24 Facts About Shih Kien

Shek Wing-cheung, better known by his stage name Shih Kien, Sek Kin, Sek Gin or Shek Kin, was a Hong Kong actor and martial artist.

Shih Kien was raised by his stepmother and was a sickly child.

Shih Kien decided to practise martial arts to improve his health and trained for nine years.

Shih Kien trained at Shanghai's Chin Woo Athletic Association and was among the first generation of students at the school to be certified as instructors.

Besides acting on stage, Shih Kien participated in back-stage activities, such as makeup and arrangements of lighting and props.

In 1940, Shih Kien officially entered the entertainment industry as an apprentice of the Cantonese opera makeup artist Sit Kok-Sin, before becoming an actor.

Shih Kien starred as a Japanese secret agent in his debut film Flower in the Sea of Blood that year.

Nine years later, Shih Kien was invited by film director Wu Pang to work with him on a series of Wong Fei-hung-related films.

Shih Kien gained fame for his portrayal of the villains in those films, and continued to play the role of the antagonist in several films during the first 20 years of his career.

In 1973, Shih Kien was chosen to portray the villain in Bruce Lee's martial arts movie Enter the Dragon, in which he played Han, a one-handed triad boss who is highly skilled in martial arts.

Shih Kien's character had a final showdown with Lee's character in the ending climax of the film.

In 1975, Shih Kien joined the Hong Kong television station TVB, and appeared in several wuxia-themed television series, playing villains most of the time.

Shih Kien shone in dramatic roles in non-wuxia films as well, such as Hong Kong 1941.

Later in his career, Shih Kien took on a comedic role with Jackie Chan in The Young Master.

In 1980, Shih Kien was invited to participate in filming a television commercial to promote Ricola's mint candy products with his popular image as a villain.

Shih Kien retired from the entertainment industry in 1992, with the 1994 film HK Adam's Family specially dedicated to him.

Shih Kien appeared in the 2003 documentary Chop Socky: Cinema Hong Kong at the age of 90.

Shih Kien received the Life Achievement Award in 1996 at the Golden Bauhinia Awards.

Seven years later in 2003, Shih Kien received the Professional Achievement Award at the 22nd Hong Kong Film Awards with Cho Tat-wah, who portrayed the protagonist or hero in several of the films they starred together in.

In 2006, Shih Kien donated one of his properties to the entertainment industry in support of the development of the industry.

Shih Kien died of kidney failure on 3 June 2009 at the age of 96.

At the time of his death, Shih Kien was believed to be one of the oldest living successful actors in Hong Kong.

Shih Kien married Lee Kit-ying in 1936 and they had four sons and two daughters.

Shih Kien was initially not religious, but he converted to Christianity.