The other Bruce Lee? Alexander Fu Sing, the kung fu movie, Hong Kong cinema and Shaw Brothers Studio star who died tragically young at 28
Did Alexander Fu Sing live in Bruce Lee’s cursed Hong Kong home? And does it explain his own death? Here’s the truth about the martial arts legend that almost was
The man who came closest – ignoring Bruceploitation actors like Bruce Li and Bruce Le who aped Lee’s style but not his success – was Alexander Fu Sing.
But like Lee, Fu died young – at 28, five years younger than the Little Dragon. Yet during his brief peak, Fu was Hong Kong’s most popular action film star. And whilst he never had time to achieve international fame, many would argue that Fu set the template for Jackie Chan to go on and dominate the box office in Asia before his move to Hollywood.
Alexander Fu Sing was born in Kowloon Hospital, near Mong Kok, in 1954. His family was a large one, and he was the ninth of 11 children. His father, Benton Cheung Yan-lung, was a man of some local influence. A businessman and politician from the New Territories, Cheung was also a member of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong for 10 years under the colonial administration and was eventually awarded a CBE for his work.
Fu did not excel at school, unlike many of his siblings who were reportedly strong academics. That encouraged him to leave school at 15 and find a paying job. He landed a job in construction and lived at one his parents’ properties on Boundary Street – not far from where he was born in Kowloon. A myth has sprung up that Fu even lived in Bruce Lee’s old home on Cumberland Road, and that the location’s bad karma explains the two actors’ premature deaths. However, that was never the case.
After a year of working in construction, Fu signed up for the legendary film production company’s Shaw Brothers Southern Drama School, which the studio hoped would train a new generation of martial arts superstars. Although there is no way of knowing for sure, Fu was possibly inspired by Lee. After all, he made this decision in 1971 – the year Bruce Lee made his starring debut with the hit film The Big Boss.
While training, Fu caught the attention of legendary director Chang Cheh, the man eventually responsible for classic films like One-Armed Swordsman and The Five Venoms. The pair formed a close bond and would go on to work together on numerous films.
Initially, Fu was earning just US$4 a day working as a background actor. It wasn’t until 1973 that he received his first significant role, playing a character in Chang’s Police Force. Although he wasn’t the star, Fu was involved in a number of fight scenes that allowed him to demonstrate his potential.