Sammo Hung has seen it all. From battling Bruce Lee on screen in “Enter the Dragon” (1973) to bossing Donnie Yen behind the camera as the action director of “Ip Man” (2008), the legendary martial artist now wields influence as jury president of this year’s Asian Film Awards. The man who helped define Hong Kong action cinema for generations is now evaluating its future.
The 73-year-old action star, whose career spans over five decades, has transitioned seamlessly between acting, directing, and producing, crafting some of the most influential martial arts films in cinema history. When asked about the evolution of martial arts choreography from the classic Golden Harvest days to today’s spectacles, Hung remains philosophical. “I think there’s not much difference. It always evolves with time and evolves with trends,” Hung tells Variety.
Hung’s collaborations with Jackie Chan and Yuen Biao have produced countless iconic moments in action cinema. “We always have a lot of good memories for every single movie that we collaborate with each other,” he reflects. “For instance, like in ‘Project A’ and also ‘Dragons Forever.’ For these two films in particular, we always have good memories from that time.”
In an era dominated by CGI, Hung emphasizes the physical authenticity that defined Hong Kong action while acknowledging modern techniques. “I’m preserving the JC style, not CG,” he says. “I don’t know much about computer graphics, but we are always using our body to express, to deliver the energy, the character.”
He’s quick to clarify: “I’m not saying that computer graphics is bad. I’m just saying that we have to see how we are going to use it in a proper way.”
Of all his many roles in the industry, Hung finds directing the most challenging. “If I were a producer or an actor, I had time to choose, to grasp what I’m going to do. But as a director, you have to grab every single minute, every second to think and then to design what you’re going to do.”
On Hollywood’s appropriation of Hong Kong action techniques, Hung observes: “Hollywood has been also following the Hong Kong action films. They have been following the Hong Kong trends, the Hong Kong film styles.”
Hung’s unique blend of physical prowess and humor has been his trademark. “From my own perspective or from my own personality, I think it is important to incorporate comedy into action films,” he explains. “I’m not only making kung fu or martial arts films. I’m also making films that people can enjoy and have fun.”
The veteran performer has no favorites among his extensive filmography. “It applies to every single film that I made and I was starring in. I just hope that the audience would love all of them.”
Hung notes that the approach to martial arts filmmaking has evolved significantly from the time he began working in the 1960s to “Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In,” the action dram in 2024 broke box office record in Hong Kong, and was selected as the territory’s Oscar contender. “The sensitivity, or the sense of what a kung fu or martial arts film should be like has been changing. In the past, once we had a story, once we had the characters fixed, then we could just go for it. But these days, this is far, far more complicated.”
Age has naturally impacted his physical capabilities, but not his commitment. “When I was young, of course, I could do far more action stunts compared with what I can do right now. I’m getting older now, but I still do my best, and I will still do what I can do within my ability or range.”
Having worked with Bruce Lee early in his career and more recently with Donnie Yen, Hung reflects on the stark contrast between these experiences. “When I was working with Bruce Lee, I was influenced by him significantly, because he’s the boss, of course, and he told me what to do. But in the case of Donnie Yen, I’m the boss, so I’m telling him what to do. That’s the significant difference.”
When asked if there’s any genre he hasn’t tackled yet, Hung jokes: “The only genre that I haven’t been exposed to, maybe those like steamy, hot scenes, like sexy scenes.” Asked if he’s eager to explore it, he quips: “If there’s a chance, of course I would.”
For aspiring filmmakers looking to break into action cinema, Hung’s advice is pragmatic: “First of all, luck is very important. They have to be lucky. I’m not denying that you have to work hard as well. But in Cantonese, we have a saying: we have to work hard, but we always say we have to wait until the luck arrives.”
As for his legacy, Hung hopes to inspire the next generation. “For me right now, it’s hard to make a film that looks like what I did in the past. It’s quite impossible. So what I hope is the young filmmakers will watch my previous films, and they will learn something, get inspiration from me. And then, of course, if they could, in return, inspire me, that would be a great thing.”
The Asian Film Awards take place Sunday, after which Hung is attending Hong Kong FilMart.
