In the last of our series of exclusive interviews, we chat to Sammo Hung about collaborating with Wilson Yip and Donnie Yen on Ip Man, the upcoming sequel, and… Martial Law!
How did you come to be involved as action director for Ip Man?
They asked me to! As you know, I’m very fat and need to eat a lot, so, as soon as someone offers me a job, it means I can eat again.
This isn’t the first time you’ve choreographed the martial art of Wing Chun for a film, you’ve previously done it for Warriors Two and (the all-time classic) The Prodigal Son. What’s the attraction to the Wing Chun style? Did you need to research more about the style this time around? Were you happy with the end result on screen?
When I was at Golden Harvest, I wanted to find a style that suited me. At Shaw Bros, Mr. Lau (Kar-leung) was doing films about the Hung Gar style, so I decided to focus on Wing Chun. I trained with a teacher called Guy Lai, and learned about the founders of the style, Leung Jaan, Leung Yee-tai… I found it looked good on screen, and it was something the audience hadn’t seen before.
There’s an obvious connection between you and Ip Man, in that you worked with his pupil Bruce Lee on films like Enter The Dragon. How important do think that is, and do you think it brings something extra to the film?
Not really. I have a lot of respect for Bruce Lee. Actually, when we first knew each other, we argued because he wanted me to be in his film (Game of Death), but I was too busy, and he blamed me. But he was a great martial artist and he earned my respect. I knew Bruce Lee was a student of Ip Man, but I respected Ip Man anyway.
In fact, you’ve been involved with several projects around Bruce Lee, including Game Of Death, infamously completed long after his passing away. Why do you think Bruce Lee has become such an enduring figure of both film and martial arts? What do you think made him so special?
Hard to say. Even if you have someone perform the same techniques as Bruce Lee, it won’t feel the same. He just had a unique power. I imitated him in a few films (Enter the Fat Dragon, Skinny Tiger, Fatty Dragon) and so I watched his fight scenes again and again. They still look so good, even today. If I knew his secret, I would have found someone to turn into a new Bruce Lee! But that’s impossible…
What was it like working with Donnie Yen again? Is it true you hadn’t worked together before S.P.L.? It does seem amazing to think that your paths had never crossed?
Actually, a long time ago, I was producing a film (In the Fire, 1989), and we really wanted Donnie to play one of the lead roles. I can’t remember what happened, maybe he was too busy. Anyway, we would see each other (in Hong Kong), and we always said ‘Oh, we should work together’, but it wasn’t until SPL that we got the chance.
You’re currently working on the sequel with Wilson Yip and Donnie Yen. Is it true you’re going to appear on screen this time? Can you tell us about your character?
My character is very handsome and charming, but a bit fat. He’s actually the most attractive character in the film! Besides this, he’s a master of Hung Gar kung fu, he lives in Hong Kong and, when Ip Man comes, he wants to test his Hung Gar against Ip Man’s Wing Chun.
You’ve worked as actor, stuntman, action director and director in your own right. How different are those roles, and which one do you prefer?
Directing, definitely. In recent years, I’m just acting and choreographing, but I really want to direct again, and I’m working on a new project now.
In your long, prolific and amazing career in the Hong Kong film industry you’ve worked with literally ALL the great stars and directors, from King Hu to John Woo, Cheng Kang to Tsui Hark, Bruce Lee to Stephen Chow… and so on (I’m not even going to try and list any more names!) Add to that you’re one of Jackie Chan’s oldest and friends. Who have youreally enjoyed working with and why? What are your own personal favourite films?
My favourites would be Jackie and Yuen Biao, those films we did together (Project A, Wheels on Meals, Dragons Forever). The reason is that we have known each other for so long, so many years, the bond between us is very close, so it’s a great experience when we work together. Why don’t we do another film with the three of us? I’m ready! Ask Jackie Chan!
How do you think the Hong Kong film industry has changed over the years? What do you think of the state of it now, and how do you think the future looks?
Of course, it’s not a fair comparison. When I started, Hong Kong cinema was at its height, not just in Hong Kong, but throughout Asia. We had the most popular films in Taiwan, in Korea… Hong Kong stars were the biggest Asian stars in the world. Now, the ‘Hong Kong’ industry is almost dead, but many people who worked in Hong Kong movies, like me, work a lot in China. I think the Mainland Chinese market is very strong, and so there’s still hope.
Who do you consider to be the best ‘big screen’ martial artist in cinema today?
Maybe that Thai kid (Tony Jaa) in his first couple of films. If you understand filmmaking, you can see he doesn’t use wire, doesn’t use a double. Of course, you always get new people, younger people coming in, so maybe there will be someone better than him!
Whatever happened to the TV series Martial Law? Do you think you’d try to take on any other projects in the US?
I don’t know! First season, the audience was good, second, not so good. Anyway, compared to movies, a TV series is very hard work, so I don’t miss it! I would do another film in America. Like I say, they just have to come and ask me. I need to eat!
Ip Man is released by Cine Asia/Showbox Entertainment as a two-disc DVD (£15.99) and single-disc Blu-ray (£19.99) on 26 October 2009.
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