Bolo Yeung facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bolo Yeung
Bolo Yeung in 2010
Born	Yeung Sze (1946-02-07) February 7, 1946 (age 79) Meizhou, Guangdong, Republic of China
Native name	楊斯
Other names	Yang Si Yang Sze Chinese Hercules
Height	5 ft 6 in (168 cm)
Years active	1970–present
Occupation	Actor, martial artist, bodybuilder
Children	3

Yeung Sze (simplified Chinese: 杨斯; traditional Chinese: 楊斯; Mandarin Pinyin: Yáng Sī; Jyutping: Lua error in Module:Unihan_pronunciation at line 35: attempt to call field 'lookup_kCantonese' (a nil value).), born on February 7, 1946, is a famous Hong Kong actor, martial artist, and bodybuilder. He is best known by his stage name, Bolo Yeung. He often played strong villains in action and martial arts movies. Many people see him as one of the most important actors in martial arts films.

Bolo Yeung was born in Meizhou, China. He started learning kung fu at age 10. He studied styles like Tai chi and Wing Chun. Later, he moved to Hong Kong during a difficult time in mainland China. There, he became very interested in bodybuilding. In 1970, he won the "Mr. Hong Kong" bodybuilding title. He kept this title for 10 years!

He began his acting career with Shaw Brothers Studio. He worked as an actor and a stuntman. Some of his early movies include The Heroic Ones (1970) and The Deadly Duo (1971). In 1973, he became famous worldwide. This happened when he played a tough character named "Bolo" in Bruce Lee's movie Enter the Dragon.

Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Bolo Yeung appeared in many martial arts films. He also directed his first movie, Fists of Justice, in 1977. He later starred in action comedies from Orange Sky Golden Harvest. These included My Lucky Stars (1985) and Millionaires Express (1986). He even fought against Bruce Lee's son, Brandon Lee, in the film Legacy of Rage (1986).

Bolo Yeung became even more popular in the West. This was after the success of the 1988 movie Bloodsport. In this film, he played the villain Chong Li. He starred alongside Jean-Claude Van Damme. His work in Hollywood also includes Double Impact (1991), also with Van Damme. He also appeared in Breathing Fire (1991) and Ironheart (1992).

Early Life and Training

Bolo Yeung started his martial arts training when he was 10 years old. He trained in Canton (now Guangzhou), China. He learned from several different kung fu teachers. As he grew up, he also became very interested in bodybuilding.

He became the "Mr. Hong Kong" bodybuilding champion. He held this important title for a whole decade! Because of his strong and muscular body, he was often chosen to play tough characters in movies. Many of these roles were for the Shaw Brothers Studios.

Working with Bruce Lee

Bolo Yeung met the legendary martial artist Bruce Lee while they were filming a TV commercial. They became friends. Bruce Lee then asked Bolo to be in his movie Enter the Dragon. After this film, Bolo became widely known by the character's name, "Bolo."

During the filming of Enter the Dragon, Bruce Lee and Bolo Yeung worked closely together. They practiced many fighting techniques. Bolo Yeung later said that Bruce Lee was truly unique. He felt honored to have been Bruce Lee's friend.

Rise to Fame in Hollywood

In the 1970s and 1980s, Bolo Yeung starred in many martial arts movies. But his biggest breakthrough was the film Bloodsport. This movie was made with a small budget. However, it became a huge hit in 1988.

Jean-Claude Van Damme played the main character, Frank Dux. Bolo Yeung played the powerful villain, Chong Li. Bolo and Van Damme became good friends while making the movie. Van Damme then invited Bolo to be in his next film, Double Impact.

Later Career and Collaborations

Bolo Yeung also worked with Canadian filmmaker Jalal Merhi. Merhi met Bolo in Hong Kong while filming his movie Fearless Tiger. He was very impressed with Bolo's skills and personality. Merhi decided to create special roles just for Bolo.

They worked together on several more films. These included Tiger Claws, TC 2000, and Tiger Claws 2. In 2007, Bolo Yeung also appeared in the movie Blizhniy Boy: The Ultimate Fighter.

Filmography

See also

In Spanish: Bolo Yeung para niños