George Wang (actor)

This article is about the actor. For the producer, seeGeorge Wang (producer).

George Wang
Vương giác
Wang inColt in the Hand of the Devil(1967)
Born	Wang Chun-yang (1918-11-12)November 12, 1918 Dandong,Liaoning,Republic of China (present-dayPeople's Republic of China)
Died	March 27, 2015(2015-03-27)(aged 96) Taipei,Taiwan
Other names	Wang Jie Giorgio Wang George Wang Chueh
Occupations	Actor Producer
Years active	1938-2010
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese	Vương giác
Simplified Chinese	Vương giác
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Wáng Jué Yue: Cantonese Jyutping Wong4 Gok3
Wang Chun-yang
Traditional Chinese	Vương xuân dương
Simplified Chinese	Vương xuân dương
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Wáng Chūnyáng Yue: Cantonese Jyutping Wong4 Ceon1 Joeng4

George Wang Jie(Chinese:Vương giác;pinyin:Wáng Jué,bornWang Chun-yangChinese:Vương xuân dương;pinyin:Wáng Chūnyáng,12 November 1918 – 27 March 2015) was aTaiwaneseactor and film producer. After a beginning his career in Mainland China during theRepublicanera, he was an important figure in the early development ofTaiwaneseandHong Kong cinema,but came to the attention of international audiences for his appearances in a multitude of Italian films during the 1960s and '70s.

Early life

BornWang Chun-yang(Chinese:Vương xuân dương;pinyin:Wáng Chūnyáng) inDandong,Liaoning Province,Republic of Chinain 1918. He enrolled inNortheastern University,where he studied economics and history, but the outbreak of theSecond Sino-Japanese Warsaw him abandon his studies to joinZou Taofen's National Salvation Front, adopting thenom de guerreWang Jie(Chinese:Vương giác;pinyin:Wáng Jué), which he later used as his Chinese stage name.

Career

In 1938, he enrolled in the China Film Studio's drama school inShanghai,and the following year he made his film debut inDefending Our Homeland( bảo gia hương,Bǎo jiāxiāng).He moved toChongqing,where he worked as a stage and film actor, and an anti-Japanese propagandist. He returned to Shanghai in 1947, during theChinese Civil War.When the war made remaining in Mainland China untenable, Wang led the withdrawal of most his studio's personnel and equipment toTaiwan,in 1949. He subsequently became one of the most important stars in the early years ofTaiwanese cinema,and was eventually promoted to head of Technical Production at China Film Studio.

In 1959, Wang went to Italy to appear in the international co-productionThe Dam on the Yellow River.He enjoyed the experience so much that he chose to stay in Italy to work in its burgeoning film industry, adopting the Western nameGeorge Wang(sometimes 'Giorgio Wang').

He was a very active character actor in genre films, mainly spy films, adventure films andSpaghetti Westerns,being mostly cast in roles of villains.Thanks to his good knowledge of English, he was also active in a number of English language productions, notably appearing inNicholas Ray's55 Days at Peking.After portraying Machete, a Mexican antagonist in the 1967 filmPer il gusto di uccidere,Wang claimed that he was the first Asian actor to play a non-Asian role in a non-Asian country.He also worked as a local representative forShaw Brothers Studio.

In 1976 Wang moved to Hong Kong, where with his son Don he founded the "Wang Film Company".In 1978 he returned to Taiwan and back to acting, winning in 1981 aGolden Horse Award for Best Supporting Actorfor his performance inThe Coldest Winter in Peking(Hoàng thiên hậu thổ).He was a member of theGolden Horse Film Festival's jury in 1984, 1996, and 1998. He continued regularly appearing in films and television series until his nineties, with his final film role in 2010. In 2000, he received a Golden Horse Lifetime Achievement Award.

Personal life

Wang was married twice. He had several children, including actor Don Wong Tao. He was aRoman Catholic.

Death

Wang died on 27 March 2015 ofheart attackat 96 years old, and he was buried thirteen days after.He received a posthumous citation by PresidentMa Ying-jeouin recognition of his contributions to Taiwanese cinema.

Partial filmography

• E meng chu xing(1951) as Luo Ping
• The Dam on the Yellow River(1960) as Wang (as Wang Jie)
• Mi yue feng bo(1960) as Chin CHun-Hsiung
• The Mongols(1961) as Subodai
• 55 Days at Peking(1963) as Boxer Chief (uncredited)
• The Pirates of Malaysia(1964) as Sho Pa
• 008: Operation Exterminate(1965) as Tanaka
• Spy in Your Eye(1965) as Ming
• The 10th Victim(1965) as Chinese hunter
• James Tont operazione U.N.O.(1965) as Kayo
• The Almost Perfect Crime(1966) as Chinese Driver
• Dr. Goldfoot and the Girl Bombs(1966) as Fong (uncredited)
• Taste for Killing(1966) as Ming
• Black Box Affair(1966) as Chinese agent
• Mi vedrai tornare(1966) as Prince Hiro Toyo
• El Cisco(1966) as Capobanda
• Colt in the Hand of the Devil(1967) as El Condor / Capataz
• Scorpions and Miniskirts(1967) as Dr. Kung
• Your Turn to Die(1967) as Chang
• Tepepa(1969) as Mr. Chu
• 36 Hours to Hell(1969) as Major Koshiro
• Have a Good Funeral, My Friend... Sartana Will Pay(1970) as Lee Tse Tung / Peng
• Kill Django... Kill First(1971) as Martinez
• Desert of Fire(1971) as El Marish
• Roma Bene(1971) as Che Fang (uncredited)
• Two Brothers in Trinity(1971) as Chinaman
• La tecnica e il rito(1972, TV Movie) as Hun
• La lunga cavalcata della vendetta(1972) as Ling Fu
• Sotto a chi tocca!(1972) as Koyo the Balls Thrower
• Even Angels Eat Beans(1973) as Naka Kata (uncredited)
• The Big Game(1973) as Wong
• The Executioner of God(1973) as Ramon Orea
• Super Fly T.N.T.(1973) as Poker Player #1
• Studio legale per una rapina(1973) as Lino
• They Were Called Three Musketeers... But They Were Four(1973) as Kungfu Master
• Mr. Hercules Against Karate(1973) as Ming
• Seven Hours of Violence(1973) as a Chinese Thug
• The Fighting Fist of Shanghai Joe(1973) as Master Yang
• Man with the Golden Winchester(1973) as Pedro Garincha
• Six Bounty Hunters for a Massacre(1973) as Ming / Messinas
• Milarepa(1974)
• This Time I'll Make You Rich(1974) as Wang
• Il Sergente Rompiglioni diventa... caporale(1975) as Chang
• Nan quan bei tui zhan yan wang(1977) as Mayor Yuen
• Yuan(1980)
• The Battle for the Republic of China(1981)
• The Coldest Winter in Peking(1981)
• Jing hun feng yu ye(1982)
• I Shall Return(1982)
• Yan wang de xi yan(1982)
• Zui chang de yi ye(1983)
• Hei bai zhu(1983)
• Da Niu Yue hua bu feng yun(1985)
• Ri nei wa de huang hun(1986)
• Eat Drink Man Woman(1994)
• Born to Be King(2000)
• Jin zai zhi chi(2010) as Ta-Chieh's Grandfather
• The Grandmaster(2013) as Third Elder (final film role)

External links

• George WangatIMDb
• George WangatAllMovie
• George Wangat theHong Kong Movie Database