James (Jansen)

Biography

James (Jansen), whose real name is not disclosed in the sources, was a Hong Kong actor of Taiwanese origin born on April 24, 1940, in Wufeng, Taichung, Taiwan. In his early years, he applied to work at the Guolian Company in Taiwan, where director Song Chunshou recognized his talent and brought him into the film world. He began his acting career in 1964 and moved to Hong Kong in 1969 to join Shaw Brothers Studio, where he became known for playing villainous roles. He achieved widespread fame in 1975 by appearing in several films from the Qianlong Emperor series directed by Li Hanxiang. Over his career, he performed in up to 160 action films. In 1977, he married the famous erotic actress Yu Shali, but the marriage was short-lived and ended in divorce. James passed away in April 1984 at the age of 44 after suffering a sudden heart attack while bathing at the Shaw Brothers actors' dormitory.