Angela Mao

Angela Mao
Chinese name 茅瑛
Pinyin Máo Yīng (Mandarin)
Jyutping Maau4 Jing1 (Cantonese)
Born Mao Fujing
(1950-09-20) 20 September 1950
Taiwan
Occupation Actress, martial artist
Years active 1970s-1992
Spouse(s)
Kelly Lai Chen
(m. 1974; div. 1980)
Ancestry Zhejiang, China
Angela Mao
Traditional Chinese 茅復靜
Simplified Chinese 茅复静

Angela Mao Ying (born 20 September 1950) is a Taiwanese actress and martial artist who appeared in many martial arts films in the 1970s. One of the most famous martial artist actresses of her time, she is nicknamed "Lady Whirlwind" and "Lady Kung Fu". She was positioned as a female version of Bruce Lee.[1]

Biography

Mao was born as Mao Fujing in 1950. She is the daughter of Mao Yung Kang, Peking Opera star, who escaped China to Taiwan in 1949. Her family was originally from Zhejiang province. Angela was originally a Chinese opera actress before becoming an action film actress; at a young age she attended ballet classes before joining The Fu Shing Peking Opera in 1958.

Mao trained in hapkido and other martial arts at an early age . This would later help her achieve success in martial art movies. When she was 17, Huang Feng (an action movie director known for discovering Sammo Hung and Carter Wong) discovered her. Feng was looking for a young woman who knew martial arts to be the leading lady for his upcoming sword fight film, called Angry River.

With her experience in acting and martial arts, Angela quickly began taking leading roles in other action movies in Golden Harvest productions including Hapkido (Lady Kung-fu), Lady Whirlwind, and The Fate of Lee Khan (directed by King Hu). She was also successful in other movies such as The Association, The Himalayans and many others.

Internationally, she found fame for her role as the doomed sister of Bruce Lee's character in 1973's Enter the Dragon. Although Bruce Lee died shortly after the production of the movie, Mao was able to train and develop a friendship with Lee.

Following the incredible success to her short-lived role in 1973's Enter The Dragon many of her films began to be released in the west. Hapkido was the first to gain this wider audience. The film also starred Carter Wong, Sammo Hung, her real life teacher Hwang In-Shik and also Ji Han Jae. Also working on Hapkido were an uncredited 'bootmaster' Leung Siu-Lung who was helping Sammo with the fight choreography and a stuntman named Jackie Chan.

Mao continued with a string of successful movies through the seventies. Angela along side with actor Carter Wong became a bit of a kung fu duo act in a series of kung fu classic movies. One of most popular movies made by them was When Taekwondo Strikes which was also the only film made by Jhoon Rhee. Mao spent time training with Rhee during the making of this movie. After her Golden Harvest contract expired, she returned to Taiwan and for the next five years she continued to make kung fu movies.

Mao married Kelly Lai Chen in 1974 and gave birth to a daughter in 1976. They divorced in 1980. She retired from acting in 1992 to devote herself to her family. She moved to New York City in 1993, where she and her family run three restaurants.[2]

Filmography

  • The Angry River (1970) - Lan Feng
  • Thunderbolt (1970)
  • The Invincible Eight (1971)
  • Deadly China Doll (1972) - Hei Lu
  • Hapkido (1972) - Yu Ying
  • Lady Whirlwind (1972) - Miss Tien
  • Enter the Dragon (1973) - Su Lin
  • Back Alley Princess (1973) - Ying
  • Sting of the Dragon Masters (1973) - Wan Ling-ching
  • The Two Great Cavaliers (1973)
  • The Fate of Lee Khan (1973)
  • Naughty! Naughty! (1974)
  • Stoner (1974) - Angela Li Shou-Hua
  • The Invincible Kung Fu Trio (1974)
  • The Tournament (1974)
  • The Himalayan (1975)
  • International Assassins (1976) - Queen of Cambodia
  • Dance of Death (1976)
  • Lady Karate (1976)
  • Duel with the Devils (1977) - Chu
  • Invincible (1976)
  • A Queen's Ransom (1976)
  • The Eternal Conflict (1976) - Fei Fei
  • Duels in the Desert (1977)
  • Broken Oath (1977) - Lotus Lin
  • The Damned (1978)
  • Iron Maiden (1978) - Chin Lun
  • Scorching Sun, Fierce Wind, Wild Fire (1978)
  • Return of the Tiger (1978)
  • Snake Deadly Act (1979) - Brothel Madam
  • Flying Masters of Kung Fu (1979)
  • Moonlight Sword and Jade Lion (1981)
  • The Stunning Gambling (1982)
  • Ninja, the Violent Sorcerer (1982) - Anna (uncredited)
  • Book and Sword Chronicles (TV series) (1984) - Luo Bing
  • Eastern Condors (1987) (extra)
  • Devil Dynamite (1987)
  • Ghost Bride (1992)

References

  1. ↑ Vadukul, Alex (January 24, 2017). "Pilgrimages to Queens Restaurant to Honor Lady Kung Fu". The New York Times. Retrieved 2018-04-18.
  2. ↑ Searching for Lady Kung Fu, ALEX VADUKUL, New York Times, NOV. 4, 2016
  • Zhiwei Xiao, Yingjin Zhang: Encyclopedia of Chinese Film. Taylor & Francis, 2002, ISBN 0203195558, S. 237 (online copy, p. 237, at Google Books)
  • Ric Meyers: Films of Fury: The Kung Fu Movie Book. Eirini Press 2001, ISBN 9780979998942, S. 172-174 (online copy, p. 172, at Google Books)
  • E. K. Padberg: Angela Mao Ying: de kung fu dame - article in a Dutch magazine
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