About Chao Lei
Lived 1928 – 1996 (aged 67–68). Chao Lei was an actor.
Zhao Lei (; 1928 – 24 June 1996) was a Chinese actor who was one of the most popular male leads in the cinema of Hong Kong and Taiwan in the 1950s and 60s, often called the "Film Emperor".
Zhao was born Wang Yumin in Ding County, Hebei, China in 1928 and moved to Hong Kong in the 1940s.
Zhao's wife Shi Ying was also an actress with Shaw Brothers.
Selected filmography The Kingdom and the Beauty (1959) The Enchanting Shadow (1960) The Magnificent Concubine (1962) Empress Wu Tse-Tien (1963) Cheating Panorama (1972)
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Important facts
People in Chao Lei's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Related people
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Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Chao Lei's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Chao Lei?
Hong Kong actor
When was Chao Lei born?
Chao Lei was born in 1928.
When did Chao Lei die?
Chao Lei died on 24 June 1996.
What was Chao Lei's occupation?
Chao Lei was an actor.
What nationality was Chao Lei?
Chao Lei's recorded nationality: British Hong Kong.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Chao Lei. https://biography.guide/chao-lei/
MLA: "Chao Lei." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/chao-lei/.
Chicago: "Chao Lei." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/chao-lei/.
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