Leung Sing-Bor

Sing-Bor Leung
Chinese name 梁醒波
Chinese name 梁醒波 (traditional)
Chinese name 梁醒波 (simplified)
Born Leung Guang Choy (梁廣才)
1908
Singapore
Died (aged 73)
Hong Kong
Other names Leung Yu Hoi (梁如海)
Children Leung Po Ching 梁葆貞
Leung Po Man 梁葆文
Leung Po Chu 梁寶珠
Parents Leong Yuet (father)
Ancestry Nanhai, Guangdong, China
Influenced by Ma Sze Tsang

Leung Sing-Bor MBE (1908 February 21, 1981), also known as Leung Sing-por or Leung Sing-boh, was a famous Cantonese opera performer, and a pioneer actor of TVB. He was also the chairman of the cantonese opera group Chinese Artist Association of Hong Kong from 1965 to 1970. He was nicknamed "Por Suk" or "Uncle Por".

Early life

Born in Singapore as Leung Guang Choy, Leung was devoted to Cantonese Opera since young, he loved the legendary Ma Sze Tsang and learnt the Ma style of singing Cantonese opera, his father Leong Yuet was a famous Cantonese opera performer in Singapore, Leong convinced his father to allow him to learn Cantonese opera from a Malaysian master only known as Dai Dam Kan (Big Brave Kan in Cantonese) Leung officially joined a Cantonese Opera troupe at the age of 18, Leung started acting in Wusheng roles which made him very popular and one of the members of the Nanyang four kings of Cantonese opera.

Career

In 1939, Ma Sze Tsang's Taiping troupe in Hong Kong needed actors, and Ma aware of Leung's fame, invited him to join the Taiping troupe, Leung and his family thus went to Hong Kong and stayed there ever since. During the World War II, when the Japanese attacked Hong Kong, Leung brought his family to escape to Guangzhou to Macau then to Guangxi At Guangxi, he formed a Cantonese opera troupe there and performed in various towns of Guangxi.

After the world war, Leung started to gain weight, and was unsuitable for acting Wusheng anymore, and thus changed to Chousheng (clown) in which he portrayed villainous and also funny roles in cantonese opera, acting in several famous Cantonese Opera troupes, Leung thus gained the reputation of being "Chousheng Wang" or Clown King in Cantonese opera.

In 1950, Leung was recommended by his seniors to join in the filming industry, in which he has acted over 400 movies in leading or supporting roles.

TVB Pioneer

Leung Sing Bor is widely known to be one of the pioneers of TVB, being one of its first actors to join TVB, and also hosted the popular Enjoy Yourself Tonight show in Hong Kong for many years till his death.

Chinese Artist Association of Hong Kong

Leung was chairman of the Chinese Artist Association of Hong Kong from 1965 to 1970, an association of Hong Kong Cantonese opera artists, thus contributing greatly to the Hong Kong Cantonese opera industry, Leung was later awarded the MBE on 13 April 1977 by the Queen Elizabeth II, whom represented by Governor Murray MacLehose for his artistic contributions towards Cantonese Opera.

Death

Leung died of intestinal cancer in February 1981, aged 73.

Children

Leung had seven children, four girls and three boys. [1] Three of Leung's daughters were famous actresses at their own right, Leung Po-Ching is an actress known for portraying a housewife in EYT, Margaret Leung Po-man (Man Lan) - actress with movie opposite Bruce Lee, and Leung Po-Chu - another Cantonese opera performer.

Filmography

Partial filmography as actor:

References

  1. Cheung, Tony (2018, July 21) Hong Kong’s late ‘King of Comedians’ Leung Sing-por’s optimism and values still inspire. South China Morning Post. Retrieved https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/community/article/2156255/optimism-and-traditional-values-hong-kongs-late-king
Preceded by
Mak Bing-wing
Chairman of the Chinese Artist Association of Hong Kong
1965-1970
Succeeded by
Liza Wang
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