Chun Wong

Biography

Chun Wong, original name Leung Yat-shing, is a Hong Kong male actor born into an ordinary family living in Wong Tai Sin. His father, Leung Chuen-lee, ran "Leung Chuen-lee Scissors" on Kowloon City's Nga Tsin Wai Road. As a child, he played in nearby farmlands and streams catching fish. He studied at Chi Lin Buddhist School and Tai Tung Secondary School. After graduation, he worked in construction until 1975 when Commercial Television (CTV) launched. Introduced by his wife Mo Pui-man to radio founder Ho Sau-chi, he was then introduced to the producer of CTV's "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" and began as an extra. The producer found his performance amusing and cast him as "Zhou Botong", launching his acting career. After CTV closed in 1978, he joined protests over unpaid salaries. He then spent several years at Shaw Brothers working with director Li Han-hsiang, who gave him his stage name "Chun Wong" by removing the "Shi" (始) from "Shi Huang" (始皇) meaning "shameless", to match his warlord roles. He signed with TVB in 1979, making "The Salt Seller" his first TVB drama. He has served TVB for over 40 years, appearing in over 110 series, mostly playing plump, lovable loyal characters like Zhou Botong, Cheng Zhijie, and Mao Shiba. His role as Zhou Botong in the 1983 TVB classic "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" made him widely known across Greater China. In 2008, he fell into the sea while drunk after an outing in Cheung Chau, suffering head injuries and a life-threatening condition. In 2016, he received the "Professional Actor Award" at the TVB Anniversary Awards for his contributions.