by Brian Thibodeau » Tue Apr 19, 2005 2:04 pm
While there's a universe worth of talent mentioned in this thread, I'd love to see more props given to the unsung supporting actors who, in my opinion, often outshine their more prominent topliners precisely because they don't have to carry entire movies on their charm or good looks. Some that come to mind as being sorely underrated, at least to the western community:
CHEUNG TAT-MING. A very reliable supporting player who often astounds in roles that barely qualify as cameos. His greatest role to date was undoubtedly the would-be filmmaker conscripted by a hitman into creating assassinations-on-video in order to help the "business" grow.
SIMON LOUI YU-YEUNG. This guy is a fantastic actor when he's given the right opportunity, as in PARAMOUNT MOTEL and a classy villain, as in THE CHEATERS. Too often cast as silly supporting roles in his early career, or as entertaining but one-dimensional triad nutcases for a while after that, he's really come into his own over the last few years, most notably as his career as a writer and, lately, a director (ESCAPE FROM HONG KONG ISLAND) have blossomed.
ROY CHEUNG YIU-YEUNG. Always reliable supporting player. His leading man status seemed to die off pretty quickly in the late 80's, but he's proven himself a consistently strong back-up performer ever since. I thought he was excellent in JIANG-HU: THE TRIAD ZONE, even though I think the film is overrated. He's too often stuck in junk like SUPERCAR CRIMINALS (with Simon Loui!) and HER NAME IS CAT 2, but hey, it's work!
KINGDOM YUEN KING-TAN. Although she's tended to pop up in way too many softcore sex films (but always remains clothed), ranging from classics to crud, the fact is, she's a comic ace who very nearly always rises above the material. She's quite funny in CHINESE TORTURE CHAMBER STORY, THE FRUIT IS SWELLING and ANCIENT CHINESE WHOREHOUSE as well as more mainstream fare like EVERYDAY IS VALENTINE, DRY WOOD FIERCE FIRE and - ahem - COP SHOP BABES.
LILLY CHUNG SUK-WAI. Despite her tendency at one time to turn up in extremely racy category III fare, inevitably playing beautiful but emotionally stunted women who suffer no end of indignity, Lilly Chung is a surprisingly versatile actress - once you're able to stop drooling over her almost constantly naked body in films like RED TO KILL, BROTHER OF DARKNESS, DAUGHTER OF DARKNESS and ETERNAL EVIL OF ASIA. Sadly, her chops have yet to be tested in anything even as remotely interesting as those films, which is a real shame.
BEN NG NGAI-CHUNG. Lilly's partner in crime in many of those great 90's sleazies and, if I'm not mistaken, her partner in real life, Ng hasn't been in anything for a few years now, and even when he was, he was often underutilized and/or stereotyped as a psycho - a role he nonetheless played to perfection in T.H.E. PROFESSIONALS (a big ripoff of Michael Mann's HEAT), DIE HARDER and RED TO KILL. A real scenery chewer when he's not reigned in, but also a solid performed when he's given decent roles, as in the highly-underrated DANGEROUS DUTY with sexy Diana Pang Dan.
LAW KAR-YING. This guy's fantastic in any number of Stephen Chow movies - in fact he's often as strong as regular supporting player Ng Man-tat, and in stuff like VIVA EROTICA, 2002, NO PROBLEM 2, OSAKA WRESTLING RESTAURANT and many others. His slow-burns and reaction shots are the best.
WAYNE LAI YIU-CHEUNG. This is probably one of my all-time favourite Hong Kong character actors, a very underrated, versatile actor who shines best playing gleeful sleazeballs and hustlers in classics like BIOZOMBIE (as the phone store owner) and NO PROBLEM 2, as well as lesser known fare like OSAKA WRESTLING RESTAURANT and WICKED GHOST III and STEWARDESS. He's also fantastic in serious roles in darker films like INTRUDER, PARAMOUNT MOTEL and HUMAN PORK CHOP. Heck, he was even good as the Mud Buddha in STORM RIDERS.
That's just a handful, but I could easily come up with many more. Hopefully I'll have time to add to this list.