Albert Leong (born September 30, 1952), also known as Al "Ka Bong" Leong, is an American stuntman and actor.[1] Characterised by his martial arts skills, long wavy hair, and a prominent Fu Manchu moustache, he has had a number of small but memorable roles in many popular action films, including Lethal Weapon (1987), opposite Mel Gibson and Danny Glover, Die Hard (1988), opposite Bruce Willis, Death Warrant (1990), opposite Jean-Claude Van Damme, and Rapid Fire (1992), opposite Brandon Lee. He is also notable for his role as Genghis Khan in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989).
Al Leong | |
|---|---|
| Born | Albert Leong September 30, 1952 |
| Other names | Al "Ka Bong" Leong |
| Occupation(s) | Stuntman, actor |
He collaborated with director John Carpenter in Big Trouble in Little China (1986) and They Live (1988). Such appearances have garnered him a cult following.[2][3] In 2014, he was inducted into the Martial Arts History Museum Hall of Fame.[4]
Early life
editLeong was born in St. Louis, Missouri.[5][6] The youngest of three children born to Chinese American parents, he grew up behind the Chinese laundry that they owned. In 1962, when he was ten years old, they moved to Los Angeles. Leong attended Hollywood High School.[7]
Leong had brain cancer in 1993 and suffered a stroke in 2005.[8]
Career
editHis credits include Lethal Weapon, Die Hard, Joshua Tree, Big Trouble in Little China, The Scorpion King, and They Live.[1] and a recurring role on the first season of the TV series 24. He also portrayed an out-of-time Genghis Khan in the comedy Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure. In 2003, Leong lampooned himself as well as the Hollywood tradition of actor and director 'reels' by starring in screenwriter David Callaham's "Writer's Reel."[9] In the five-minute short film, Leong portrayed Callaham going through a typical day in the life of a writer. The 'reel' was accepted into a number of short film festivals.[10]
As a stuntman, Leong was involved with the production of numerous films including The Golden Child, Last Action Hero, Roland Emmerich's Godzilla, Tim Burton's Planet of the Apes, and Daredevil. He also has made appearances on several television shows such as The A-Team Knight Rider, Magnum, P.I., The Twilight Zone, T. J. Hooker, MacGyver, That '70s Show, and HBO's Deadwood. He wrote and directed the low-budget film Daddy Tell Me a Story....
Filmography
edit| Year | Title | Role | Other notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Twilight Zone: The Movie | Vietnamese Villager | (Segment #1) |
| 1983 | Off the Wall | Mount Joy Cheerleader | |
| 1984 | Protocol | The Chef | |
| 1985 | My Science Project | Vietnamese Soldier | Uncredited |
| 1986 | Big Trouble | Chinese Laborer #2 | |
| 1986 | Big Trouble in Little China | Wing Kong Hatchet Man | |
| 1986 | Running Scared | Henchman | Uncredited |
| 1987 | Lethal Weapon | Endo | |
| 1987 | Steele Justice | Long Hair | |
| 1988 | She's Having a Baby | The Photographer | |
| 1988 | Action Jackson | Dellaplane’s Chauffeur | |
| 1988 | Die Hard | Uli | |
| 1988 | They Live | Resistance Member | Uncredited |
| 1989 | Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure | Genghis Khan | |
| 1989 | Cage | Joe "Tiger Joe" Lowell | |
| 1989 | Black Rain | Sato's Assassin | Uncredited |
| 1989 | Savage Beach | Fu | |
| 1990 | I Come in Peace | Luggage Salesman | |
| 1990 | Aftershock | Fighter | Uncredited |
| 1990 | Death Warrant | Bruce | |
| 1991 | The Perfect Weapon | Man In Croc-Pit Bar | Also stunts, Uncredited |
| 1991 | Showdown in Little Tokyo | Thug | Also stunts, Uncredited |
| 1992 | Steel Justice | Guard #2 | |
| 1992 | Rapid Fire | Minh | |
| 1992 | Hard Hunted | Raven | |
| 1993 | Joshua Tree | Chinese Gunman #9 | |
| 1993 | Last Action Hero | Thug | Uncredited |
| 1993 | Hot Shots! Part Deux | Pit-Fighting Fan | Also stunts |
| 1994 | Beverly Hills Cop III | Car Mechanic | Also stunts, Uncredited |
| 1994 | The Shadow | Tibetan Driver | |
| 1994 | Vanishing Son III | Triad Lieutenant #1 | |
| 1994 | Double Dragon | Lewis | Also stunts |
| 1994 | Deadly Target | Guard | |
| 1996 | Escape from L.A. | Saigon Shadow Warrior | Also stunts |
| 1997 | Tuff Luk Klub | Cousin Ming | |
| 1998 | The Replacement Killers | Wei's Gunmen | Uncredited |
| 1998 | Godzilla | Japanese Fisherman | Also stunts, Uncredited |
| 1998 | Lethal Weapon 4 | Wah Sing Ku Triad Member | Uncredited |
| 1998 | Limo | Hack | |
| 2000 | Daddy Tell Me a Story... | Al Ka Bong | |
| 2001 | The Ghost | Wu's Thug #2 | |
| 2002 | The Scorpion King | Asian Training Master | |
| 2005 | Confessions of an Action Star | Evil Doctor | |
| 2005 | Forbidden Warrior | Yang Sze | |
| 2014 | Awesome Asian Bad Guys | Al | (2013) |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Episode | Date | Other notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | The A-Team | Thug At Boat | The Maltese Falcon (episode # 2.13) | 1983-12-13 | |
| 1983 | The A-Team | Asian-Looking Thug | Lease with an Option to Die (episode # 4.4) | 1985-10-22 | |
| 1983 | The Greatest American Hero | Uncredited Extra | Thirty Seconds Over Little Tokyo (episode # 39) | 1983-02-03 | |
| 1983 | Hart to Hart | Tai-Chi Man | Year of the Dog (episode # 5.10) | 1983-12-13 | |
| 1984 | The Fall Guy | Johnny | Sandcastles (episode # 4.8) | 1984-11-07 | |
| 1985 | MacGyver | Wayne H. Lim | Murderers' Sky (episode # 3.20) | 1988-05-09 | |
| 1986 | The Fall Guy | Quon | Trial by Fire (episode # 5.12) | 1986-01-24 | |
| 1986 | Riptide | Mr. Yeem | The Frankie Kahana Show (episode # 3.13) | 1986-02-11 | |
| 1986 | Renegade | "The Dragon", Yakuza Boss | Samurai (Season 1 Episode 14) | ||
| 1986 | T. J. Hooker | Nabutsu Hood #1 (uncredited) | Blood Sport (episode # 5.88) | 1986-05-21 | |
| 1986 | The Equalizer | Unknown | China Rain (episode # 1.2) | ||
| 1994 | Kung Fu: The Legend Continues | Unknown | The Warlord | Also stunt coordinator | |
| 2000 | That '70s Show | Kung-Fu Master / Ninja Warrior | Jackie Moves On (episode # 2.22) | 2000-04-03 | |
| 2002 | 24 | Neill | Four episodes of first season |
Music videos
edit- 2003 Poppin' Them Thangs by G-Unit
Further reading
edit- Leong, Al (August 1, 2011). The Eight Lives of Al Ka-Bong Leong. Al Leong. ISBN 978-0-615-38499-3.[11]
References
edit- ^ a b "Al Leong". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. 2014. Archived from the original on July 22, 2014.
- ^ "Al Leong". Hey! It's That Guy!. Fametracker. August 8, 2001. Archived from the original on October 19, 2006. Retrieved June 19, 2007.
- ^ As of June 2007, the fan site Al Leong: Cinematic Legend Archived October 4, 2007, at the Wayback Machine campaigns for Leong to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award from Taurus World Stunt Awards and an MTV Lifetime Achievement Award.
- ^ "Hall of Fame".
- ^ An Exclusive Interview with Al Leong Archived April 12, 2014, at the Wayback Machine, World Wide Dojo
- ^ A chat with Al Leong – martial artist & stuntman extraordinaire — Chiller Theatre, Planetchocko.com
- ^ Taylor, Trey (October 30, 2013). "Al Leong: death becomes him". Dazed. Retrieved June 17, 2019.
- ^ McNeil, Jason William (November 1, 2015). "8 Things You Didn't Know About Al Leong". Black Belt.
- ^ "David Callaham: Writer Reel (2004)". IMDb.
- ^ "4th Bearded Child Film Festival". Bearded Child Film Festival.
- ^ Leong, Al (August 1, 2011). The Eight Lives of Al Ka-Bong Leong. Al Leong. ISBN 978-0-615-38499-3.
External links
edit- Al Leong at IMDb
- Al Leong: Cinematic Legend Archived July 17, 2014, at the Wayback Machine