 Roy Chiao, better known as Qiao Hong, was a Hong
Kong movie star. He was not only professionally active till the end but received
his greatest critical acclaim after the age of 60. He had one of the happiest
marriages in the entertainment world. Not your typical star.
Chiao was a devout Christian, he didn't force his religion on nonbelievers and
even surprised others by spouting some Hebrew phrases, though they came out with
the same Texas twang as his flawless English.
The son of a doctor who had trained in London, Chiao was born in Shanghai in
1927 and received an American education in China. He excelled linguistically as
well as athletically, winning a national boxing championship before leaving for
Taiwan in 1949.
During the Korean War, he served as an interpreter in the American army. In
Tokyo in 1955 he was "discovered" by superstar Bai Guang, who selected him to be
the male lead in her Fresh Peony (1956). The ex-boxer made quite a contrast to
the scrawny scholar-types who populated Mandarin movies, and the Cathay
Organization's MP&GI Studio signed him to a contract.
Nicknamed the Brave Lion, he stayed at the studio from 1957 to 1970 and proved
adept at virtually every genre, from contemporary comedies like Sister Long Legs
(1960) to thrillers like Death Traps (1960), costume epics like The Story of
Three Loves (1964), and martial arts action pictures like Escorts Over Tiger
Hills (1969).
Married to radio broadcaster Otilia King in 1958, Roy's life centered more on
his family and faith than the entertainment world. But even though his acting
schedule tapered off after leaving Cathay, he was never off Hong Kong screens
for long, with an occasional detour for international productions like Indiana
Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984). A decade later came the most poignant
character of his career, the Alzheimer's-afflicted father in Summer Snow, for
which he won the Hong Kong Film Award for Best Actor in 1995. His last role was
the "Angelic Knight" in the Christian-themed Sometimes, Miracles Do Happen.
Roy suffered his fourth heart attack less than a month after the film's
completion, and passed away in Seattle, Washington on April 16, 1999. He spent
over half his 72 years in movies, and made a success of both his reel and real
lives. (Note: unknown birth day and birth month)
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