SAMMO HUNG
Another legend in his native land, Hung has almost as many stunt, producing, writing and directing credits as he does for acting, including a stint behind and in front of the camera alongside Jackie Chan in Mr. Nice Guy, and displaying comic touches in the likes of Enter The Fat Dragon.
He’s also the only member of this list to have only ever had one major starring role in Hollywood, and that was in the vastly different world of TV. Playing the lead role in 1998 action cop series Martial Law, he saw great success on the small screen, making him the only East Asian headlining a prime-time US show during its two-season run that saw him crossover with the likes of Walker Texas Ranger and Early Edition, leaving nothing but good memories before returning to a continuing career in Hong Kong.
MISUSED OR NOT? – Very much not. More like this please, Hollywood.
MICHELLE YEOH
Crossover success for female Asian actresses is even more difficult than it can be for males, but Yeoh certainly came with the goods; a former Miss Malaysia and one of 1997’s 50 Most Beautiful People, Yeoh caught the attention of Hong Kong film companies after appearing in an advert with Jackie Chan and soon developed a reputation for doing her own stunts on a series of action pictures in the likes of Yes, Madam and Police Story 3: Super Cop. She certainly made an impact on her debut, turning up as an ally to the greatest spy in cinema in her role as Wai Lin in Tomorrow Never Dies, she appeared in the Oscar-baiting Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, and has gone into some more dramatic roles with turns in the likes of Memoirs Of A Geisha and the upcoming Aung San Suu Kyi biopic The Lady.
BEST US FILM – Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)
Despite not getting to do her own stunts in the picture, Yeoh’s cool performance got her noticed next to James Bond. In a James Bond film, that’s saying something. The film itself is nowhere near the best in the canon, but Yeoh is without doubt one of the better things about it.
WORST US FILM – The Mummy: Tomb Of The Dragon Emperor (2008)
This franchise rose from the dead despite a CGI Dwayne Johnson’s best attempts to put it in its sarcophagus, but proved every bit as lifeless as its titular lead. Yeoh plays an immortal sorceress, but you’re not likely to care since you probably won’t ever watch it.
MISUSED OR NOT? – She’s not exactly grossing blockbusters, but Yeoh’s carved out a solid career.
ZIYI ZHANG
Breaking onto the scene after only two movies with her role in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Zhang has perhaps the least amount of experience in martial arts and action pictures, but she’s been in some of the more popular ones this side of Hollywood, like Hero (also starring Jet Li) and its sequel House Of Flying Daggers.
She joined other members of this list in Rush Hour 2 (Jackie Chan) and Michelle Yeoh in Memoirs Of A Geisha, for which she received a Golden Globe Nomination. She’s recently taken a bit of a change of pace, appearing as a judge on X Factor: China’s Strongest Voice.
BEST US FILM – Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
Okay, so it’s a Hollywood co-production, but since most of her other Hollywood roles aren’t action based (except for her worst one) this one makes the grade, for all the same reasons it ranks on the “Best Of” lists of the other stars who make this list.
WORST US FILM – Rush Hour 2
Actually, it’s not THAT bad a movie, and she’s not that bad in it, but it’s probably her worst performance in a Hollywood picture. She’s lucky she dies at the end and didn’t have to come back for Rush Hour 3.
MISUSED OR NOT? – As a dramatic actor, she’s done fine, the action genre however, is hit and miss.
DONNIE YEN
You probably won’t know him, but you’ve seen his work; Donnie Yen is one of Chinese cinema’s premier fight choreographers and directors, with his work being credited as popularising the Wing Chun style of martial arts in his native Hong Kong, where he is considered one of the top action stars. He’s only appeared in a handful of Hollywood movies, but if fist meets face in an awesome way in them, it’s partly him you have to thank.
BEST US FILM – Blade II (2002)
Without speaking a word of dialogue as cool-as-ice vampire mercenary Snowman in the Wesley Snipes action picture, he only gets one real moment of action glory – a dandy bit of swordplay against one of the nutso Reaper creatures – but his work is felt in some of the key actions scenes of Guillermo Del Toro’s bloody brilliant sequel as part of the fight team.
WORST US FILM – Highlander: Endgame (2000)
The lowest of the low for the Christopher Lambert immortals-with-swords franchise, its last cinematic outing is utter tripe, and far below both the acting and choreography talents that Yen brings to the table.
MISUSED OR NOT? – Without doubt. Yen ought to be a much bigger presence in Western action cinema.
SAMMO HUNG
Another legend in his native land, Hung has almost as many stunt, producing, writing and directing credits as he does for acting, including a stint behind and in front of the camera alongside Jackie Chan in Mr. Nice Guy, and displaying comic touches in the likes of Enter The Fat Dragon.
He’s also the only member of this list to have only ever had one major starring role in Hollywood, and that was in the vastly different world of TV. Playing the lead role in 1998 action cop series Martial Law, he saw great success on the small screen, making him the only East Asian headlining a prime-time US show during its two-season run that saw him crossover with the likes of Walker Texas Ranger and Early Edition, leaving nothing but good memories before returning to a continuing career in Hong Kong.
MISUSED OR NOT? – Very much not. More like this please, Hollywood.
MICHELLE YEOH
Crossover success for female Asian actresses is even more difficult than it can be for males, but Yeoh certainly came with the goods; a former Miss Malaysia and one of 1997’s 50 Most Beautiful People, Yeoh caught the attention of Hong Kong film companies after appearing in an advert with Jackie Chan and soon developed a reputation for doing her own stunts on a series of action pictures in the likes of Yes, Madam and Police Story 3: Super Cop. She certainly made an impact on her debut, turning up as an ally to the greatest spy in cinema in her role as Wai Lin in Tomorrow Never Dies, she appeared in the Oscar-baiting Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, and has gone into some more dramatic roles with turns in the likes of Memoirs Of A Geisha and the upcoming Aung San Suu Kyi biopic The Lady.
BEST US FILM – Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)
Despite not getting to do her own stunts in the picture, Yeoh’s cool performance got her noticed next to James Bond. In a James Bond film, that’s saying something. The film itself is nowhere near the best in the canon, but Yeoh is without doubt one of the better things about it.
WORST US FILM – The Mummy: Tomb Of The Dragon Emperor (2008)
This franchise rose from the dead despite a CGI Dwayne Johnson’s best attempts to put it in its sarcophagus, but proved every bit as lifeless as its titular lead. Yeoh plays an immortal sorceress, but you’re not likely to care since you probably won’t ever watch it.
MISUSED OR NOT? – She’s not exactly grossing blockbusters, but Yeoh’s carved out a solid career.
ZIYI ZHANG
Breaking onto the scene after only two movies with her role in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Zhang has perhaps the least amount of experience in martial arts and action pictures, but she’s been in some of the more popular ones this side of Hollywood, like Hero (also starring Jet Li) and its sequel House Of Flying Daggers.
She joined other members of this list in Rush Hour 2 (Jackie Chan) and Michelle Yeoh in Memoirs Of A Geisha, for which she received a Golden Globe Nomination. She’s recently taken a bit of a change of pace, appearing as a judge on X Factor: China’s Strongest Voice.
BEST US FILM – Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
Okay, so it’s a Hollywood co-production, but since most of her other Hollywood roles aren’t action based (except for her worst one) this one makes the grade, for all the same reasons it ranks on the “Best Of” lists of the other stars who make this list.
WORST US FILM – Rush Hour 2
Actually, it’s not THAT bad a movie, and she’s not that bad in it, but it’s probably her worst performance in a Hollywood picture. She’s lucky she dies at the end and didn’t have to come back for Rush Hour 3.
MISUSED OR NOT? – As a dramatic actor, she’s done fine, the action genre however, is hit and miss.
DONNIE YEN
You probably won’t know him, but you’ve seen his work; Donnie Yen is one of Chinese cinema’s premier fight choreographers and directors, with his work being credited as popularising the Wing Chun style of martial arts in his native Hong Kong, where he is considered one of the top action stars. He’s only appeared in a handful of Hollywood movies, but if fist meets face in an awesome way in them, it’s partly him you have to thank.
BEST US FILM – Blade II (2002)
Without speaking a word of dialogue as cool-as-ice vampire mercenary Snowman in the Wesley Snipes action picture, he only gets one real moment of action glory – a dandy bit of swordplay against one of the nutso Reaper creatures – but his work is felt in some of the key actions scenes of Guillermo Del Toro’s bloody brilliant sequel as part of the fight team.
WORST US FILM – Highlander: Endgame (2000)
The lowest of the low for the Christopher Lambert immortals-with-swords franchise, its last cinematic outing is utter tripe, and far below both the acting and choreography talents that Yen brings to the table.
MISUSED OR NOT? – Without doubt. Yen ought to be a much bigger presence in Western action cinema.
