Chen Sing
Encyclopedia
Chen Sing (born 1936, in Thailand
) is a Thai-born actor whose film career centered around the Hong Kong
movie industry.
, possibly as early as the late 1950s, and began working in films. Chen's first screen appearance was as an uncredited extra for Around the World in Eighty Days
, released in 1959. By the 1970s he had graduated from bit parts to featured roles to starring, usually as the heavy, in both studio and independent films. In this period he supplemented his income by working as a physical fitness and martial arts instructor in the Hong Kong prison system.
Like the actors Pai Ying and Chan Hung Lit
, Chen was considered "typecast-right" from the beginning of his acting career for villain roles. His exotic Southeast Asian features, his moustache, and his strength marked him as different from the smooth-faced, Eurasian-looking actors favored by the big Hong Kong studios. He was cast against type as an heroic undercover agent battling vicious crooks in Tough Guy (1972) or Japanese subversives Yasuaki Kurata (Tiger vs. Dragon, 1972, or Rage of the Wind, 1973).
By the early 1990s, with the end of Hong Kong's status as a British colony approaching, Chen opted to leave the Hong Kong film industry. In 1996, newly married, he moved with his Indonesian-Chinese wife and infant son, first to Indonesia, and soon thereafter to Vancouver, where he still lives in retirement.
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
) is a Thai-born actor whose film career centered around the Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
movie industry.
Biography
Sing moved to Hong KongHong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, possibly as early as the late 1950s, and began working in films. Chen's first screen appearance was as an uncredited extra for Around the World in Eighty Days
Around the World in Eighty Days (1956 film)
Around the World in 80 Days is a 1956 adventure film produced by the Michael Todd Company and released by United Artists. It was directed by Michael Anderson. It was produced by Michael Todd, with Kevin McClory and William Cameron Menzies as associate producers. The screenplay was written by James...
, released in 1959. By the 1970s he had graduated from bit parts to featured roles to starring, usually as the heavy, in both studio and independent films. In this period he supplemented his income by working as a physical fitness and martial arts instructor in the Hong Kong prison system.
Like the actors Pai Ying and Chan Hung Lit
Chan Hung Lit
Chan Hung-lit , also known as Chen Hung-lieh and Golden Chan, was a Shaw Brothers actor famous for portraying villains from the 1960s to 1980s. In his acting hiatus, Chan was involved in the garment industry. He later resumed his acting career by joining TVB in 1995, left the following year and did...
, Chen was considered "typecast-right" from the beginning of his acting career for villain roles. His exotic Southeast Asian features, his moustache, and his strength marked him as different from the smooth-faced, Eurasian-looking actors favored by the big Hong Kong studios. He was cast against type as an heroic undercover agent battling vicious crooks in Tough Guy (1972) or Japanese subversives Yasuaki Kurata (Tiger vs. Dragon, 1972, or Rage of the Wind, 1973).
By the early 1990s, with the end of Hong Kong's status as a British colony approaching, Chen opted to leave the Hong Kong film industry. In 1996, newly married, he moved with his Indonesian-Chinese wife and infant son, first to Indonesia, and soon thereafter to Vancouver, where he still lives in retirement.