Roy Chiao

Roy Chiao (16 March 1927 – 15 April 1999) was a Hong Kong actor, most notable in the United States for playing the minor villain Lao Che in the 1984 movie Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.
Biography
Chiao was born in Shanghai in 1927. His father was a supporter of Sun Yat-sen and was part of the Chinese Revolution. During the Korean War, Chiao went to Taiwan. He joined the United States Army at some stage, and with him being fluent in Mandarin, Cantonese, Shanghainese, and English, he was a broadcaster and interpreter for the army. In 1955, he went to Japan and there he met actress Bai Guang who cast him in the 1956 film Xian mu dan.
Chiao married Liu Yen-Ping when he was in his twenties. She was a disc-jockey. Both he and his wife were Christians. Chiao had been a devout Christian since his early twenties. In 1964 he and his wife immigrated to Seattle. In his later years he became involved in missionary work.
He was the founder of "Artists' Home," a Christian Fellowship for actors in Hong Kong. Singer-songwriter Zac Kao is one of the people who have been positively affected by Chio.
He suffered three heart attacks before his heart disease-related death.
Career
The English speaking film appearances that Chiao appeared in included roles in the 1984 Harrison Ford film Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, the 1988 Jean-Claude Van Damme film Bloodsport, the 1973 Bruce Lee film Enter the Dragon and the 1978 version of Lee's Game of Death. He performed in many Hong Kong films with a career total of 90 films.
1950s to 1960s
Chiao's screen debut was in the 1956 film Xian mu dan which came about as a result of his meeting actress Bai Guang. She had cast him in the film. On her recommendation he went to MP&GI in 1957 and that year he was signed to them.
Recognized as a handsome leading man, in the 1959 film, Ferry to Hong Kong, Chiao played the part of the Americanized Johnny Sing-Up, a black leather jacket, blue jean wearing Elvis styled gangster from America. Sing-Up was the partner of a pirate called Yen (played by Milton Reid) who board a ferry that has been battered in a storm and drifting near the China Coast.
1970s to 1999
In a type of send-up of his award-winning role in Summer Snow, Chiao played the part of the Alzheimer disease stricken grandfather of Tung Tzun in the 1996 film Blind Romance.
He had suffered from three heart attacks and died of heart disease.
Selected filmography
Heng chong zhi zhuang (1950)
Alishan feng yun (1956)
Xian mu dan (1959)
Qing chun er nu (1959) – Niu Mai (Buffalo)
San xing ban yue (1959) – Chang Ping-chung
(Kong zhong xiao jie) (1959) – Lei Daying
Ferry to Hong Kong (1959) – Johnny Sing-Up
Tian chang di jiu (1959)
Lan gui feng yun (1959)
Liu yue xin niang (1960) – Mai Qin
Chang tui jie jie (1960) – Xiao Jin / Jin Junior
Nu mi shu yan shi (1960)
Mu yu nu (1960) – Yuan Zhitang
Xin xin xiang yin (1960)
Kuai le tian shi (1960) – Jin Wenou
Tie bi jin gang (1960)
Hong nan lu nu (1960)
Yu lou san feng (1960) – Zheng Dajiang
Sha ji chong chong (1960) – Luo Shouli
Zei mei ren (1961)
You xi ren jian (1961)
Tao li zheng chun (1962) – Xu Zhaofeng
Huo zhong lian (1962) – Tian Shaoqing
Ye hua lian (1962)
(Hǎo shì chéng shuāng) (1962) – Wang Shu
Jiao wo ru he bu xiang ta (1963) – Jin Shiming
Die hai si zhuang shi (1963)
Xi Taihou yu Zhen Fei (1964)
Ti xiao yin yuan shang ji (1964) – Liu – The Warlord General
Ti xiao yin yuan xia ji (1964) – Liu – The Warlord General
Shen gong yuan (1964) – Hong Chengchou
Luan shi er nu (1966) – Ma Jen-shan
Bai tian e (1967)
Five Golden Dragons (1967) – Inspector Chiao
Wo de ai ren jiu shi ni (1967) – Ling Chi Chiu
Jue dou e hu ling (1968) – Diao Jinghu
Yan ling dao (1968) – 2nd Chief Yueh
The Arch (1968) – Captain Yang
You long xi feng (1968)
Hu shan hang (1969) – Ching Wu Chih
Jia bu jia (1970) – (Guest star)
Xue lu xue lu (1970) – Driver
A Touch of Zen (1971) – Hui Yuan
Cheating Panorama (1972)
Hei lung (1973)
Enter the Dragon (1973) – Shaolin Abbott (uncredited)
The Fate of Lee Khan (1973) – Tsao Yu-kun
Pian shu qi zhong qi (1973) – Fur coat grifter
Hen ye qing deng (1974)
Golden Needles (1974) – Lin Toa
Games Gamblers Play (1974) – Ticketed Man at Bar (Guest star)
Yinyang jie (1974)
Yun cai tong zi xiao zu zong (1974)
Zhong lie tu (1975) – Yu Da-you
Lao fu zi (1975)
The Last Message (1975) – Cheng Ming
Tian cai yu bai chi (1975) – Mr. Chiang Wo
Lan qiao yue leng (1975)
Da jia le (1975)
Zhong yuan biao ju (1976) – (Guest star)
Yi qi guang gun zou tian ya (1977)
Foxbat (1977) – Doctor Vod
Da sha xing yu xiao mei tou (1978) – Drunken Sheng
Game of Death (1978) – Henry Lo
Wen ni pa wei (1978)
Enter the Fat Dragon (1978) – Chiu
Shen tou miao tan shou duo duo (1979) – Biggie
Meng zai Sha mei miao zhen tan (1979)
Huang shi shi (1979) – (Guest star)
Bo za (1980) – White Norman
Yi er san (1980)
Shi ba (1980) – Chu Tung Shen
Game of Death 2 (1981) – Abbot
Da li xiao shui shou (1981)
Chuang ban shen tan dian zi gui (1981)
Once Upon a Mirage (1982) – Policeman Ma
Chiu pei nui hok sang (1982)
Meng (1983)
Feng shui er shi nian (1983) – (Cameo)
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) – Lao Che
Ge wu sheng ping (1985)
The Protector (1985) – Harold Ko
Heart of Dragon (1985) – Restaurant Owner
Aces Go Places IV (1986) – The Professor
Wu long da jia ting (1986)
Righting Wrongs (1986) – Magistrate Judge
Shen tan zhu gu li (1986) – Chief Inspector Chiao
Zhao hua xi shi (1987)
Dragons Forever (1988) – Judge Lo Chung-Wai
Bloodsport (1988) – Senzo Tanaka
Fa da xian sheng (1989)
Lady Reporter (1989)
Long zhi zheng ba (1989) – Hwa's father
Shadow of China (1989) – Lee Hok Chow
Do wong (1990)
Bamboo in Winter (1991) – Father
A Kid from Tibet (1992) – Lawyer Robinson
Cageman (1992) – Koo Yiu-Cho
Treasure Hunt (1994) – Uncle Bill
Mr. X (1995) – Roy
Summer Snow (1995) – Lin Sun
Dai lo bai sau (1995) – Great Uncle
Ma ma fan fan (1995) – Death
Tou tou ai ni (1996) – Tung-Tung's Grandfather
All's Well, Ends Well 1997 (1997) – Mr. Lo
Tin sai ji shing (1999) – Uncle Wang (final film role)
References
External links
Hong Kong Cinemagic: Roy Chiao Hung
alt.asian-movies discussion on Roy Chiao
1927 births
1999 deaths
20th-century Hong Kong male actors
Chinese emigrants to Hong Kong
Hong Kong expatriates in the United States
Hong Kong male film actors
Hong Kong male television actors
Male actors from Shanghai
TVB actors