The 10 Best Kung Fu Movie Stars Of All Time

May 11, 2024, 7:30 p.m.

Movies

The 10 Best Kung Fu Movie Stars Of All Time

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Summary Bruce Lee forever changed Kung Fu movies, leaving behind a legacy that influenced martial arts worldwide.

Jackie Chan's comedic timing and dangerous stunts solidified his role as the greatest Kung Fu star ever.

Lesser-known stars like Fung Hak-on and Yuen Biao made significant contributions to the genre as well.

There have been so many incredible Kung Fu movie stars who left their mark on the martial arts genre, but over the years, a select few stood out as the greatest of all time. Following the massive interest in Kung Fu that developed during the 1970s in the wake of Bruce Lee’s incredible success, there were plenty of other stars who made a name for themselves both in Hong Kong and Hollywood productions. With astounding acrobats, fantastic fights, and stunning stunt work, these stars truly stood as the best the world has ever seen.

With roles in action comedies, sword-fighting showdowns, and Wuxia movies, the best Kung Fu stars appeared in hundreds of roles across countless iconic productions. While some Kung Fu stars became household names, others have not received as much mainstream recognition but were well-known by martial arts enthusiasts. The best martial movies ever were awe-inspiring displays of over-the-top spectacle, and it was the greatest Kung Fu stars who ever lived who helped turn run-of-the-mill fighting films into iconic classics that have stood the test of time.

10 Fung Hak-on

Years active: 1962–2014

The Hong Kong actor Fung Hak-on was a truly underrated Kung Fu star who made a great bad guy or villain in his many martial arts movie roles. Fung began his career in 1962 with a powerful onscreen presence, appearing in movies like The Chinese Boxer, Executioners from Shaolin, Dragon Lord, and Police Story. While he was not as well known as many of his contemporaries, Kung Fu enthusiasts knew Fung as one of the greatest villains in martial arts cinema.

Fung’s consistency throughout the decades and ability to portray a villain like no other performer cemented his reputation as one of the best Kung Fu movie stars ever.

While Fung started his career as a stuntman, he soon gained larger roles and began collaborating with the Golden Harvest production company. Fung continued doing impressive work until shortly before he died in 2016 and had memorable late-career roles like the Baguazhang fighter Master Cheng in Ip Man 2 in 2010. Fung’s consistency throughout the decades and ability to portray a villain like no other performer cemented his reputation as one of the best Kung Fu movie stars ever.

9 Yuen Biao

Years active: 1962–present

As an actor, stuntman, and action choreographer, Yuen Biao has had an impressive Kung Fu career dating back to the 1970s. As one of the Seven Little Fortunes from the China Drama Academy at the Peking Opera School, Yuen, along with Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung, made up the “Three Dragons,” and the friends have appeared in numerous movies together. With over 130 film roles, Yuen has truly left his mark on martial arts cinema over the past 50 years.

From starting as Bruce Lee’s stunt double on Enter the Dragon to later gaining acclaimed roles in The Prodigal Son and Knockabout, Yuen was an incredible acrobat and one of the great unsung talents of Kung Fu cinema. While discussions around Yuen’s talent often got lost among his contemporaries Chan and Hung, he possessed the same skill and comedic timing as his more well-known peers. With an incredible career behind him, Yuen deserved to be remembered as one of the best Kung Fu movie stars of all time.

8 Angela Mao

Years active: 1970s - 1992

The Taiwanese martial artist Angela Mao, known as ‘Lady Kung Fu,’ appeared in many martial arts films during the 1970s. A highly skilled fighter who trained in hapkido from a very young age, Mao was discovered at just 17 years old and quickly went on to appear as the leading lady in the fantasy action movie The Angry River. Mao soon gained roles in many Golden Harvest productions, such as Lady Whirlwind and The Fate of Lee Khan.

However, it was in 1973 that Mao truly gained international recognition when she starred opposite Bruce Lee in Enter the Dragon. As the doomed sister of Lee’s character Su-lin, Mao showed off her impressive Kung Fu skills as she fought against the ruthless bodyguard O’Hara. Sadly, due to Lee’s untimely passing, the two never worked together again, but Mao continued to appear in Kung Fu movies through the 1970s and 1980s.

7 Lo Lieh

Years active: 1965–2001

The Indonesian martial artist Lo Lieh first came to prominence with his starring role in King Boxer, also known under the title Five Fingers of Death. Lieh’s intense style had a lot in common with Bruce Lee, although Lieh appeared in many martial movies that predated Lee’s incredible international success. With roles in Executioners from Shaolin to the Clan of the White Lotus, Lieh consistently delivered outstanding performances in Kung Fu movies throughout the 1960s and 1970s.

In 1988, Lieh teamed up with other martial arts legends Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung, and Yuen Biao for the acclaimed Kung Fu movie Dragons Forever. As the first martial arts superstar, Lieh often does not get enough credit for his importance to the genre and how trailblazing his earliest roles truly were. Lieh was also credited with popularizing the archetype of the white-haired Kung Fu master seen in many movies through the 1970s, 1980s, and even later in Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill.

6 Sammo Hung

Years active: 1961–present

The legendary Kung Fu star Sammo Hung has appeared in more than 200 movies and was trained in acrobatics, dance, and martial arts. As a pivotal figure in front of and behind the camera, Hung worked as Jackie Chan’s fight choreographer and was one of the most important actors of the Hong Kong New Wave film movement of the 1980s. Hung also started the zombie-like jianshi genre and even appeared in the Bruce Lee classic Enter the Dragon.

However, Hung was best known for his collaborations with Chan and Yuen Biao, as the three martial artists appeared in six movies together. Known as the “Three Dragons," the trio of Chan, Hung, and Yuen was a winning combination whose films like Wheels on Meals and Project A have remained highly beloved. With an astounding career, Hung has earned his place among the greatest Kung Fu stars ever.

5 Donnie Yen

Years active: 1983 - present

For over 40 years, Donnie Yen has captivated audiences with his incredible Kung Fu skills and impressive proficiency across many different martial arts styles. As the Wing Chun grandmaster Ip Man in the Ip Man series, Yen helped popularize the Wing Chun style across China and led one of the best Hong Kong fighting franchises being made today. From his breakout role in Drunken Tai Chi in 1984 up to collaborations with Jet Li in the acclaimed Wuxia movie Hero, Yen has consistently pushed the boundaries of martial arts movies and maintained his place at the forefront of the industry.

Western audiences would surely recognize Yen for his incredible role as the blind assassin Caine in John Wick 4.

Western audiences would surely recognize Yen for his incredible role as the blind assassin Caine in John Wick 4. However, this was not the only Hollywood production where Yen showed off his skillset, as he also appeared in Rogue One, XXX: Return of Xander Cage, and Mulan. That’s not to mention all the incredibly underrated Donnie Yen movies out there waiting to be discovered by Kung Fu and martial enthusiasts.

4 Jet Li

Years active: 1982–present

As one of the most renowned martial artists of his generation, Jet Li has had a noticeable impact on Kung Fu cinema and found success in both Hong Kong and Hollywood. As a teenage Wushu national champion, Li retired from competitive fighting at 18 and utilized his skill to become one of the greatest Kung Fu stars after his 1982 debut Shaolin Temple, catapulted him to international stardom. With many acclaimed roles under his belt, such as Fist of Legend, Hero, and Fearless, Li helped revitalize the wuxia genre for modern audiences.

Li’s Kung Fu skills were not limited to the Hong Kong Kung Fu industry, as after he played a villain in Lethal Weapon 4 in 1994, he soon found major success in the United States and joined franchises like The Expendables. Li even appeared with his fellow veteran martial arts star Jackie Chan in The Forbidden Kingdom as he solidified his reputation as a martial legend. Still active to this day, Li recently played The Emperor of China in Disney’s live-action Mulan, which blended his passion for Hong Kong cinema, Wuxia, and Hollywood productions.

3 Gordon Liu

Years active: 1973–present

The martial arts superstar Gordon Liu was best known for appearing in many Shaw Brothers-produced movies like Challenges of the Masters and The 36th Chamber of Shaolin, one of the best Kung Fu movies of the 1970s. As a highly skilled Kung Fu fighter, Liu has taken on over 100 acting roles and has built a legacy over the past 50 years as one of the greatest martial arts performers ever. Active in both film and television, Liu excelled in both comedic parts and more serious roles that utilized his intense skillset and dramatic abilities.

In Western cinema, Liu was best known for this role in Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill, which, after being a martial arts star for decades, was his Hollywood debut role. Liu held the honor of being the only actor to play two roles in the Kill Bill movies, as he portrayed Johnny Mo, the leader of the Crazy 88 yakuza gang in Kill Bill Vol. 1. In Kill Bill Vol.2, Liu played the Kung Fu master Pai Mei and was one of the most recognizable martial arts stars who made an appearance in Tarantino’s homage to the genre.

2 Bruce Lee

Years active: 1941 - 1973

Bruce Lee completely changed the game regarding Kung Fu movies and was a major contributor to the popularity of martial arts in the Western world. With only a brief career due to his tragic death at just 32 years old in 1973, Bruce Lee was primarily known for his roles in five feature films in the early 1970s, including The Big Boss, Fist of Fury, The Way of the Dragon, Enter the Dragon, and The Game of Death. In his short but impressive career, Lee transformed the martial arts industry and influenced the perception of Kung Fu and China worldwide.

Lee was one of the most influential people of the 20th century, and his reputation as a pop culture icon helped bridge the gap between Eastern and Western cultures. With skills in Wing Chun, Tai Chi, boxing, and street fighting, Lee’s career spanned Hong Kong and the United States, where he trained other performers such as Chuck Norris. Sadly, Lee’s career was cut short, and audiences can only imagine the heights it would have reached had he survived, but he left behind an unmatched legacy and stood as one of the most important Kung Fu stars of them all.

1 Jackie Chan

Years active: 1962–present

Jackie Chan has been at the forefront of Kung Fu cinema since his breakout roles in Snakes in the Eagle’s Shadow and Drunken Master in 1978. From there, he continued to find success in China and around the world. As a skilled martial artist with impeccable comedic timing, Chan’s persona differed from the more serious nature of other fighters as he developed a unique slapstick style that worked well in action comedy Kung Fu movies. Throughout his career, Chan has performed most of his stunts, gained worldwide respect, and become an important figure in global popular culture.

From Chinese comedy series like Police Story to Hollywood kids' movies such as The Karate Kid, Chan has taken on approximately 150 acting roles and has been a defining figure in martial arts movies. Throughout his career, Chan has experimented with highly elaborate stunts and even holds the record for most takes for a single scene, with it taking 2900 takes needed for the infamously brutal pyramid fight in Dragon Lord (via Guardian.) Beloved by young and old alike, Chan was the greatest Kung Fu star ever.

Source: Guardian