Tripti Joshi (Editor)

Shih Kien

Updated on
Edit
Like
Comment
Share on FacebookTweet on TwitterShare on LinkedInShare on Reddit
Chinese name
  
石堅 (traditional)

Years active
  
1949–1995

Chinese name
  
石坚 (simplified)

Name
  
Shih Kien

Pinyin
  
Shi Jian (Mandarin)

Role
  
Actor

Jyutping
  
Sek6 Gin1 (Cantonese)


Shih Kien wwwamammagazinecomevilhan1jpg


Birth name
  
Shek Wing-cheung(simplified Chinese: 石荣璋; traditional Chinese: 石榮璋; pinyin: Shi Rongzhang)

Born
  
1 January 1913Shigang Village, Panyu, Guangdong, China (
1913-01-01
)

Died
  
June 3, 2009, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Hong Kong

Spouse
  
Lee Kit-ying (m. 1936–1998)

TV shows
  
Awards
  
Hong Kong Film Award for Professional Achievement

Movies
  
Enter the Dragon, Once Upon a Time in China, The Young Master, Buddha's Palm, The Private Eyes

Similar People
  
Cho Tat‑wah, Kwan Tak‑hing, Robert Wall, Jim Kelly, John Saxon

In memories of bruce lee shih kien wong yue rest in peace


Shek Wing-cheung (1 January 1913 – 3 June 2009), better known by his stage name Shih Kien (Cantonese: Shek Kin; Mandarin: Shi Jian), was a Hong Kong-based Chinese actor. Shih is best known for playing antagonists and villains in several early Hong Kong wuxia and martial arts films that dated back to the black-and-white period, and is most familiar to Western audiences for his portrayal of the primary villain, Han, in the 1973 martial arts film Enter the Dragon, which starred Bruce Lee.

Contents

Shih Kien Shek 39Han39 Kien reveals Bruce Lee39s Prophecy Clip 01 YouTube

Shih kien tribute


Early life

Shih Kien Shih Kien by Eska11446 on DeviantArt

Shih was raised by his stepmother and was a sickly child. He decided to practise martial arts to improve his health and trained for nine years. Shih trained at Shanghai's Chin Woo Athletic Association and was among the first generation of students at the school to be certified as instructors. After becoming certified to teach styles, including Eagle Claw and Choy Li Fut, he decided to start his career as an actor. However, the outbreak of the Second Sino-Japanese War caused his studies to be disrupted. Shih and his friends travelled between Guangzhou and Hong Kong to stage drama performances, in order to raise funds as part of the anti-Japanese movement. Besides acting on stage, Shih also participated in back-stage activities, such as makeup and arrangements of lighting and props.

Career

Shih Kien httpss3uswest2amazonawscomfindagravepr

In 1940, Shih officially entered the entertainment industry as an apprentice of the Cantonese opera makeup artist Sit Kok-Sin, before becoming an actor later. Shih starred as a Japanese secret agent in his debut film Flower in the Sea of Blood that year. Nine years later, Shih was invited by film director Wu Pang to work with him on a series of Wong Fei-hung-related films. Shih gained fame for his portrayal of the villains in those films and continued to play the role of the antagonist in several films during the first 20 years of his career. Shih's iconic "villain laughter" in the films was later mimicked and parodied by several actors.

Shih Kien NOW HAN is GONE Shih Kien January 1 1913 June 3 2009

In 1973, Shih was chosen to portray the villain in Bruce Lee's martial arts epic Enter the Dragon, in which he played Han, a one-handed triad boss who is highly skilled in martial arts. His character had a final showdown with Lee's character in the ending climax of the film.

Shih Kien Obituary Silver Screen Legend Shek Kin Passed Away at 96 Years

In 1975, Shih joined the Hong Kong television station TVB and appeared in several wuxia-themed television series, playing villains again most of the time. However, he had also played the roles of gentlemanly, kind and fatherly characters, such as Cheung Mo-kei's godfather Tse Shun in The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber (1978), Lung Koon-sam in The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1979), So Tai-pang in The Brothers (1980) and a grandfather in The Feud of Two Brothers (1986). Shih had also taken on dramatic roles in non-wuxia films as well, such as Hong Kong 1941. Later in his career, Shih took on a comedic role with Jackie Chan in The Young Master.

Shih Kien Bruce Lee and Shih Kien in Enter the Dragon in which he played Han

In 1980, Shih was invited to participate in filming a television commercial to promote Ricola's mint candy products with his popular image of a film villain.

Retirement and death

Scott on Twitter: "Rare picture from behind the scenes on the Enter the  Dragon filmset,Bruce Lee & Shih Kien, he played the villain Han!  t.co/ULjZv2SolY" / Twitter

Shih retired from the entertainment industry in 1992, with the 1994 film HK Adam's Family (奸人世家) specially dedicated to him. He appeared in the 2003 documentary Chop Socky: Cinema Hong Kong at the age of 90.

Shih received the Life Achievement Award in 1996 at the Golden Bauhinia Awards. Seven years later in 2003, Shih received the Professional Achievement Award at the 22nd Hong Kong Film Awards with Cho Tat-wah, who portrayed the protagonist or hero in several of the films they starred together in. In 2006, Shih donated one of his properties to the entertainment industry in support of the development of the industry. Between January and February 2007, the Hong Kong Film Archive showed 13 of Shih's films that were preserved at the archive.

Shih died of kidney failure on 3 June 2009 at the age of 96. At the time of his death, Shih was believed to be one of the oldest living successful actors in China.

Personal life

Shih married Lee Kit-ying in 1936 and they had four sons and two daughters. Shih was initially a non-believer and he converted to Christianity and was baptised after being influenced by Lee, a devout Christian. Lee died of heart failure in August 1998.

In Hong Kong, the term "Kan Yan Kin" (simplified Chinese: 奸人坚; traditional Chinese: 奸人堅; pinyin: jiānrén jiān; literally: "Villain Kin") was a popular reference to Shih. This nickname was borrowed as the Chinese title for the 2007 TVB comedy drama Men Don't Cry.

Films

  • The True Story of Wong Fei Hung (1949)
  • Story of the Vulture Conqueror (1958 / 1959)
  • Sword of Blood and Valour (1958 / 1959)
  • Story of the White-Haired Demon Girl (1959) (3 parts)
  • The Book and the Sword (1960)
  • The Story of the Great Heroes (1960–1961) (4 parts)
  • Story of the Sword and the Sabre (1963/1965) (4 parts)
  • The Flying Fox in the Snowy Mountains (1964)
  • The Flying Fox (1964)
  • Story of a Discharged Prisoner (1967)
  • The Comet Strikes (1971)
  • Enter the Dragon (1973)
  • The Private Eyes (1976)
  • The Young Master (1980)
  • Hong Kong 1941 (1984)
  • Hong Kong Godfather (1985)
  • Millionaire's Express (1986)
  • The Magic Crystal (1986)
  • Aces Go Places 4 (1986)
  • A Better Tomorrow 3 (1989)
  • TV series

  • The Legend of the Book and the Sword (1976)
  • The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber (1978)
  • Chor Lau-heung (1979)
  • Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils (1982)
  • The Legend of the Condor Heroes (1982)
  • The Return of the Condor Heroes (1983)
  • The Other Side of the Horizon (1984)
  • The Smiling, Proud Wanderer (1984)
  • Sword Stained with Royal Blood (1985)
  • The Flying Fox of Snowy Mountain (1985)
  • Man from Guangdong (1991)
  • References

    Shih Kien Wikipedia