Chen Kuan-tai facts for kids

Chen Kuan-tai (born September 24, 1945) is a famous actor, director, and action choreographer from Hong Kong. He is well-known for his exciting martial arts movies. Chen became very popular in the early 1970s, especially through his work with the Shaw Brothers Studio. He was one of the first actors at Shaw Brothers who was professionally trained in martial arts.

Growing Up and Starting Out

Chen Kuan-tai was born in Guangdong, China. When he was 9 years old, he began learning kung fu from a master named Chan Sau Chung. This master taught a special style called monkey style kung fu.

While he was in Pui Kiu Middle School, Chen was also a great athlete. He was very good at sports like javelin and soccer. After school, he started working in movies as a stuntman and helped plan action scenes. His first movie job was in 1970 for a film called Cold Blade.

In 1969, Chen won a championship in a martial arts competition in Singapore. This made many filmmakers notice him. Soon after, in 1971, he joined the famous Shaw Brothers Studio. He used his real name, unlike some other actors who chose stage names.

A Star is Born

Before becoming a big star, Chen Kuan-tai acted in about 20 smaller roles for Shaw Brothers. Some of these early movies included The Chinese Boxer (1970) and Vengeance (1970).

His big break came in 1972 when he got the main role in the kung fu film The Boxer from Shantung. This movie was a huge hit, earning a lot of money and making Chen famous overnight! By the mid-1970s, he was one of Hong Kong's most popular kung fu stars. He had many successful films like The Teahouse (1974), Heroes Two (1974), and Big Brother Cheng (1975). He even won an award for Most Popular Male Actor at the Asia-Pacific Film Festival in 1974.

Directing and Challenges

In 1976, Chen decided to try directing movies too. His first film as a director was a comedy called The Simple-Minded Fellow, which did quite well.

Later that year, he started working with other film companies in Taiwan. This caused a disagreement with Shaw Brothers Studio, who said he could only make movies with them. There was a legal case, and for about two years, some of his films made in Taiwan couldn't be shown easily.

Eventually, the issue was resolved in 1978, and Chen returned to Shaw Brothers. He signed a new contract and continued to make great movies. One of his films from this time, Crippled Avengers, helped boost his career even more. He stayed with Shaw Brothers until they closed in 1985. His 1980 film, Killer Constable, is still considered one of the best wuxia (martial arts fantasy) films from the studio.

Chen Kuan-tai has acted in over 160 films throughout his career! About half of these were with Shaw Brothers. He has also directed several other movies. Today, he is still active in the Hong Kong film world, often appearing in action, crime, and sometimes comedy films.

Life Outside of Movies

Chen Kuan-tai was good friends with director Chang Cheh and actor Ku Feng. He often said that Chang was his favorite director, and he thanked Ku for helping him learn Mandarin Chinese.

Chen has been married four times. He has a daughter, Chen Yong-xi, and a son, Chen Jun-xiang.

He also owns a restaurant called Jimmy's Kitchen in Kolkata, India.

In 2012, Chen had a disagreement with his kung fu teacher, Chan Sau Chung. Because of this, he was no longer part of the Tai Sing Pek Kwar Martial Arts Association.

A Look at His Work

Chen Kuan-tai has had a very long and busy career in movies and television! He has appeared in over 160 films and many TV shows.

His roles often involve exciting action and martial arts, but he has also shown his talent in crime dramas and comedies. Some of his most well-known films include:

• The Boxer from Shantung (1972) - This was his first big starring role.
• Heroes Two (1974) - A popular martial arts film.
• Crippled Avengers (1978) - A film that helped restart his career after a break.
• Killer Constable (1980) - Considered one of the best wuxia films from Shaw Brothers.
• The Man with the Iron Fists (2012) - A more recent film where he played Golden Lion.

He has also been in many TV series, showing his versatility as an actor over the decades.