years working as a low-paid actor, singer, and appeared occasionally in films. It wasn't until his brilliant portrayal of the Monkey King character in the 1996 TVB adaptation
of the classical Chinese novel Journey to the West
that his popularity began to skyrocket. A sequel to the TV adaptation was planned, but due to a contract dispute with TVB, Cheung left before production began. Benny Chan Ho Man
took over the role of the Monkey King in the sequel. Cheung then went abroad to Taiwan
to continue his career.
He has appeared in many Taiwanese television productions since then. In 1999, TVB's rival station ATV acquired the Hong Kong broadcasting rights to his Taiwanese television series Young Hero Fong Sai Yuk. Cheung played Fong Sai Yuk, a character also portrayed by Jet Li
in his film Fong Sai Yuk. The show was an instant hit in Hong Kong, and managed to gain much higher ratings than TVB's own television series. The TVB series showing at that time was Dragon Love, starring Benny Chan Ho Man, who replaced Cheung in the Journey to the West
sequel, Journey to the West II.
and Jessica Hsuan
.
Journey to the West
Dicky's most notable performance that made him famous was his portrayal of the Monkey King in the 1996 TVB adaptation of the classic Chinese tale Journey to the West
. As well as being the lead character, Dicky also sang the theme tune as well as many other songs throughout the series. This series was very popular during its run on TVB Jade
, it was even dubbed in English and broadcast on TVB Pearl
, the only TVB series to receive this treatment to date. Dicky was also due to play the Monkey King in the sequel. However, due to a dispute regarding the contract, the role was given to Benny Chan Ho Man
.
Duke of Mount Deer 2000
Yet another TV adaptation of Louis Cha's Wuxia novel The Deer and the Cauldron
. Cheung played the anti-hero Wai Siu-Bo
, a character previously portrayed by Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, Stephen Chow
and Jordan Chan
in many television and film adaptations.
The Monkey King: Quest for the Sutra
In 2001, Andy Lau
's NMG
production company produced another television adaptation of Journey to the West
. Cheung was given a chance to once again portray the role that made him a household name. The series was broadcast in 2002 on TVB. Although it received high ratings, many felt it was not as good as the 1996 version.
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
television actor/singer.
Career
He entered show business in the early 1980s, signing a contract with television station TVB. He won the 3rd annual New Talent Singing AwardsNew Talent Singing Awards
New Talent Singing Awards or NTSA for short, later re-organized into New Talent Singing Awards International Finals or NTSA International Finals for short), and most currently re-named TVB8 International Chinese New Talent Singing Championship is an annual singing...
in 1984. Up until the mid 90's, Dicky struggled for many years working as a low-paid actor, singer, and appeared occasionally in films. It wasn't until his brilliant portrayal of the Monkey King character in the 1996 TVB adaptation
Journey to the West (1996 TV series)
Journey to the West is a 1996 Hong Kong TV series produced by TVB, based on the classic Chinese novel of the same name.The series was very popular during its original run on TVB Jade, mostly because of Dicky Cheung's performance as the Monkey King Sun Wukong.A sequel, Journey to the West II, was...
of the classical Chinese novel Journey to the West
Journey to the West
Journey to the West is one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. It was written by Wu Cheng'en in the 16th century. In English-speaking countries, the tale is also often known simply as Monkey. This was one title used for a popular, abridged translation by Arthur Waley...
that his popularity began to skyrocket. A sequel to the TV adaptation was planned, but due to a contract dispute with TVB, Cheung left before production began. Benny Chan Ho Man
Benny Chan Ho Man
Benny Chan Ho-man is a Hong Kong actor and singer. His role as Duen Yu in the 1997 TVB series Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils swept him into fame and brought him many acting opportunities, consequently making him a well known character in Hong Kong and later on in different parts of Asia...
took over the role of the Monkey King in the sequel. Cheung then went abroad to Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
to continue his career.
He has appeared in many Taiwanese television productions since then. In 1999, TVB's rival station ATV acquired the Hong Kong broadcasting rights to his Taiwanese television series Young Hero Fong Sai Yuk. Cheung played Fong Sai Yuk, a character also portrayed by Jet Li
Jet Li
The fame gained by his sports winnings led to a career as a martial arts film star, beginning in mainland China and then continuing into Hong Kong. Li acquired his screen name in 1982 in the Philippines when a publicity company thought his real name was too hard to pronounce...
in his film Fong Sai Yuk. The show was an instant hit in Hong Kong, and managed to gain much higher ratings than TVB's own television series. The TVB series showing at that time was Dragon Love, starring Benny Chan Ho Man, who replaced Cheung in the Journey to the West
Journey to the West (1996 TV series)
Journey to the West is a 1996 Hong Kong TV series produced by TVB, based on the classic Chinese novel of the same name.The series was very popular during its original run on TVB Jade, mostly because of Dicky Cheung's performance as the Monkey King Sun Wukong.A sequel, Journey to the West II, was...
sequel, Journey to the West II.
Personal life
Dicky Cheung is married to Zhang Qian who had a miscarriage in Spring of 2008. He said that he would like to eventually leave the acting business and seriously consider doing something more meaningful in life such as volunteering to give back to the society. Prior to his current marriage, he was in a brief relationship with actresses Elvina KongElvina Kong
Elvina Yan-Yin Kong is a Hong Kong television actress and presenter currently under contract to TVB. Currently she has been acting in the Cantonese sitcom of Off Pedder in 2008...
and Jessica Hsuan
Jessica Hsuan
Jessica Hester Hsuan, or Suen Huen is a Hong Kong actress. Jessica holds a degree from Imperial College London.She is currently one of the most popular television actresses of Hong Kong. She started her career in late 1992 and early 1993...
.
Notable roles
Cheung has starred in many Hong Kong-Taiwanese television productions, enjoying both success in Taiwan as well as Hong Kong. The three most notable are:Journey to the West
Journey to the West (1996 TV series)
Journey to the West is a 1996 Hong Kong TV series produced by TVB, based on the classic Chinese novel of the same name.The series was very popular during its original run on TVB Jade, mostly because of Dicky Cheung's performance as the Monkey King Sun Wukong.A sequel, Journey to the West II, was...
Dicky's most notable performance that made him famous was his portrayal of the Monkey King in the 1996 TVB adaptation of the classic Chinese tale Journey to the West
Journey to the West
Journey to the West is one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. It was written by Wu Cheng'en in the 16th century. In English-speaking countries, the tale is also often known simply as Monkey. This was one title used for a popular, abridged translation by Arthur Waley...
. As well as being the lead character, Dicky also sang the theme tune as well as many other songs throughout the series. This series was very popular during its run on TVB Jade
TVB Jade
TVB Jade is a flagship TV channel in Hong Kong, established by Television Broadcasts Limited, and is one of the free-to-air Cantonese language television channels in Hong Kong, the other being its arch-rival ATV Home...
, it was even dubbed in English and broadcast on TVB Pearl
TVB Pearl
TVB Pearl is one of the two free television services in Hong Kong that mainly broadcast in the English language, the other being ATV World. It is owned and operated by Television Broadcasts Limited, and together with its sister Cantonese language station TVB Jade, is broadcast from TVB City at 77...
, the only TVB series to receive this treatment to date. Dicky was also due to play the Monkey King in the sequel. However, due to a dispute regarding the contract, the role was given to Benny Chan Ho Man
Benny Chan Ho Man
Benny Chan Ho-man is a Hong Kong actor and singer. His role as Duen Yu in the 1997 TVB series Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils swept him into fame and brought him many acting opportunities, consequently making him a well known character in Hong Kong and later on in different parts of Asia...
.
Duke of Mount Deer 2000
Duke of Mount Deer 2000
The Duke of Mount Deer 2000 is a television series adapted from Louis Cha's novel The Deer and the Cauldron. It was first broadcast in 2000 in Hong Kong and followed by subsequent broadcasts in other Asian countries.-Plot:...
Yet another TV adaptation of Louis Cha's Wuxia novel The Deer and the Cauldron
The Deer and the Cauldron
The Deer and the Cauldron, also known as The Duke of Mount Deer, is a novel by Jin Yong, and was the last of Jin Yong's works. The novel was initially published as a serial, and ran between October 24, 1969 to September 23, 1972 in Ming Pao.Although the book is often termed as a wuxia novel, it is...
. Cheung played the anti-hero Wai Siu-Bo
Wei Xiaobao
Wei Xiaobao is the fictional protagonist of Jin Yong's wuxia novel The Deer and the Cauldron . He is a witty, sly and illiterate teenager, born to a prostitute from a brothel in Yangzhou during the Qing Dynasty. He bumbles his way into the Forbidden City and has a fateful encounter with the young...
, a character previously portrayed by Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, Stephen Chow
Stephen Chow
Stephen Chow Sing-Chi is a Hong Kong actor, comedian, screenwriter, film director and producer.- Professional career :Stephen Chow began as a temporary actor for TVB. He entered TVB in early 1980s, and was trained there, although he had few opportunities to appear in films. Chow graduated from...
and Jordan Chan
Jordan Chan
Jordan Chan Siu-Chun is a Chinese actor and musician from Hong Kong.Chan got his start by enrolling in the TVB Dancers' Training Class in 1985. Soon after graduation, he joined a few of the studio's troupes that would accompany popular singers during their live performances...
in many television and film adaptations.
The Monkey King: Quest for the Sutra
The Monkey King: Quest for the Sutra
The Monkey King: Quest for the Sutra is a 2002 Hong Kong/Taiwanese TV series based on the classic Chinese novel: Journey to the West. It is also a remake of the 90's TVB version....
In 2001, Andy Lau
Andy Lau
Andy Lau MH, JP is a Hong Kong Cantopop singer, actor, and film producer. Lau has been one of Hong Kong's most commercially successful film actors since the mid-1980s, performing in more than 160 films while maintaining a successful singing career at the same time...
's NMG
NMG (radio station)
NMG is the callsign of the National Hurricane Center's Atlantic basin radiofax radio station. It broadcasts from the United States Coast Guard station in New Orleans, Louisiana with 5 kilowatts of power....
production company produced another television adaptation of Journey to the West
Journey to the West
Journey to the West is one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. It was written by Wu Cheng'en in the 16th century. In English-speaking countries, the tale is also often known simply as Monkey. This was one title used for a popular, abridged translation by Arthur Waley...
. Cheung was given a chance to once again portray the role that made him a household name. The series was broadcast in 2002 on TVB. Although it received high ratings, many felt it was not as good as the 1996 version.
TV series
- Shi Da Qi Yuan (2008)
- The Kung Fu Master Wong Fei Hung (2008)
- Project AProject AProject A is a 1983 Hong Kong martial arts action comedy film written and directed by Jackie Chan, and starring Chan, Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao....
(2007) - AyoAyo"Ayo!" is an R&B/Go-go song by American singer-songwriter Mýa and features DJ Kool. The track was produced by Chris Henderson for Harrison fourth studio album Liberation. Ayo! was written by Chris Henderson, Mýa, and Charlie Smalls....
(2007) - The Proud Twins (2005)
- Magic Chef (2005)
- HeroHeroA hero , in Greek mythology and folklore, was originally a demigod, their cult being one of the most distinctive features of ancient Greek religion...
/ Tian Xia Di Yi / Number One in The world (2005) - The Luckiest Man (2005)
- The Legend Of The Treasure Basin (2004)
- Kung Fu SoccerKung Fu SoccerKung Fu Soccer is a Hong Kong television drama series that aired on TVB from December 6, 2004 to January 9, 2005.- Synopsis :Kung Fu Soccer is about the soccer world intwined with talented people. Each character has a special Kung Fu talent that they use to play soccer.Lam Chung Fu was once a...
(2004) - Taiji Prodigy (2003)
- The Monkey King: Quest for the SutraThe Monkey King: Quest for the SutraThe Monkey King: Quest for the Sutra is a 2002 Hong Kong/Taiwanese TV series based on the classic Chinese novel: Journey to the West. It is also a remake of the 90's TVB version....
(2002) - The Luckiest Man (2003)
- Mr. Winner (2002)
- Smart Kid (2001)
- Chess WarriorsChess WarriorsChess warriors was a TV programme in 2001. It has a mixture of action and romance in the programme.- Cast :*張衛健 as xuē yí piào- the red horse *樊亦敏 as lěng yán - the red Minister...
(2001) - The New Adventures of Chor Lau-heung (2001)
- Duke of Mount Deer 2000Duke of Mount Deer 2000The Duke of Mount Deer 2000 is a television series adapted from Louis Cha's novel The Deer and the Cauldron. It was first broadcast in 2000 in Hong Kong and followed by subsequent broadcasts in other Asian countries.-Plot:...
(2000) - Young Hero Fang Shiyu (1999)
- Swordman I (1999)
- Happy Flying Dragon (1997)
- Journey to the WestJourney to the West (1996 TV series)Journey to the West is a 1996 Hong Kong TV series produced by TVB, based on the classic Chinese novel of the same name.The series was very popular during its original run on TVB Jade, mostly because of Dicky Cheung's performance as the Monkey King Sun Wukong.A sequel, Journey to the West II, was...
(1996) - Sun WukongSun WukongSun Wukong , also known as the Monkey King is a main character in the classical Chinese epic novel Journey to the West . In the novel, he is a monkey born from a stone who acquires supernatural powers through Taoist practices... - The Buddy Gang (1995)
- Edge of Righteousness (1992)
- Wong Fei Hung Returns (1992)
- Mystery of the Twin Swords II (1992)
- Mystery of the Twin Swords (1991)
- The little boy from China (1991)
- The Legend of the Book and the SwordThe Legend of the Book and the Sword (1987 TV series)The Legend of the Book and Sword is a Hong Kong television series adapted from Louis Cha's novel The Book and the Sword. The series was first aired on TVB in Hong Kong in 1987.-Cast:*Pang Man-kin as Chan Ka-lok / Fuk Hong-on...
(1987)
Films
- 72 Tenants of Prosperity72 Tenants of Prosperity72 Tenants of Prosperity is a 2010 Hong Kong comedy film by Shaw Brothers Studio, Television Broadcasts Limited, United Filmmakers Organization, Sil-Metropole Organisation and Sun Wah Media Group. Directed by Eric Tsang and starring Eric Tsang, Jacky Cheung and Anita Yuen...
(2010) - Champions (2008)
- Eastern Legend (2007)
- Golden Chicken 2Golden Chicken 2Golden Chicken 2 is a 2003 Hong Kong film directed by Samson Chiu. It is a sequel to the 2002 Golden Chicken.-Cast and roles:* Sandra Ng - Kam* Bing - Granny B in the queue* Cha Man-Wet - Mainland businessman A...
(2003) - Shaolin Popey II Messy Temple (1994)
- Bloody Brothers (1994)
- Chez 'n Ham (1993)
- Even Mountains Meet (1993)
- Holy WeaponHoly WeaponHoly Weapon is a 1993 Hong Kong wuxia film directed by Wong Jing. The film's Chinese title means Seven Princesses of Wuxia.- Plot :...
(1993) - Hero of Hong Kong 1949 (1993)
- Last Hero in ChinaLast Hero in ChinaLast Hero in China is a 1993 Hong Kong film written and directed by Wong Jing. It was released after the original Once Upon a Time in China trilogy...
(1993) - Kung Fu Scholar (1993) - Lun Man Chui (Cantonese)
- The Black Panther Warriors (1993)
- Prince of Portland Street (1993)
- My Hero 2My Hero 2My Hero 2 is a 1993 Hong Kong comedy film directed by Joe Chu, starring Dicky Cheung and Ng Man Tat, with a cameo appearance of Stephen Chow.-Cast:* Dicky Cheung* Stephen Chow* Ng Man-tat* Vivian Lai* Meg Lam* Joe Chu...
(1993) - Future CopsFuture CopsFuture Cops is a 1993 Hong Kong action-comedy film loosely based on the Street Fighter video game franchise.It was the first live-action film to feature characters from the Street Fighter series, the second being City Hunter starring Jackie Chan, which was also directed by Wong Jing, but released...
(1993) - Hero – Beyond the Boundary of Time (1993)
- Vampire Family (1993)
- To Miss with Love (1988)
- The Good, the Bad & the Beauty (1988)
- Puppy LovePuppy lovePuppy love is an informal term for feelings of love or infatuation felt by young people during childhood and adolescence, so-called for its resemblance to the adoring, worshipful affection that may be felt by a puppy. 'Simple infatuation is often called a "crush" or "puppy love"...
(1985) - Crazy Games (1985)
- Young Cops (1985)