After 50 years in the film industry and more than 200 titles to his name, Hong Kong actor Tai Bo is entering a new phase of his career.
A former stuntman for Jackie Chan, he transitioned into character roles at the height of the Hong Kong action cinema era with the likes of Police Story and Drunken Master II, and also worked in Taiwan on titles such as Hou Hsiao-Hsien’s Venice Golden Lion winner A City Of Sadness.
More recently, he won best actor at the Golden Horse Awards and Hong Kong Film Awards for his performance as a secretly gay married man in Ray Yeung’s Twilight’s Kiss (aka Suk Suk). He reunited with Yeung for a pivotal role in family drama All Shall Be Well, which premiered at this year’s Berlinale and won the Teddy award for best feature. Tai also played a leading role in Wing Chow’s For Alice, which had its world premiere at the New York Asian Film Festival (NYAFF) where he received the Star Asia Lifetime Achievement Award on Sunday (July 14).
He spoke to Screen about how the Hong Kong film industry has fundamentally changed over the course of his career and being cast in the upcoming prequel to the successful Cold War franchise.
How did you get your start in the business?
I started at 18 when an action director named Wu Ma said, “You’re a naughty kid. Why don’t you get off the streets and come join us.” I thought he meant as the star but he said, “No, not the way you look! But you could work behind the scenes.” So I started as a script supervisor and worked my way up to assistant director. That was my filmmaking education because I learned from working with all the departments. It wasn’t until a few years later than Jackie Chan asked me to join his stunt team so for the next 10 years you’ll see me in all the films Jackie made during that period.
What do you remember about working with Bruce Lee on Enter The Dragon?
I knew of him because Bruce was a child actor and my father also happened to know his father but we didn’t really hang out until I worked on Enter The Dragon. Bruce was very nice to the stunt team but would shout at the director a lot. I was even invited to his home in Kowloon Tong and was fascinated with the amount of books he had, many of which were about psychology. He was just a guy who came in everyday with a cup of tea in his hand and was engaged with the stunt team – and mean to the director.
What are the biggest changes you’ve seen to filmmaking in Hong Kong over your career to date?
Back in the day, Hong Kong cinema was considered the Hollywood of the East. Once things opened up, the budgets got really big, particularly co-productions with China. Nowadays, making films is about funding. But Covid has changed Hong Kong cinema for good. People are less willing to make big films and more interested in smaller movies with a $5-6m budget. Because the budgets are smaller, the topics are more about society and focussed on humanity. If you want a big star like Donnie Yen, it’s going to cost more and Hong Kong filmmakers don’t want to take that gamble because they don’t know if they’ll recoup the money. So a lot of these smaller films have been developed in the past couple of years and I’ve been the lucky enough to work on them.
You won your first leading actor award at the Hong Kong Film Awards for Twilight’s Kiss (aka Suk Suk) in 2020? Did that role and the awards you received start a new phase of your career?
For sure, I’m now able to take on more roles in smaller films that challenge me but in the process I’ve been cast in a lot of big films, including co-productions with China. I’ve got a role in the next Cold War and have a proper scene because I now have gravitas.
What can you tell us about another upcoming film, Dumpling Queen?
It’s a new film by Andrew Lau who I’ve been friendly with for a while. It’s based on a real story of a famous Wanchi dumpling maker who went from nothing in the 1970s to selling to a big company many years later. My role is of a tailor at a house in Hong Kong where she first moves. It’s a feelgood movie.
How do you feel about receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award here in New York?
It was a big surprise. It’s my first time at a US festival and in New York. I never expected anything like this in my life. Some of my peers like Yeun Woo-ping have received this in the past, which is a great feeling. I’ve worked for more than 50 years in this industry and never imagined winning any accolades so it’s a joy.
This interview was conducted using a translator.
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