Yuen Qiu

Biography

Yuen Qiu is a Hong Kong martial arts actress, born Zhang Zhuannan on April 19, 1950. She is the third of seven siblings and has a sister, actress Wen Xue'er. Her father, Zhang Yucheng, was a Peking Opera actor from Shandong who became a martial arts instructor in Cantonese Opera after moving to Hong Kong. At age ten, she was sent to study Peking Opera at the Chinese Drama Research Institute founded by her father's friend Yu Zhanyuan, becoming a member of the "Seven Little Fortune" alongside Yuen Wah, Jackie Chan, and Sammo Hung. After seven years, she entered the film industry as a stuntwoman, one of the few female stunt performers at the time. She used stage names including Gan Jiafeng and Lin Xiu. She married martial arts director Lu Jungu and retired from acting in the 1980s, having a son and a daughter. In 1989 she directed her only film, "Fiery Action," using her real name. She returned to acting after an 18-year retirement when Stephen Chow noticed her during an audition for "Kung Fu Hustle," where she played the landlady of Longzhu Colony. She gained nearly 14 kilograms in two months to meet the role's requirements. She won the Best Supporting Actress award at Taiwan's Golden Horse Awards in 2005 for this film. She subsequently appeared in notable television dramas on ATV and TVB, including "Happy Family," "Find the Iron Bridge," "Heroes of the Walled City," and "Iron Fist Hero," earning critical acclaim for her performances.