Veteran actor, director and martial arts choreographer Yuen Cheung-yan has died at the age of 69.
He was best known by film fans for appearing in Stephen Chow’s 2004 action comedy Kung Fu Hustle, but was also a member of renowned Hong Kong family the Yuens, who showed a remarkable talent for action and martial arts choreography.
His work in Hollywood also saw him contribute to classic blockbusters like Charlie’s Angels and The Matrix franchise.
Yuen died at midday on January 1 at Hong Kong’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital, according to film director and actor Lee Lik-chi.
He shared the news on his Weibo page on Thursday, in a post seen by the South China Morning Post.
Local media also cited an obituary shared by his widow.
‘May Master Yuen rest in eternal peace,’ Lee added, of Yuen.
A wake for the star will be held on February 1 at Universal Funeral Parlour, with a funeral to follow the next day, but no further details have yet been given regarding the cause of Yuen’s death.
Yuen played the tricksy Beggar in Kung Fu Hustle, who manages to sell Chow’s character the Buddha’s Palm manual, but also appeared in films including 1973’s Police Woman – opposite Jackie Chan in an earlier supporting role – and 1992’s King of Beggars, as well as 2014’s Once Upon a Time in Shanghai.
However, his work off-screen as an action and martial arts choreographer alongside directing several movies in Hong Kong, made an even greater impact.
He was awarded a prize at the 11th Hong Kong Film Awards for best action choreography for Once Upon a Time in China (1991), starring Jet Li, as one of its three choreographers.
The son of the late martial arts actor and choreographer Yuen Siu-tien, Yuen’s career began in the late 1960s.
Older brother Yuen Woo-ping, 80, is also a martial arts choreographer and director in Hong Kong and later Hollywood, with whom Yuen initially formed the Yuen Family production group.
Another brother, Yuen Shun-yi, is understood to be a martial artist, actor, and stuntman as well.
Yuen’s impressive Hollywood portfolio included iconic fight choreography for Charlie’s Angles in 1999, starring Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore and Lucy Liu, as well as its 2003 follow-up, Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle.
He was also credited with work on Daredevil in 2003, which starred Ben Affleck in the titular superhero role and Jennifer Garner as Elektra.
Yuen also worked on a franchise practically defined – and certainly instantly recognised – by its fight choreography, The Matrix, working on its 2003 sequels The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions.
Action star Donnie Yen also paid tribute to Yuen on social media, posting: ‘From our youthful encounter in Drunken Tai Chi (1984) to our recent collaboration in Sakra (2023). Brother Cheung Yan, your legacy shines in cinema as your spirit lives on.
‘We will cherish your memory forever. Rest in peace.’
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