Wu Ma
| Wu Ma | |||||
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| Background information | |||||
| Chinese name | 午馬 (traditional) | ||||
| Chinese name | 午马 (simplified) | ||||
| Pinyin | Wǔ Mǎ (Mandarin) | ||||
| Jyutping | Ng5 Maa5 (Cantonese) | ||||
| Birth name | 馮宏源 (Traditional) 冯宏源 (Simplified) Féng Hóngyuán (Mandarin) Fung4 Wang4jyun4 (Cantonese) |
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| Born | 22 September 1942 Tianjin, China |
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| Died | 4 February 2014 (aged 71) Hong Kong |
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| Occupation | Actor, director | ||||
| Years active | 1964–2014 | ||||
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Fung Wang-yuen (22 September 1942 – 4 February 2014), better known by his stage name Wu Ma, was a Hong Kong actor, director, producer and writer born in Tianjin, Republic of China. Wu Ma made his screen debut in 1963, and with over 240 appearances to his name (plus 49 directorial credits within a fifty-year period), he was one of the most familiar faces in the history of Hong Kong Cinema and best known as the Taoist ghosthunter in A Chinese Ghost Story.
Wu was born Feng Hongyuan in Tianjin. At 16 he moved to Guangzhou and became a machinist before migrating to Hong Kong in 1960. In 1962, Wu enrolled in the Shaw Brothers acting course. Graduating a year later, he became a contract player for the studio and made his first appearance in Lady General Hua Mu-lan. He then appeared in such films as Temple of the Red Lotus (1965), The Knight of Knights (1966) and Trail of the Broken Blade (1967). He took on the stage name 'Wu Ma' as it reflected the animal in the year of his birth (the horse), and believed it was short enough for audiences to remember.
During an interview, Wu explained that he had stumbled upon directing when he was offered an unexpected trip to Japan for a movie. The film's original assistant director was unable to clear his visa in time, and Wu was called upon to take his place. After the experience, Wu decided to become a director.
In 1970, Wu became a director in his own right. His directorial debut, Wrath of the Sword, was released the same year. In 1971, Wu released one of his seminial works, The Deaf And Mute Heroine. He concentrated on directing in the 1970s, directing several movies – such as Young Tiger (1973) and Wits To Wits (1974). Wits To Wits has been noted as one of the precursors of the knockabout comedy kung fu genre that was later made famous by Sammo Hung and Jackie Chan. Another movie Wu directed, Manchu Boxer (1974), featured Sammo Hung, then a young choreographer and later one of the trend-setters of Hong Kong cinema. This marked the beginning of a strong working relationship between the two, which would become prominent towards the 1980s. He co-directed with his former mentor Chang in several movies – The Water Margin (1972), The Pirate (1973), All Men Are Brothers (1975) and Naval Commandos (1976).
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