How prolific actor Wu Ma became a film director, and why The Dead and the Deadly, with Sammo Hung, is his best film

Hong Kong filmmaker Wu Ma has acted in over 300 movies and directed more than 45. He chose to work behind the camera because he didn’t feel good-looking enough

A film expert traces his career, including his relationships with Sammo Hung and Tsui Hark, and making of The Dead and the Deadly based on a successful formula

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A still from Wu Ma’s 1982 horror-comedy The Dead and the Deadly. We look at the career of the Hong Kong actor and director, from why he switched to working behind the camera to his relationships with Hong Kong greats Sammo Hung and Tsui Hark. Photo: Eureka Entertainment.

Published: 4:15am, 7 Apr 2024

Hong Kong filmmakers and performers are often prolific, but few can match character actor Wu Ma, who appeared in over 300 films and also made a name for himself as a director.

Frank Djeng, who provided the commentary for the Eureka Entertainment release of Wu Ma’s best film, the horror-martial arts comedy The Dead and The Deadly (1982), discusses his incredible career.

Sammo Hung Kam-bo, the film’s star, often gets the credit for The Dead and the Deadly, but it was actually directed by Wu Ma.

Yes, it may look and feel like a Sammo Hung film, but it’s directed by Wu Ma, who was a prolific actor as well as a director.

He directed more than 45 films and acted in over 300 films, so it’s not an exaggeration to say that Wu was indeed the hardest-working man in Hong Kong show business!

Born Fung Wang-yuen in Tianjin, northern China, in 1942, he moved to Hong Kong in 1959. He was a graduate of the first Shaw Brothers acting course in 1963, and became a contract player for Shaw Brothers a year later, as well as a protégé of both Chang Cheh and King Hu.