Yuen Woo Ping

Biography

Yuen Woo Ping is a renowned Hong Kong action choreographer and film director, born on 24 August 1945, nicknamed "Uncle Eight" (八爺). He comes from a martial arts family, as his father Yuen Siu-tien was the first martial arts director in cinema history. Yuen learned martial arts from a young age alongside his brothers under his father's guidance. He began his career at age twenty as a stuntman and martial arts extra in films, and became a martial arts director for the first time at age twenty-five in the film "Mad Killer". In 1978, he transitioned to film director with the support of Ng See-yuan, directing "Snake in the Eagle's Shadow" and "Drunken Master" that same year, both of which achieved great success. Together with his brothers, he formed the "Yuen Family Troupe", which became one of the main pillars of martial arts direction in Hong Kong cinema. He has won the Hong Kong Film Award for Best Action Choreography six times and received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 10th Asian Film Awards in 2016. Yuen is considered one of the most successful and influential action choreographers in cinema history, and was also a teacher of martial arts star Donnie Yen. His nickname "Uncle Eight" comes from being the eighth among eight sworn brothers in the film industry.