Charles Heung

Biography

Charles Heung was born in Guangdong in 1948, the tenth of thirteen siblings. His father, Heung Chin, was a general in the Chinese Nationalist Army and the founder of the Sun Yee On triad. Heung received his education in Hong Kong, graduating from the Lion Rock Road Lick Sz Kindergarten in 1954 and Munsang College in 1967. He entered the film industry through his role in the 1974 Republic of China military film "The Spirit of Whampoa," where he portrayed a military officer and was honored by the Ministry of National Defense. In 1983, he co-founded the Win's Motion Picture production company with his younger brother Heung Wah-sing, and they parted ways in 1993. In 1994, he and his wife Chan Lam established Win's Entertainment (the predecessor of China Star Group). Heung delivered notable film performances, most notably the character "Long Wu" in the gambling film series and "Lan Chiang" in "Lan Chiang Tran," which earned him a Best Actor nomination at the 1992 Hong Kong Film Awards. He became chairman of China Star Group in 1996 and produced successful films such as "The Black Gold," "Hidden Battle," "Needing You," and "Mr. Vampire." He was married twice, first to Taiwanese actress Ting Pei with whom he had a daughter, and then to Taiwanese producer Chan Lam with whom he had two sons. In 2021, his application for immigration to Taiwan was rejected due to his family's organized crime background and his pro-China political stance.