Lee Sau Sing / Li Xiu Xian

Biography

Li Xiu Xian was born in 1952 in Shanghai to a family from Guangdong province, and moved to Hong Kong in 1955 where he grew up in a poor neighborhood. He received limited education and worked various modest jobs before entering the film industry. In 1970 he joined Shaw Brothers film company where he caught the attention of renowned director Chang Cheh who cast him as a leading man. He initially became known for action roles in martial arts films before establishing himself as a leading actor. He later transitioned to directing and producing, discovering his true talent in making police and crime films. He achieved a historic milestone in 1984 by winning Best Actor at both the Hong Kong Film Awards and Taiwan's Golden Horse Awards for his celebrated film "The Law Enforcer," which he wrote, directed, and starred in. In 1986 he founded "Wan Ning Pictures" and produced a string of successful crime films that became classics of Asian cinema. He discovered and launched the careers of several major stars including Stephen Chow, Anthony Wong, Nick Cheung, and Shing Fui-On. He is nicknamed "Li Sir" in recognition of his contributions to police films. In his later years he moved to Vancouver, Canada before returning to work in Chinese film and television.