Stephen Tung

Stephen Tung Wai (; born 2 February 1954) is a Hong Kong action choreographer, actor, and film director. Tung began his career as a stuntman at the age of sixteen and transitioned into action choreography in the 1970s. He has collaborated extensively with directors John Woo, Tsui Hark, and Wong Kar-wai, contributing to films such as A Better Tomorrow and Hard Boiled (1992) (directed by Woo), The Blade (1995) and The Battle at Lake Changjin (2021) (directed by Tsui), and As Tears Go By (1988) and 2046 (2004) (directed by Wong). He won the Hong Kong Film Award for Best Action Choreography seven times with Downtown Torpedos (1997), Purple Storm (1999), The Accidental Spy (2001), Seven Swords (2005), Bodyguards and Assassins (2009), Kung Fu Jungle (2014), Operation Mekong (2016), and Bursting Point (2023), making him the most awarded individual in this category.

In addition to action choreography, Tung has also taken on acting and directing roles. He directed the horror film Magic Cop (1990) and the action film Hitman (1998), and is best known for his leading roles as Fong Sai-yuk and Lam Ping-chi in the martial arts series The Young Heroes of Shaolin (1981) and The Smiling, Proud Wanderer (1984) respectively.

Early life Tung was born on 2 February 1954 (In an interview with Jet Magazine, Tung confirmed that his actual birth year is 1958, though official records listed it as 1954.) This discrepancy arose because he moved to Hong Kong at the age of four and only learnt his true birth date when he returned to his homeland in his thirties after the reform and opening up. Tung starred in the war film as a child actor in 1965 and began working as a stunt double when he was sixteen. He dedicated several years to researching action choreography, drawing inspirations from Hong Kong and Japanese action films. In 1998, Tung directed and choreographed the action film Hitman, Tung returned to acting once again and starred in a lead role as Sam Lee, a washed-up action director pursuing a comeback, in the 2024 action film Stuntman, another project of the First Feature Film Initiative.

Personal life Tung is married and has a son.

Tung served as the head of the Hong Kong Stuntmen Association. He invited Japanese action choreographer Kenji Tanigaki, who was working as a cast extra, to join the Association and enter the stunt industry in 1994. He also discovered British actor Scott Adkins and cast him in the 2001 action film Extreme Challenge, which marked the beginning of his acting career.

Filmography As director Year Title Notes 1990 Magic Cop 1995 Fox Hunter 1998 Hitman Also as action choreographer 2001 Peking Opera Blues Uncredited Magnificent Warriors 1988 As Tears Go By 1989 Vampire vs Vampire 1994 Also as executive producer 1995 The Blade 1996 Shanghai Grand 1998 Hot War 2002 Heroic Duo 2006 A Battle of Wits Beast Stalker 2009 Bodyguards and Assassins 2010 Reign of Assassins 2014 Kung Fu Jungle The White Haired Witch of Lunar Kingdom 2015 A Tale of Three Cities 2016 Operation Mekong 2019 The Invincible Dragon The Rookies 2020 Double World 2021 The Battle at Lake Changjin 2023 Bursting Point

Acting credits Year Title Role Notes 1973 Enter the Dragon Teenager 1979 The Incredible Kung Fu Master Ching (功夫精) 1981 The Hawk Ding Siu-bak (丁少白) 1982 The Restless Trio Wong Siu-po (汪小寶) 1984 The Smiling, Proud Wanderer 2024 Stuntman Sam Lee (李森)

Awards and nominations Year Award Category Work Result 1994 31st Golden Horse Awards Best Action Choreography 1997 16th Hong Kong Film Awards Shanghai Grand 1998 17th Hong Kong Film Awards Best Action Choreography 2000 19th Hong Kong Film Awards Best Action Choreography 2006 25th Hong Kong Film AwardsBest Action Choreography 2009 46th Golden Horse Awards Best Action Choreography Beast Stalker 28th Hong Kong Film Awards Best Action Choreography Painted Skin 29th Hong Kong Film AwardsBest Action Choreography 2011 30th Hong Kong Film Awards Reign of Assassins 2014 51st Golden Horse Awards Best Action ChoreographyKung Fu Jungle 201534th Hong Kong Film AwardsBest Action Choreography The White Haired Witch of Lunar Kingdom 2017 36th Hong Kong Film Awards Operation Mekong 2020 39th Hong Kong Film Awards Double World 2023 41st Hong Kong Film Awards The Battle at Lake Changjin II 2024 42nd Hong Kong Film AwardsBursting Point