Ti Lung

Tommy Tam Fu-wing (, born 19 August 1946), known by his stage name Ti Lung , is a Hong Kong actor and martial artist. He emerged in the 1970s as a star of Shaw Brothers Studio wuxia films, particularly The Duel, The Blood Brothers, Clans of Intrigue, The Avenging Eagle, The Sentimental Swordsman and its sequel. He is also known for starring in the classic John Woo film A Better Tomorrow and its sequel. He is a Hong Kong Film Award, Golden Horse Award, and Golden Bauhinia Award winner.

Early life Ti was born as Tam Fu Wing (譚富榮) in the Xinhui District of Guangzhou, Guangdong, China into a family with 4 members including himself, his parents and a younger sister. His whole family moved to Hong Kong shortly after the end of the Chinese Civil War, when he was four-years-old.

He was educated at the Eton College in Hong Kong. However, after his father's death, he had to terminate his studies at the age of 11 in order to support his family. Initially, he worked as a delivery boy at a grocery store where he often delivered milk, newspapers and groceries. At 17, he trained as a tailor and studied Wing Chun in order to protect himself against street gangs.

Career In 1968, after he graduated year 2 college, Ti responded to an advertisement placed by the Shaw Brothers and applied to the Shaw Acting Course. Upon graduation from the class, he was able to secure a minor role in Chang Cheh's Return of the One-Armed Swordsman starring Jimmy Wang Yu. He was given the stage name "Ti Lung" (, "Ti" being a lucky name and "Lung" meaning dragon) by Shaw Brothers executive Mona Fong, because it sounded similar to Alain Delon (whom he greatly admired).

Chang immediately recognized his potential and offered him the lead role in his next production Dead End opposite Golden Chan Hung-lit, a role which would launch his career as one of the best known faces in classic Wuxia films. At that time, he continued to study Wing Chun under the martial arts master Jiu Wan who described him as having the advantages of a strong body, intelligence, speed, good footwork and a diligent work ethic. Jiu Wan granted Ti Lung a certificate upon completion of his martial arts training in Wing Chun, and Ti Lung subsequently learned other martial arts (and performance art skills) such as Judo, Muay Thai, Taekwondo, Wushu and horseback riding. Later on in his career, Ti Lung became a common face associated with David Chiang, Alexander Fu Sheng, Ku Feng, Chen Kuan-Tai, the Venom Mob and other major Shaw Bros stars at the time, often cast as a dashing, noble hero as well as a capable martial artist.

Ti Lung is also perhaps more known for his collaborations with the most revered of Shaw Studio directors - Chang Cheh - who turned him into a star along with fellow actor and frequent co-star David Chiang in over 20 films: Dead End (1969), Have Sword, Will Travel (1969), Vengeance (1970), The Heroic Ones (1970), The Duel (1971), Duel of Fists (1971), The Deadly Duo (1971), Angry Guest (1972), Four Riders (1972), The Blood Brothers (1973) and The Pirate (1973). Due to their successes, the trio eventually became known as "The Iron Triangle." During the early 1970s, one of Ti Lung's most notable feature films was The Blood Brothers (1973) which netted him The Special Award for Outstanding Performance at the 11th Golden Horse Awards in Taiwan and the Special Jury Award at the Asian Film Awards in 1973. Soon after, Ti Lung moved forward ins his career by teaming up with Lar Kar-Leung, Chu Yuan, Sun Chung and Tong Gai to produce movies still loved today such as The Magic Blade (1976), Clans of Intrigue (1977), The Sentimental Swordsman (1977), The Avenging Eagle (1978) and Shaolin Prince (1983).

The famous standard formula of wuxia movies produced by the Shaw Brothers took Chu Yuan as the director, Gu Long as the original playwright and Ti Lung as the hero. Chu Yuan directed more Gu Long movies than any other director did, and Ti Lung appeared in more Chu Yuan films than any other actor, including Clans of Intrigue in 1977, Legend of the Bat in 1978, The Magic Blade in 1976 and The Sentimental Swordsman in 1977. In 1979, he won a Best Actor Award at the 25th Asian Film Awards as Black Eagle Chik Ming-Sing in The Avenging Eagle in 1978.

After he left Shaw Brothers Studios in the 1980s, Ti Lung's career took a turn for the worse until 1986, when John Woo cast him opposite Chow Yun-fat in A Better Tomorrow for the role of a Triad member, Sung-Tse Ho. The movie was a massive box office success and placed Ti Lung squarely back in the public consciousness, although it changed his image from the handsome young martial artist to the tortured, would-be hero gangster. His role in the film also won him a Best Actor Award at the 23rd Golden Horse Awards in 1986. After that role, Ti Lung's next most recognizable appearance would be with Jackie Chan in Drunken Master II, in which he co-starred as Wong Kei-Ying, father of Chinese folk hero Wong Fei Hung. In 1994–95, Ti Lung lead-starred as Bao Zheng in a Hong Kong version of the Justice Pao TV series for TVB. At the time this series was playing on Hong Kong television, many fans in Mainland China and Hong Kong favorably compared Ti Lung/TVB's Bao Zheng with Jin Chao-chun/Mainland China's Bao Zheng. Ti Lung also worked with Andy Lau in Three Kingdoms: Resurrection of the Dragon as the legendary Guan Yu. From there, he has continued to steadily work in television in a variety of roles.

In 1999, Ti Lung experienced a comeback in movies by playing the role of Sir Lung in The Kid (1999), which enabled him to achieve a Best Supporting Actor award at the 19th Hong Kong Film Awards in 2000. In 2007, he received a Life Achievement Award at the Golden Bauhinia Awards. Until 2015, he played Master Lam in a Hong Kong and Malaysia feature film co-production, The Kid from the Big Apple. The role won him a Best Actor Award at the 7th Macau International Movie Festival. The sequel to the film is slated to premiere in Malaysia in November 2017.

Personal life Ti Lung married beauty queen and actress Tao Man Ming in 1975. In 1980, Tao gave birth to a son, Shaun Tam Chun-yin (譚俊彦). He is also the uncle of singers Jerry Lamb and Jan Lamb.

Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes/ 1969 Return of the One-Armed Swordsman (獨臂刀王) Lu Hong Dead End (死角) Zhang Chun Have Sword, Will Travel (保鏢) Siang 1970 Vengeance! (報仇) Guan Yulou The Heroic Ones (十三太保) Shi Jingsi The Singing Killer (小煞星) musician cameo 1971 King Eagle (鷹王) Jin Fei The New One-Armed Swordsman (新獨臂刀) Feng Junjie The Duel (大決鬥) Tang Renjie The Anonymous Heroes (無名英雄) Tie Hu Duel of Fists (拳擊) Wen Lie Deadly Duo (雙俠) Bao Tingtian 1972 Angry Guest (惡客) Wen Lieh The Water Margin (水滸傳) Wu Song Trilogy of Swordsmanship (群英會) Xu Shiying Segment 3: "White Water Strand" (白水灘) Young People (年輕人) Lam Tat The Delightful Forest (快活林) Wu Song Four Riders (四騎士) Feng Xia 1973 The Blood Brothers (刺馬) Ma Xinyi The Generation Gap (叛逆) Ling Zhao The Pirate (大海盜) Cheung Po Tsai 1974 The Drug Addict (吸毒者) Kuan Cheng-chun Shatter Tai Pah Five Shaolin Masters (少林五祖) Tsai Te-chung The Two Faces of Love (小孩與狗) The Savage Five (五虎將) Fang Yi-fei Es knallt - und die Engel singen Slim Chu Love as Long Tin Young Lovers on Flying Wheels (電單車) Song Da Also director 1975 The Young Rebel Gen Lai Also writer and directorAll Men Are Brothers Wu Song Black Magic Xu Nuo The Empress Dowager Emperor Guangxu 1976 The Last Tempest Emperor Guangxu 7-Man Army Battalion Commander Wu Chaozheng Shaolin Temple Cai De-zhong The Snake Prince Snake Prince Black Magic Part 2 Qi Zhong-ping The Magic Blade Fu Hung-hsueh 1977 Clans of Intrigue Chu Liuxiang Pursuit Of Vengeance Fu Hung-Hsueh Death Duel Fu Hung-Hsueh The Flying Guillotine 2 Ma Tang Inheritor of Kung Fu The Jade Tiger Zhao Wuji The Naval Commandos Captain Liang Guan-qin The Sentimental Swordsman Li Xunhuan The Brave Archer Duan Zhixing 1978 The Avenging Eagle Black Eagle Chik Ming-sing Legend of the Bat Chu Liuxiang Soul of the Sword Nameless Swordsman and Enchantress Mr. Xiao 1979 The Deadly Breaking Sword Tuan Changqing The Kung Fu Instructor Wang Yang Ten Tigers from Kwangtung Lai Yan-chiu 1980 The Convict Killer Teng Piao/Iron Chain The Heroes Ko Fei / Wong Fei Return of the Sentimental Swordsman Li Xunhuan 1981 The Brave Archer 3 Duan Zhixing Emperor and His Brother Chen Chia-lo 1982 Clan Feuds Tie Zhong-tang Shaolin Prince Dao Xing Tiger Killer Wu Song Perils of the Sentimental Swordsman Chu Liuxiang Mercenaries from Hong Kong Luo Yi 1983 The Hidden Power of the Dragon Sabre General Tieh Zhen Roving Swordsman Shen Sheng-yi 1984 A Friend from Inner Space Joe Weng Destiny's Champion Benson Zhang Ninja in the Deadly Trap Death Ring Shanghai 13 Dock boss Opium and the Kung-Fu Master Tie Qiao San 1985 The Master Strikes Back Instructor Tong Tie-zheng 1986 A Better Tomorrow Sung Chi-ho True Colours Ho Lung The Kinemn Bombs 1987 A Better Tomorrow 2 Sung Chi-ho The Legend of Wisley Pak Kei-wai May Jane Commander People's Hero Sunny Koo 1988 City War Ken Chow Tiger on Beat Lung Law or Justice? Long Fei Love Me Dad Ken Chang 1989 Just Heroes Lung Cameo Run, Don't Walk Luk Pui 1990 The Killer's Blues Wai Yi-ming 1991 The Banquet Chef Cameo 1993 Blade of Fury Tan Si-tung / Chong Fei First Shot Wong Yat Chung A Warrior's Tragedy Fu Hung-suet The Bare-Footed Kid Tuen Ching-wan 1994 Drunken Master II Wong Kei-ying 1999 The Kid Sir Lung 2000 Clean My Name, Mr. Coroner! Officer CK Lau High K Zeng Paramount Motel Master Sun 2001 Mist in Judge Fung Ka-wai 2002 Frugal Game Delon 2003 Star Runner Brother Lung Gray 2005 New Born, Living Strong! 2006 Heavenly Mission Cho Hung My Wife Is a Gangster 3 Boss Lam One Last Dance Captain 2008 Run Papa Run Mabel's dad Three Kingdoms: Resurrection of the Dragon Guan Yu The Butterfly Lovers Zhu Gongyuan 2010 The Jade and the Pearl King The Warrior's Way Saddest Flute Frozen San 2013 7 Assassins Prefect Cheuk 2015 All You Need Is Love Old Captain 2015 The Kid from the Big Apple Master Lin (Lin Chun Gen) 2017 The Kid from the Big Apple 2: Before we forget Lin Chun Gen 2018 Staycation (一家大晒) 2019 Mermaid in the Sea

Television Year Network Title Role Notes1995 TVB Justice Pao (包青天) Baau Cing 1996 TVB ICAC Investigators 1996 (廉政行動1996) Cheung Tin-yam 1998 TVB ICAC Investigators 1998 (廉政行動1998) Cheung Tin-yam 2003 Hunan TV My Fair Princess III (還珠格格3之天上人間) Qianlong Emperor 2004 Trail of the Everlasting Hero (俠影仙蹤) Wang Xizhi Warriors of the Yang Clan (楊門虎將) Yang Ye 2010 Qin Xianglian (秦香蓮) Bao Zheng KBS The Fugitive: Plan B (도망자 플랜 B) General Wei 2011 Qin Xianglian 2013 Team of Sword (刀子队)

Awards Years Awards Title Role Category 1973 11th Golden Horse AwardsThe Blood BrothersMa Xinyi The Special Award for Outstanding PerformanceAsian Film Awards The Blood BrothersMa Xinyi Special Jury Award 1979 25th Asian Film Awards The Avenging Eagle Black Eagle Chik Ming-sing Best Actor 1986 23rd Golden Horse Awards A Better Tomorrow Sung Chi-ho Best Actor 2000 19th Hong Kong Film Awards The Kid Sir Lung Best Supporting Actor 2007 12th Golden Bauhinia Awards Life Achievement Award 2015 7th Golden Lotus Awards The Kid from the Big Apple Master Lin (Lin Chun Gen) Best Actor 2017 PIFFA (Profima International Film Festival and Awards) Life Achievement Award 2025 8th Malaysia International Film Festival Lifetime Achievement Award