Wu Ma
Encyclopedia
Wu Ma is a Chinese actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...

, director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...

, producer
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...

 and writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....

. Wu Ma made his screen debut in 1963, and with over 180 appearances to his name (plus 38 directorial credits within a twenty-five year period), Wu Ma is one of the most familiar faces in the history of Hong Kong Cinema. He is best known as the Taoist ghosthunter in A Chinese Ghost Story
A Chinese Ghost Story
A Chinese Ghost Story is a 1987 Hong Kong romantic comedy horror film starring Leslie Cheung, Joey Wong, and Wu Ma, directed by Ching Siu-tung, and produced by Tsui Hark...

.

The early years

Wu was born Feng Hongyuan in Tianjin
Tianjin
' is a metropolis in northern China and one of the five national central cities of the People's Republic of China. It is governed as a direct-controlled municipality, one of four such designations, and is, thus, under direct administration of the central government...

. At 16 he moved to Guangzhou
Guangzhou
Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...

 and became a machinist
Machinist
A machinist is a person who uses machine tools to make or modify parts, primarily metal parts, a process known as machining. This is accomplished by using machine tools to cut away excess material much as a woodcarver cuts away excess wood to produce his work. In addition to metal, the parts may...

 before migrating to Hong Kong
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...

 in 1960. In 1962, Wu enrolled in the Shaw Brothers acting course. Graduating a year later, he became a contract player for the studio and made his first appearance in Lady General Hua Mulan
Lady General Hua Mulan
Lady General Hua Mulan is a 1964 Hong Kong Huangmei opera musical film, directed by Yuek Feng, depicting the story of Hua Mulan.- Synopsis :...

. He then appeared in such films as Temple Of The Red Lotus (1965), The Knight Of Knights (1966) and Trail Of The Broken Blade (1967). He took on the stage name 'Wu Ma' as it reflected the animal in the year of his birth (the horse
Horse
The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...

), and believed it was short enough for audiences to remember.

During an interview, Wu explained that he stumbled upon directing when he was offered an unexpected trip to Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

 for a movie. The film's original assistant director
Assistant director
The role of an Assistant director include tracking daily progress against the filming production schedule, arranging logistics, preparing daily call sheets, checking cast and crew, maintaining order on the set. They also have to take care of health and safety of the crew...

 was unable to clear his visa in time, and Wu was called upon to take his place. After the experience, Wu decided to become a director, and became famed director Chang Cheh
Chang Cheh
Chang Cheh was Shaw Brothers Studio's best known and most prolific film director, with such films as the Five Venoms, the Brave Archer , the The One-Armed Swordsman, and other classics of wuxia and kung fu film.-Career:Referred to as "The Godfather of Hong Kong cinema", Chang Cheh directed over 100...

's assistant in 1968. Wu assisted Chang in movies such as The Golden Swallow, and also continued to pursue acting.

The 1970s

In 1970, Wu became a director in his own right. His directorial debut, Wrath Of The Sword, was released the same year. In 1971, Wu released one of his seminial works, The Deaf And Mute Heroine.

Wu mainly concentrated on directing in the 1970s, directing several movies - such as Young Tiger (1973) and Wits To Wits (1974). Wits To Wits has been noted as one of the precursors of the knockabout comedy kung fu genre that was later made famous by Sammo Hung
Sammo Hung
Sammo Hung is a Hong Kong actor, martial artist, film producer and director, known for his work in many martial arts films and Hong Kong action cinema...

 and Jackie Chan
Jackie Chan
Jackie Chan, SBS, MBE is a Hong Kong actor, action choreographer, comedian, director, producer, martial artist, screenwriter, entrepreneur, singer and stunt performer. In his movies, he is known for his acrobatic fighting style, comic timing, use of improvised weapons, and innovative stunts...

. Another movie Wu directed, Manchu Boxer (1974), featured Sammo Hung, then a young choreographer and later one of the trend-setters of Hong Kong cinema. This marked the beginning of a strong working relationship between the two, which would become prominent towards the 1980s. He also co-directed with his former mentor Chang in several movies - The Water Margin (1972), The Pirate
The Pirate
The Pirate is a 1948 American musical feature film from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. With songs by Cole Porter, it stars Judy Garland and Gene Kelly with co-stars Walter Slezak, Gladys Cooper, Reginald Owen, and George Zucco.-Plot:...

(1973), All Men Are Brothers (1975) and Naval Commandos
Naval Commandos
Naval Commandos is a Shaw Brothers film directed by Chang Cheh, who is famous for his martial arts cinematography, but ventured into military combat action with the production of this war movie based upon the War of Resistance/WWII .-Plot:...

(1976).

While most of his output during this period was as a director, Wu continued to appear as an actor and appeared both in his own movies and in several others, although his roles were generally limited to small appearances.

During the mid-1970s, Wu joined a small exodus who were leaving Shaw Brothers due to corruption within the studio and became an independent director. Despite becoming an independent director, Wu was still able to work closely with some Shaw Brothers stars such as Ti Lung
Ti Lung
Tommy Tam Fu-Wing, also known as Ti Lung , or Dik Lung, is a Hong Kong actor.-Background:He studied Wing Chun under the martial arts master Chu Wan. In 1969, Ti was found by the Shaw Brothers and cast in Return of the One-Armed Swordsman opposite Jimmy Wang Yu, a role which would launch his career...

 (The Massive (1978)).

The 1980s

As the 1970s and the era of the martial arts film
Martial arts film
Martial arts film is a film genre. A sub-genre of the action film, martial arts films contain numerous fights between characters, usually as the films' primary appeal and entertainment value, and often as a method of storytelling and character expression and development. Martial arts are frequently...

 wound down, Wu Ma's output as a director also slowed. His acting output, however, increased as he became increasingly well-known as a character actor.

While Wu had made appearances in Hung's 1970s movies (such as Iron Fisted Monk), Wu's association with Sammo Hung began in earnest in the early 1980s. Wu appeared in Hung's groundbreaking Encounters of the Spooky Kind
Encounters of the Spooky Kind
Encounters of the Spooky Kind is a 1980 Hong Kong martial arts action comedy horror film written, choreographed, directed by and starring Sammo Hung. The film was produced by Hung's production company Bo Ho Film Company.It was released as Spooky Encounters in the US...

(1980), a movie widely acknowledged as the precursor of the Hong Kong vampire
Vampire
Vampires are mythological or folkloric beings who subsist by feeding on the life essence of living creatures, regardless of whether they are undead or a living person...

 genre, and directed and appeared in The Dead And The Deadly (1983), a noted classic in its genre which earned Wu a Hong Kong Film Award nomination for Best Director. Throughout the 1980s, Wu and Hung had a close working relationship, often with Wu as the director and Hung as the producer (such as My Cousin The Ghost (1986)).

Wu also worked in Hung's production company Bo Ho as the production manager, and made appearances in almost every Hung-directed movie of the 1980s. Amongst the most notable movies were Millionaire's Express
Millionaire's Express
Millionaire's Express aka. Shanghai Express is a 1986 Hong Kong martial arts action western film written and directed by Sammo Hung. Film starred Hung, Yuen Biao, Rosamund Kwan, Mei-sheng Fan and Hwang Jang Lee.-Plot:...

(1986) and Wheels on Meals
Wheels on Meals
Wheels on Meals is a 1984 Hong Kong martial arts action film written and directed by Sammo Hung. Starring in the film are Hung, Jackie Chan and Yuen Biao...

(1984).

Towards the mid-1980s, Wu became one of the most prolific character actors in Hong Kong, his now-rubbery face able to shift effortlessly across a spectrum of emotions. During the 1980s, he received three Hong Kong Film Award nominations for Best Supporting Actor - for Righting Wrongs
Righting Wrongs
Righting Wrongs is a 1986 Hong Kong martial arts action crime film directed by Corey Yuen , starring Yuen Biao and Cynthia Rothrock. This is the one of Yuen Biao's better known films that he made without film industry compatriots Sammo Hung and Jackie Chan.-Title:The film's Hong Kong English...

(1986), where he played a policeman having to deal with his son's death; A Chinese Ghost Story
A Chinese Ghost Story
A Chinese Ghost Story is a 1987 Hong Kong romantic comedy horror film starring Leslie Cheung, Joey Wong, and Wu Ma, directed by Ching Siu-tung, and produced by Tsui Hark...

(1987) as Yin Chek-Ha; and in The Last Eunuch In China (1988), as Lord Ting.

Wu also began a working relationship with Tsui Hark
Tsui Hark
Tsui Hark , born Tsui Man-kong, is a Hong Kong New Wave film director and producer. He is viewed as a major figure in the Golden Age of Hong Kong cinema .-Early life:...

, and appeared in several of Hark's movies. Aside from A Chinese Ghost Story
A Chinese Ghost Story
A Chinese Ghost Story is a 1987 Hong Kong romantic comedy horror film starring Leslie Cheung, Joey Wong, and Wu Ma, directed by Ching Siu-tung, and produced by Tsui Hark...

, Wu also appeared in the earlier Peking Opera Blues
Peking Opera Blues
Peking Opera Blues is a 1986 Hong Kong film directed by Tsui Hark. The movie combines comedy, Hong Kong action, and serious drama with scenes involving Peking Opera...

(1986).

After A Chinese Ghost Story
A Chinese Ghost Story
A Chinese Ghost Story is a 1987 Hong Kong romantic comedy horror film starring Leslie Cheung, Joey Wong, and Wu Ma, directed by Ching Siu-tung, and produced by Tsui Hark...

, said by Wu to be amongst his favourite movies, Wu began to focus on the supernatural genre. Much of his directorial efforts after 1987 were within that genre, such as Portrait Of A Nymph (1988), Burning Sensation (1989) and Fox Legend (1991).

1990s

Wu continued his working relationship with Hark, and appeared in Once Upon A Time In China
Once Upon a Time in China
Once Upon a Time in China is a Hong Kong martial arts action/adventure film franchise directed, written, and produced by Tsui Hark. The stories are based on the life of the legendary kung fu master, Traditional Chinese medicine practitioner, and Chinese folk hero, Wong Fei Hung...

(1991) and Swordsman (1991). The early 1990s were an especially prolific period in Wu's career - with Wu appearing in over 14 movies during one year.

As the Hong Kong film industry began to slump, Wu's career also slowed considerably. After appearing in High Risk (1995), many of his appearances were either in low-budget movies or in television series.

2000s

Wu has become an active player in television, and has made several series mainly made for mainland Chinese audiences. Wu stated that working in television is quite a contrast to working in film, as the former takes up far more time. Wu has also appeared in the recent movie House of Fury
House of Fury
House of Fury is a 2005 Hong Kong martial arts-action film directed by the film's co-star Stephen Fung. Jackie Chan was one of the executive producers .-Plot:...

(2005).

Filmography

Year Title Role Awards
2011 White Vengeance
White Vengeance
White Vengeance, also known as Hong Men Yan, is an upcoming Chinese historical film directed by Daniel Lee and starring Leon Lai, Feng Shaofeng, Liu Yifei, Zhang Hanyu, Anthony Wong, Jordan Chan, Andy On, Xiu Qing and Jia Qing...


鴻門宴
Grand Tutor
I Love Hong Kong
I Love Hong Kong
I Love Hong Kong is a 2011 Hong Kong comedy film produced and directed by Eric Tsang. Film stars Tsang, Tony Leung Ka-fai, Sandra Ng and a star-studded cast of Hong Kong stars. It was released in Chinese New Year Day.-Ng family:-Other cast:...

Legendary Amazons
Legendary Amazons
Legendary Amazons is a 2011 Chinese film based on the stories of the Yang Clan Generals. The film is directed by Frankie Chan and stars Cecilia Cheung, Richie Ren, Liu Xiaoqing, Cheng Pei-pei, Kathy Chow, Chen Zihan and Jin Qiaoqiao...


楊門女將之軍令如山
Imperial Tutor Pang
2010 Here Comes Fortune
Common Heroes
Jeet Kune Do
14 Blades
14 Blades
14 Blades is a 2010 wuxia film directed by Daniel Lee and starring Donnie Yen, Zhao Wei, Wu Chun, Kate Tsui and Qi Yuwu. The film was released on February 4 in China and February 11 in Hong Kong...


錦衣衛
Qiao Yong
Journey to the West
西遊記
2009 Chongqing Girl
2008 Ticket
Ticket (film)
Ticket is a film produced by Im Kwon Taek in 1985. It depicts the sometimes brutal life of the Korean tabang girls. Tabangs are coffee houses in Korea and many offer outcall services in which the girls deliver coffee to customers, and sometimes extra sexual services for a price termed a "ticket"....


車票
When East Meets West
東邊西邊
The Qin Empire
The Qin Empire (TV series)
The Qin Empire is a 2009 Chinese television series based on Sun Haohui's novel of the same Chinese title. The 51 episodes long series chronicles the rise of the Qin state in the Warring States Period during the reign of Duke Xiao of Qin...


大秦帝國
Baili Yao
Bing Sheng
Bing Sheng
Bing Sheng is a 2008 Chinese television series produced by Zhang Jizhong, starring Zhu Yawen, Li Tai, Hu Jing, Zhao Yi, He Zhuoyan, Xu Huanhuan, Tu Men and Wu Ma. The series is based on a semi-fictional biography of the ancient Chinese militarist Sun Tzu, author of The Art of War...


兵聖
Yan Ying
Taste of Happiness
幸福的味道
Mei Lan's grandfather
2007 The Legend and the Hero
The Legend and the Hero
The Legend and the Hero is a Chinese television series adapted from the classical Chinese novel Fengshen Bang by Xu Zhonglin and Lu Xixing...


封神榜之鳳鳴岐山
Shang Rong
Shang Rong
Shang Rong was a high official of Shang Dynasty. He is also a major character featured in the famed ancient Chinese novel Fengshen Yanyi.-Plot in Fengshen Yanyi:...

 
Sword Stained with Royal Blood
Sword Stained with Royal Blood (2007 TV series)
Sword Stained with Royal Blood is a 2007 Chinese television series adapted from Louis Cha's novel of the same title. The series was first broadcast on CTV in Taiwan in 2007.-Cast:*Bobby Dou as Yuan Chengzhi*Eva Huang as Xia Qingqing...


碧血劍
Wen Fangda
2005 House of Fury
House of Fury
House of Fury is a 2005 Hong Kong martial arts-action film directed by the film's co-star Stephen Fung. Jackie Chan was one of the executive producers .-Plot:...


精武家庭
Uncle Chiu
1995 High Risk
鼠胆龍威
Frankie's Father
1993 Painted Skin
Painted Skin (1993 film)
Painted Skin is a 1993 Hong Kong supernatural horror film starring Adam Cheng, Joey Wong, Sammo Hung, Lam Ching Ying, and Wu Ma. It was directed by King Hu....


画皮之阴阳法王
Zhang's Senior
The Sword Stained with Royal Blood
The Sword Stained with Royal Blood (film)
The Sword Stained with Royal Blood is a 1993 Hong Kong film based on Louis Cha's novel Sword Stained with Royal Blood.-Cast:*Yuen Biao as Constable Yuen Sing-chi*Yip Chuen-chan as Wan Ching-ching*Sharla Cheung as Ah-kau / Princess Cheung-ping...


新碧血劍
Suen Chung-Sau
1991 The Magnificent Scoundrels
The Magnificent Scoundrels
The Magnificent Scoundrels is a 1991 Hong Kong film directed by Lee Lik-Chi.-Plot:"Ching Sing" is a mediocre con artist who crosses paths with Teresa Mo, a fellow con artist. Together they impersonate various people and creates numerous schemes to make money...


情聖
Fatt
The Swordsman
The Swordsman
The Swordsman or Swordsman is a 1990 Hong Kong wuxia film. King Hu was credited as the director but he allegedly left the project midway, and the film was completed by a team led by producer Tsui Hark. The film is adapted from Louis Cha's novel The Smiling, Proud Wanderer...


笑傲江湖
Liu Zhengfeng
Once Upon a Time in China
Once Upon a Time in China
Once Upon a Time in China is a Hong Kong martial arts action/adventure film franchise directed, written, and produced by Tsui Hark. The stories are based on the life of the legendary kung fu master, Traditional Chinese medicine practitioner, and Chinese folk hero, Wong Fei Hung...


黃飛鴻
So
1990 Magic Cop
Magic Cop
Magic Cop aka. Kui moh ging chaat or Qu mo jing cha, Mr. Vampire 5 is a 1990 Hong Kong film produced by and starring Lam Ching-ying.-Plot:...


驅魔警察
Ma
A Chinese Ghost Story II
A Chinese Ghost Story II
A Chinese Ghost Story II is a 1990 Hong Kong romantic comedy-horror film directed by Ching Siu-tung and produced by Tsui Hark...


倩女幽魂Ⅱ:人間道
Yin Chek Hsia
Story of Kennedy Town
Story of Kennedy Town
Story of Kennedy Town is a 1990 Hong Kong film directed by Wu Ma.-Cast and roles:* Mark Cheng - Kao Tieng Chiang* Sharla Cheung - Li * Aaron Kwok - Li Shao Wei* Waise Lee - Chuang Peng* Chu Tau - thug* Chun Kwai Bo - Ying's thug...


西環的故事
Detective Sergeant Huang
1989 Mr Canton and Lady Rose
奇蹟
Uncle Hoi
1988 Mr Vampire IV
Last Eunuch in China
中國最後一個太監
Lord Ting Nominated - Hong Kong Film Award for Best Supporting Actor
Hong Kong Film Award for Best Supporting Actor
The Hong Kong Film Award for Best Supporting Actor is an annual Hong Kong industry award presented to an actor for the best performance by an actor in a supporting role.-History:...

1987 A Chinese Ghost Story
A Chinese Ghost Story
A Chinese Ghost Story is a 1987 Hong Kong romantic comedy horror film starring Leslie Cheung, Joey Wong, and Wu Ma, directed by Ching Siu-tung, and produced by Tsui Hark...


倩女幽魂
Yin Chek Hsia Nominated - Hong Kong Film Award for Best Supporting Actor
Hong Kong Film Award for Best Supporting Actor
The Hong Kong Film Award for Best Supporting Actor is an annual Hong Kong industry award presented to an actor for the best performance by an actor in a supporting role.-History:...

1986 Peking Opera Blues
Peking Opera Blues
Peking Opera Blues is a 1986 Hong Kong film directed by Tsui Hark. The movie combines comedy, Hong Kong action, and serious drama with scenes involving Peking Opera...


刀馬旦
Mr. Wong
Righting Wrongs
Righting Wrongs
Righting Wrongs is a 1986 Hong Kong martial arts action crime film directed by Corey Yuen , starring Yuen Biao and Cynthia Rothrock. This is the one of Yuen Biao's better known films that he made without film industry compatriots Sammo Hung and Jackie Chan.-Title:The film's Hong Kong English...


執法先鋒
Uncle Tsai Nominated - Hong Kong Film Award for Best Supporting Actor
Hong Kong Film Award for Best Supporting Actor
The Hong Kong Film Award for Best Supporting Actor is an annual Hong Kong industry award presented to an actor for the best performance by an actor in a supporting role.-History:...

Millionaire's Express
Millionaire's Express
Millionaire's Express aka. Shanghai Express is a 1986 Hong Kong martial arts action western film written and directed by Sammo Hung. Film starred Hung, Yuen Biao, Rosamund Kwan, Mei-sheng Fan and Hwang Jang Lee.-Plot:...


富貴列車
1985 Twinkle, Twinkle Lucky Stars
Twinkle, Twinkle Lucky Stars
Twinkle, Twinkle Lucky Stars is a 1985 Hong Kong action comedy film directed and co-written by Sammo Hung. It is the third instalment in the Lucky Stars series, following Winners and Sinners and My Lucky Stars...


夏日福星
Witch-doctor
Mr Vampire
殭屍先生
Rice shop boss
1984 Hong Kong 1941
Hong Kong 1941
Hong Kong 1941 is a 1983 Hong Kong film, directed by Leong Po-Chih and written by Sammo Hung.-Synopsis:The film takes places shortly before and during the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong during World War II...


等待黎明
Liu Yan-mau
Pom Pom
Pom Pom (film)
Pom Pom is a 1984 Hong Kong action comedy film directed by Joe Cheung. It is the first in a series of four Pom Pom films starring Richard Ng and John Shum....


神勇雙響炮
Police station employee
1983 The Dead and The Deadly
人嚇人
Ma Lun Cheung Nominated - Hong Kong Film Award for Best Director
Hong Kong Film Award for Best Director
The Hong Kong Film Award for Best Director is an annual Hong Kong industry award presented to a director for the best achievement in cinematic direction.-History:...

Project A
Project A
Project 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....


A 計劃
Mahjong cheat
1981 Prodigal Son
敗家仔
Iron Palm
1980 Encounters of the Spooky Kind
Encounters of the Spooky Kind
Encounters of the Spooky Kind is a 1980 Hong Kong martial arts action comedy horror film written, choreographed, directed by and starring Sammo Hung. The film was produced by Hung's production company Bo Ho Film Company.It was released as Spooky Encounters in the US...


鬼打鬼
1978 The Massive
Showdown at the Cotton Mill
Showdown at the Cotton Mill
Showdown At The Cotton Mill is a 1978 film directed by Wu Ma. The film is a sequel to Shoalin Avengers...

Director
1977 The Iron-Fisted Monk
The Iron-Fisted Monk
The Iron-Fisted Monk is a 1977 Hong Kong martial arts action film written and directed by Sammo Hung his directorial debut...


三德和尚与舂米六
Boatman in brothel
1972 The Water Margin
水滸傳
1971 The Deaf and Mute Heroine
1969 The One-Armed Swordsman
獨臂刀
1965 Temple of The Red Lotus

External links and references




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