Born in Hong Kong, Sammo Hung's acting career began while he was training in acrobatics, martial arts and dance as a child at the China Drama Academy, and he received acclaim for his performance with a troupe called "The Seven Little Fortunes." He made his feature film debut as an actor at the age of 12, and has worked in numerous martial arts films as an actor, director, producer and/or choreographer, collaborating with Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan, two superstars of the genre.

He is now internationally renowned as a pioneer and trend-setter in Hong Kong action films. Hung's big break as a film actor came with a role as a villain in the Bruce Lee film Enter the Dragon. He established his reputation as a skilled physical comedian in several kung-fu comedies, beginning with "Enter the Fat Dragon" (Fay Lung kwo gong). He also produced and starred in numerous successful films throughout the 1970s and 1980s for Hong Kong's leading film studio, Golden Harvest.

Hung collaborated in the 1980s with long-time friend Jackie Chan in a highly successful series of action comedies that cemented Hung's reputation as a consummate actor/director and launched Chan's career as an international star. For a while, Hung also starred in an American TV series, show, Martial Law.

He directed "Once Upon a Time in China and America" (Wong Fei-hung chi saiwik hung si), his first film shot in the US. He and his wife, Mina, now divide their time between homes in Hong Kong and Los Angeles.


Attended same opera school as Jackie Chan, Biao Yuen, Wah Yuen and Corey Yuen. He was first called Sammo in Hong Kong because of his resemblance to a popular Chinese cartoon character. The character's name was "Sam Mo" which is Cantonese for "three hairs," which is all the cartoon character had. When his work first started getting released in the West, he was billed as Samo Hung. It was not until years later, after English-speakers kept mispronouncing his first name as 'say-mo', that the M was doubled to get the 'Sammo' that we are more familiar with now. Has three sons and one daughter; Timmy Hung, Jimmy Hung, Sammy Hung and Stephanie Hung. He is the elder brother of Chi Kit Lee.