Jimmy Wang Yu was a Taiwanese actor who starred in classic martial arts movies including “One-Armed Swordsman” and “The Chinese Boxer.”
- Died: April 5, 2022 (Who else died on April 5?)
- Details of death: Died at a hospital in Taipei, Taiwan after a long illness at the age of 79.
- We invite you to share condolences for Jimmy Wang Yu in our Guest Book.
Acting career
Wang was one of the early greats of martial arts films, joining the Hong Kong-based Shaw Brothers Studio in the early 1960s, just as they were beginning to popularize the genre. He starred in their 1967 classic “One-Armed Swordsman,” which became highly influential on later martial arts films. His 1970 movie “The Chinese Boxer” is considered by some to be the first great kung fu film, focusing on unarmed martial arts combat. It, too, was influential, introducing the kung fu genre to the world outside Asia. Wang became a legend of martial arts and went on to star in many other classic martial arts films, including “One-Armed Boxer,” “Beach of the War Gods,” and “Master of the Flying Guillotine.” His career was at its height in the 1960s and ‘70s, and he made his final appearance in the 2013 Taiwanese horror film “Soul.”
Tributes to Jimmy Wang Yu
Full obituary: The Hollywood Reporter
