Tian Feng

Biography

Tian Feng, born Tian Yukun on June 4, 1928 in Zhengzhou, Henan, was a veteran and accomplished actor in Hong Kong and Taiwan. He loved drama from his school days and began performing on stage in his youth. In 1949 he joined a military drama troupe and moved to Taiwan with the army, where he appeared in the first Mandarin-language Taiwanese film "Alishan Fengyun" directed by Chang Cheh. In 1960 he moved to Hong Kong and, after only two months at Shaw Brothers, had already appeared in nine films, earning him the nickname "Tian Nine Films." Over a career spanning more than sixty years, he collaborated with major directors such as Li Han-hsiang, Hu Jinquan, Chang Cheh, and Wong Kar-wai, among others, and appeared in over two hundred productions, making him regarded as a versatile supporting actor who could play both ancient and modern roles, good and evil. Beyond acting, he also worked as director, assistant director, and producer, directing films such as "The Golden Seal." In the 1970s he left Shaw Brothers to earn more money to fund his children's education abroad. He returned to Taiwan in the late 1970s and early 1980s and took part in popular television dramas such as "Stars Know My Heart." He received multiple Golden Bell Award nominations for Best Actor, and on November 22, 2014 he was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 51st Golden Horse Awards. He was fond of tea and collected teapots, and remained technologically savvy into his later years. He passed away in Hong Kong on October 6, 2015, at the age of eighty-seven.