Here’s What Happened To The Scene-Stealing Supporting Actors In Stephen Chow Movies

The late great Ng Man Tat was best known for being Stephen Chow’s cinematic sidekick, at times stealing the show from the comedy icon himself.

But Tat Gor wasn’t the only supporting player who Stephen Chow let shine in his movies. Yuen Qiu’s chain-smoking landlady in Kungfu Hustle and Lee Kin Yan’s nose-picking Ruhua in Hail The Judge are just two utterly unforgettable, thigh-slappingly funny supporting characters that come to mind.

With the sad passing of Tat Gor on February 27, there has been renewed interest in what these scene-stealers have been up to. Scroll on to find out.

The 57-year-old Hongkong actress starred in a number of Stephen Chow movies, including Hail The Judge (1994) and Forbidden City Cop (1996). But it’s her role as the, um, “indescribably beautiful” Shek Lau in 1993’s Flirting Scholar that’s the most memorable.

Kingdom is still very much active in showbiz, though she’s shifted the focus of her career to China. She is also a businesswoman now.

The actor, who is married to TVB ah jie Liza Wang, is a frequent Stephen Chow collaborator, having worked with the auteur in movies like Alls Well, Ends Well 97, Lawyer Lawyer (1997) and A Chinese Odyssey Part 1 and Part 2 and it’s his role as the chatty Longevity Monk who has a habit of breaking into a Cantonese cover of ‘Only You (And You Alone)’ in the latter two movies that puts the class in classic.

In 2004, Kar Ying was diagnosed with liver cancer and he eventually beat the illness. Kar Ying now works mainly in China.

He’s the man behind Ru Hua, the nose-picking bearded lady character named who has appeared in numerous Stephen Chow flicks like King of Beggars (1992) Hail The Judge and From Beijing with Love (1994).

Sadly, Kin Yan, 59, suffered a stroke in 2019 that left him half-paralysed and unable to speak.

The ‘70s stuntwoman and martial arts star was lured out of retirement by Stephen to play Kungfu Hustle's chain-smoking landlady who's actually a kungfu master.

Now 70, Yuen Qiu didn't go back into retirement after Kungfu Hustle and has been working steadily since. She recently filmed TVB drama Chinatown that’s slated to air this year.

You’ll definitely remember him in Kungfu Hustle (2004) as the scrawny Pigsty Alley resident who was bullied by the landlady.

The 39-year-old hasn’t done many movies since but his recent Douyin post had netizens saying that he’s piled on the pounds. There were also rumours that he’s a millionaire though it's not known where he made his money.

His most famous role to date is playing Iron Head aka the eldest Shaolin brother in Stephen’s 2001 sports comedy hit Shaolin Soccer.

The 74-year-old hasn’t acted in a Hongkong production in years, but instead has been busy shooting web dramas in China.

Of all the characters he’s played in many Stephen Chow movies — Hail The Judge, Flirting Scholar and Love on Delivery (1994) come to mind — it’s his role as Turtle in 1991’s Fight Back to School that’s the most memorable.

56-year-old Yat San, who also goes by the English name Gabriel, now works mainly in China and is reportedly pretty active on Douyin.

He was unforgettable as Stephen’s roly poly best friend in Kungfu Hustle and has also starred in other of the latter’s movies like CJ7 (2008) and Mermaid (2016). These days, it’s said that the 44-year-old has moved into directing.

He started off as an actor but became a comedy icon after starring in movies like Fist of Fury 1991 II, Royal Tramp (1992) and Fight Back to School III (1993).

Nat, 69, is still one of Hongkong’s most famous hosts, though in recent years has been busy working in China, and, um, banking on his wife’s lucky streak.

She was Bucktooth Jane in Kungfu Hustle (2004) and according to reports, has left showbiz and is now a full-time homemaker.

Photos: Weibo