Lam Kau (Lin Jiao)

Biography

Actor Lam Kau was born in Xinhui, Jiangmen, Guangdong province in 1922. He learned martial arts and joined Cantonese opera troupes, specializing in soldier and officer roles, and also served as an officer during wartime. He moved to Hong Kong in 1949 and was discovered by chance in 1950 when he performed a dangerous stunt without safety equipment during a studio visit, which made him famous in the film industry. He landed his first leading role in the film "The Desert Heroine" (Huang Jiang Nu Xia) on the recommendation of actress Qian Siying. Throughout his career, he appeared in over 600 films, with his output reaching more than 50 films in a single year. He signed with Shaw Brothers film studio in 1967. Lam Kau was also a jockey in the 1950s and later established a famous acting school that produced a generation of prominent actors and directors. In his later years, he was known for comedic roles in TV series and films such as "Her Fatal Ways" (Biao Jie, Hao Ya!). He founded the charitable organization "Luan Yu Tang" which provided services for actors and the elderly. He passed away in 2009 in Hong Kong at the age of 87 after suffering from heart disease.