Wai-Kwong Lo (original) (raw)
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Kill Zone 2 (2015)
Lo Wai-kwong (aka Ken Lo) was born in Srung Treng, Cambodia. His father was from Hong Kong and his mother was from Laos. When he was 15 years old, he fled Cambodia and later moved to Udon Thani, Thailand in 1975. He was a huge fan of Bruce Lee and was inspired to take up martial arts such as Muay Thai and Taekwondo. He won the freestyle fighting championship seven times. Five years after the move to Udon Thani, he departed for Hong Kong in 1980 and worked as a tour guide.
After being in Hong Kong for a few years he made his first onscreen appearance in 1985's Working Class (1985), where he played a kick-boxer. But 1986 was the most pivotal year in is career, as it was then, while working as head of security at a disco that he would meet Jackie Chan. Jackie brought him on as a member of the Jackie Chan Stunt Team and as one of his own personal bodyguards, a role he would continue for another 25 years. Ken proved to be an invaluable member of the team and appeared in many of Jackie's own movies in fighting roles.
But he also branched out, working for many different directors and stunt coordinators, staring in many films as a leading cast member and working on over 140 films altogether. One of his most famous roles was as "John", the main fighting villain in 1994's Drunken Master II (1994). After one of the other actor's sustained an injury, Ken was put forward to take over, showing of his superb kicking skills, including his famous 180 standing split. The final fight scene of Drunken Master II is widely considered one of the greatest of all time.