Lo Lieh

A Hong Kong martial arts superstar who appeared in over 100 films, Lo Lieh would become a prominent fixture of the genre after joining forces with the Shaw Bros. in 1962. An Indonesian native who emigrated to Hong King while in his teens, Lieh's rise to martial arts stardom would anticipate the later success of such figures as Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan. The tireless actor (at times Lieh was known to shoot multiple films simultaneously) would rise to international fame with 1971's King Boxer (better known Five Fingers of Death), later thrilling kung-fu fanatics with such efforts as Born Invincible (1978). Cast opposite Lee Van Cleef in Antonio Margheriti's The Stranger and the Gunfighter, Lieh was often cast in villainous roles. Lieh would later move on to become a director, resulting in such popular Hong Kong films as Clan of the White Lotus (1980) and Edge of Darkness (1988). Actively appearing in films through the '80s and '90s, Lieh's final film appearance was in 2001's acclaimed police drama Glass Tears. On November 2, 2002, Lo Lieh died of a heart attack in Shenzen, China. He was 62.

~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide