Chinese name 岑建勳 (traditional) Name John Shum Chinese name 岑建勋 (simplified) Role Actor | Pinyin Ancestry Enping, Guangdong | |
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Jyutping sam4 gin3 fan1 (Cantonese) Other name(s) John ShamSham KeinCurly Spouse Charlene Tse (m. 1991–2005), Tina Lau (m. 1984–1988), Au Yim-Cheung (m. 1970–1975) Children Yoyo Sham, Ninglok Sham, Ningtung Sham Movies Pom Pom, Yes - Madam, I Love Maria, The Banquet, Din lo jing juen Similar People Charlene Tse, Tina Lau, Philip Chan, Sammo Hung, Yoyo Sham | ||
Education University of Hong Kong | ||
週一祥談 EP235: 岑建勳話當年- Part 2
週一祥談 EP235: 岑建勳話當年- Part 1
John Shum Kin-Fun (born 1952) is a Hong Kong actor and film producer. His English name is sometimes written as John Sham. Whilst known primarily for his comedic acting roles in Hong Kong cinema, he also spent time as a political activist.
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Biography
Shum graduated from the University of Hong Kong, and subsequently undertook further study in the UK and US. Upon his return to Hong Kong, he co-founded "City Magazine" with John Chan, and worked as its editor. At the same time, he began working in television and radio.
He was also a student activist in the 1970s back in his youth and was a member of a Trotskyist vanguard party the Revolutionary Marxist League.
In 1983, he set up the film production company D&B Films, along with Sammo Hung and Dickson Poon. He later founded another film company with John Chan, Maverick Films Ltd.
Shum's most prolific period working as an actor was during the 1980s. Of the 45 films he has appeared in, 33 were during this period. Notable appearances include Sammo Hung's Lucky Stars films Winners and Sinners (1983) and Twinkle, Twinkle Lucky Stars (1985), and starring roles alongside comedy partner Richard Ng in the Pom Pom series (1984–1986).
Shum is credited as a producer on over 20 films including Hong Kong 1941 (1984), Legacy of Rage (1986) and The Banquet (1991). He worked as assistant director on the 1987 Michelle Yeoh film Magnificent Warriors and also has credits on a number of other films, with roles such as planning, executive production and presentation.
In 1992, Shum co-hosted the Hong Kong Film Awards ceremony.
Throughout much of the 1990s, films took a back seat as Shum was heavily involved with the Pro-Democracy movement in Hong Kong.
In 2005, he was appointed the Executive Secretary of the Federation of Hong Kong Filmmakers, by the government-sponsored Film Development Committee (FDC). In December 2007, he was enrolled as an executive committee member of the Hong Kong Performing Artistes Guild.
His latest role is as executive producer, alongside Jackie Chan, for the film Wushu (2008), which was directed by Antony Szeto and starred Sammo Hung.