George Wang obit

RIP George Wang

 

He was not on the list.

Chinese actor George Wang died of heart failure in Taipei, Taiwan, China on March 27, 2015. He was 88.

In 1935 he was admitted to the Department of Economics, Northeastern University, Department of History, and there changed his name to Wang Jue. After the outbreak of the Marco Polo Bridge Incident in 1937, he dropped out of school to join the national salvation movement and appeared in drama performances throughout the north in anti-Japanese propaganda plays. In 1938 he joined the "China Film Studio", the following year, he appeared in Chongqing's first film "Paul’s Home." In addition to Chongqing movies he also made dramatic performances on stage.

After World War II he moved to Shanghai finding work in a factory. In 1947 he appeared in the Taiwan film "Hualien Harbor", the following year he returned to Taiwan to narrate an experimental film "Myanmar Dang". Little filming was going on and in 1949 the Chinese film studios, actors, crews and equipment moved to Taiwan. Wang appeared in drama performances at Zhongshan Hall and operated a Sichuan restaurant with his wife called Sichuan Garden. In 1950 he is appointed head of Taiwan's studio technology department, and appeared in several films during the early 1950s.

Wang went to Italy in 1959 to shoot a joint production called the "Great Wall" (later renamed "Last Train to Shanghai". After filming was completed he chose to stay in Italy where motion picture filming was thriving, and participated in “The Mongols” (1961), "55 Days at Peking” (1963) and eventually appearing in nearly fifty films. Now billed as George Wang he was almost the only active Oriental film actor in Europe, and became very influential in the Italian film industry, even contributing to the cooperation with Shaw Brothers Pictures. During his stay in Italy he became one of the Euro-western genre’s premiere villains and appeared in over a dozen Euro-westerns including “A Taste of Killing” (1966) with Craig Hill, “Blood and Guns” (aka “Tepepa”) (1968) with Tomas Milian, “Have a Nice Funeral” (1970) with Gianni Garko, “Shanghai Joe” (1973) with Chen Lee and “A Colt in the Hands of the Devil” (1973).

Thanks to his good knowledge of English, he was also active in a number of English language productions, notably appearing in Nicholas Ray's 55 Days at Peking. After portraying Machete, a Mexican antagonist in the 1967 film Taste of Killing, Wang claimed that he was the first Asian actor to play a non-Asian role in a non-Asian country. 

In 1976 he returned to Hong Kong and had been involved in films with his own film production company "Wang Film Company," such as “Along Comes the Tiger” (1977) and “Hot, Cool and Vicious” (1978). In 1978 he returned to Taiwan, performing in "Coldest Winter", where he won a Golden Horse Award for Best Supporting Actor. He continued acting in such films as "Xinhai Double Ten","Guningtou Wars" and other films. In 2009 he was awarded a Special Contribution Award at the 46th Golden Horse Awards. His last appearance was in 2010’s “Close to You”. He was married to actress Luo Yang His and his son is Tao Wang [1945- ] who is also an actor.

WANG, George (Wang Chunyang)

Born: 11/12/1926, Liao Ning Andong Province, China

Died: 3/27/2015, Taipei, Taiwan

George Wang’s westerns – actor:

Cisco - 1966 (Capobanda/Torro/Tuscerora)

A Taste for Killing – 1966 (Mingo)

A Colt in the Hand of the Devil - 1967 (El Condor/Il Capataz)

Blood and Guns - 1968 (Mr. Chu)

Have a Nice Funeral - 1970 (Peng/Lee Tse Tung)

Kill Django… Kill First – 1971 (Lupe Martinez)

Jesse and Lester, Two Brothers in a Place Called Trinity - 1972 (Chinaman)

The Judgment of God - 1972 (Ramon Orea)

The Long Ride of Vengeance – 1972 (Ling Fu) [as Georgie Wang]

Six Bounty Killers for a Massacre – 1972 (Ming/Messinas)

When the Devil Grips a Colt – 1972 (Warner)

Shanghai Joe – 1973 (Master Yang)

The Son of Zorro – 1973 (Pedro Garincha/Garcia

Filmography

 

    E meng chu xing (1951) as Luo Ping

    The Dam on the Yellow River (1960) as Wang (as Wang Jie)

    Mi yue feng bo (1960) as Chin CHun-Hsiung

    The Mongols (1961) as Subodai

    55 Days at Peking (1963) as Boxer Chief (uncredited)

    The Pirates of Malaysia (1964) as Sho Pa

    008: Operation Exterminate (1965) as Tanaka

    Spy in Your Eye (1965) as Ming

    The 10th Victim (1965) as Chinese hunter

    James Tont operazione U.N.O. (1965) as Kayo

    The Almost Perfect Crime (1966) as Chinese Driver

    Dr. Goldfoot and the Girl Bombs (1966) as Fong (uncredited)

    Taste for Killing (1966) as Ming

    Black Box Affair (1966) as Chinese agent

    Mi vedrai tornare (1966) as Prince Hiro Toyo

    El Cisco (1966) as Capobanda

    Colt in the Hand of the Devil (1967) as El Condor / Capataz

    Scorpions and Miniskirts (1967) as Dr. Kung

    Your Turn to Die (1967) as Chang

    Tepepa (1969) as Mr. Chu

    36 Hours to Hell (1969) as Major Koshiro

    Have a Good Funeral, My Friend... Sartana Will Pay (1970) as Lee Tse Tung / Peng

    Kill Django... Kill First (1971) as Martinez

    Desert of Fire (1971) as El Marish

    Roma Bene (1971) as Che Fang (uncredited)

    Two Brothers in Trinity (1971) as Chinaman

    La tecnica e il rito (1972, TV Movie) as Hun

    La lunga cavalcata della vendetta (1972) as Ling Fu

    Sotto a chi tocca! (1972) as Koyo the Balls Thrower

    Colt in the Hand of the Devil (1973) as Warner

    Even Angels Eat Beans (1973) as Naka Kata (uncredited)

    The Big Game (1973) as Wong

    The Executioner of God (1973) as Ramon Orea

    Super Fly T.N.T. (1973) as Poker Player #1

    Studio legale per una rapina (1973) as Lino

    They Were Called Three Musketeers ... But They Were Four (1973) as Kungfu Master

    Mr. Hercules Against Karate (1973) as Ming

    Seven Hours of Violence (1973) as a Chinese Thug

    The Fighting Fist of Shanghai Joe (1973) as Master Yang

    Man with the Golden Winchester (1973) as Pedro Garincha

    Six Bounty Hunters for a Massacre (1973) as Ming / Messinas

    Milarepa (1974)

    This Time I'll Make You Rich (1974) as Wang

    Il Sergente Rompiglioni diventa... caporale (1975) as Chang

    Nan quan bei tui zhan yan wang (1977) as Mayor Yuen

    Yuan (1980)

    The Battle for the Republic of China (1981)

    The Coldest Winter in Peking (1981)

    Jing hun feng yu ye (1982)

    I Shall Return (1982)

    Yan wang de xi yan (1982)

    Zui chang de yi ye (1983)

    Hei bai zhu (1983)

    Da Niu Yue hua bu feng yun (1985)

    Ri nei wa de huang hun (1986)

    Jin zai zhi chi (2010) as Ta-Chieh's Grandfather

    The Grandmaster (2013) as Third Elder (final film role)