1. Lam Ching-ying was a Hong Kong stuntman, actor, martial artist and action director.
39 Facts About Lam Ching-ying
1. 2.
Lam Ching-ying was born Lam Gun-bo on 27 December 1952 in the year of the Dragon, in Hong Kong.
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Lam Ching-ying's family originated from Shanghai, in the People's Republic of China.
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Lam Ching-ying's family was poor, and his parents weren't educated.
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Lam Ching-ying attended Shun Yi Association Elementary School in Hong Kong, but eventually dropped out after 2 years.
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Lam Ching-ying's father sent him to Chun Chau Drama Society to learn the Peking Opera style under the guidance of Madame Fan Fok-fa.
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Lam Ching-ying's first show was called "White Beach", but his Beijing Opera career only lasted for 5 years.
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Lam Ching-ying realized that there was not much demand for opera styles anymore.
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At age 17, Lam Ching-ying became a stuntman and martial arts coach at the Shaw Brothers Studio.
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Lam Ching-ying received HK$60 a day, HK$20 of which went to his master, and another HK$20 he took home to his parents.
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Lam Ching-ying used the remaining money to treat his brothers to snacks.
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Lam Ching-ying once mentioned those were his happiest days in his life.
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Lam Ching-ying put a pillow over his chest and stomach, then Bruce struck the pillow and sent him flying across the room.
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Lam Ching-ying started to work as an co-action choreographer, and personal assistant to Bruce Lee on Lee's movies including The Big Boss, Fist of Fury, Enter the Dragon, Way of the Dragon, and Game of Death.
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Lam Ching-ying later joined Hung's stuntman association.
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Lam Ching-ying worked behind the camera as assistant director and became Sammo Hung's right-hand man of the stunt team.
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Lam Ching-ying played the fan-wielding assassin who fought against Yuen Biao.
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In 1982, Lam Ching-ying won the Hong Kong Film Award for Best Action Director, in the film Prodigal Son.
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Lam Ching-ying played a frail, elderly Taoist priest in The Dead and the Deadly.
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Lam Ching-ying's star did not rise until 1985, with the release of Mr Vampire, the movie that fueled the hopping vampire genre.
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Lam Ching-ying was nominated for Best Actor for his role as the Taoist priest.
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Lam Ching-ying was to reprise this role many times throughout his career.
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Lam Ching-ying appeared in different movie genres such as The Return of Pom Pom, School on Fire, Painted Faces, and Her Vengeance.
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In 1989, Lam Ching-ying directed his first movie Vampire Vs Vampire.
25.
The success of Mr Vampire eventually became burdensome on Lam Ching-ying, who found himself typecast in the role.
26.
In 1990, Lam Ching-ying became the film producer for Magic Cop.
27.
In 1995, although the film market was in depression, ATV offered Lam Ching-ying the starring role in a television series called Vampire Expert.
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Lam Ching-ying was hired with a million HK dollars salary to work in the series.
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Lam Ching-ying played a priest who tried to prevent a man from becoming a cruel spirit.
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However in 1996, Lam Ching-ying broke up with Yuen when they were in love.
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Lam Ching-ying then packed up and moved to his sister's house.
32.
Lam Ching-ying stubbornly insisted on leaving the hospital immediately and finishing his job, unwilling to be hospitalised.
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Lam Ching-ying received worried phone calls from friends, but he told them not to listen to gossip.
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Two weeks before his death, Lam Ching-ying moved to his sister's house.
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Lam Ching-ying's family moved him to the St Teresa's Hospital in Kowloon.
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Lam Ching-ying was already in a semi-comatose state, and his situation gradually declined.
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Lam Ching-ying died on November 8,1997, at 12:30 am at St Theresa's Hospital in Hong Kong, the cause of death being cancer of the liver.
38.
Lam Ching-ying's funeral was attended by his parents, close family and school-mate friends.
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Lam Ching-ying's pallbearers were Yuen Shiu Hung, Chin Yuet Sun, Ng Ming Hoi, Lam Ching-ying King Chu, Chan Wui Ngai, Chung Fat, Sammo Hung, Chan Wing Hong, Chin Kar Lok and Wu Ma.