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Albert Leong (born September 30, 1952) is an American stuntman and actor. Characterised by his martial arts skills, long wavy hair, and a prominent Fu Manchu moustache, he has had a number of small but memorable roles in many popular action films, including Lethal Weapon (1987) with Mel Gibson and Danny Glover; Die Hard (1988) with Bruce Willis; Death Warrant (1990) with Jean-Claude Van Damme; and Rapid Fire (1992) with Brandon Lee. He is also notable for his role as Genghis Khan in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989).

He collaborated with director John Carpenter in Big Trouble in Little China (1986) and They Live (1988). Such appearances have garnered him a cult following. In 2014, he was inducted into the Martial Arts History Museum Hall of Fame.

Early life

Leong was born in St. Louis, Missouri. The youngest of three children born to Chinese American parents, he grew up behind the Chinese laundry that they owned. In 1962, when he was ten years old, they moved to Los Angeles. Leong attended Hollywood High School.

Health issues

Leong had brain cancer in 1993 and suffered a stroke in 2005.

Career

His credits include Lethal Weapon, Die Hard, Joshua Tree, Big Trouble in Little China, The Scorpion King, and They Live. and a recurring role on the first season of the TV series 24. He also portrayed an out-of-time Genghis Khan in the comedy Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure. In 2003, Leong lampooned himself as well as the Hollywood tradition of actor and director 'reels' by starring in screenwriter David Callaham's "Writer's Reel." In the five-minute short film, Leong portrayed Callaham going through a typical day in the life of a writer. The 'reel' was accepted into a number of short film festivals.

As a stuntman, Leong was involved with the production of numerous films including The Golden Child, Last Action Hero, Roland Emmerich's Godzilla, Tim Burton's Planet of the Apes, and Daredevil. He also has made appearances on several television shows such as The A-Team Knight Rider, Magnum, P.I., The Twilight Zone, T. J. Hooker, MacGyver, That '70s Show, and HBO's Deadwood. He wrote and directed the low-budget film Daddy Tell Me a Story....

Filmography

Television

Music videos

• 2003 Poppin' Them Thangs by G-Unit

Further reading

• Leong, Al (August 1, 2011). The Eight Lives of Al Ka-Bong Leong. Al Leong. ISBN 978-0-615-38499-3.

References

1. ^ "Al Leong". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. 2014. Archived from the original on July 22, 2014.
2. "Al Leong". Hey! It's That Guy!. Fametracker. August 8, 2001. Archived from the original on October 19, 2006. Retrieved June 19, 2007.
3. As of June 2007, the fan site Al Leong: Cinematic Legend Archived October 4, 2007, at the Wayback Machine campaigns for Leong to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award from Taurus World Stunt Awards and an MTV Lifetime Achievement Award.
4. "Hall of Fame".
5. An Exclusive Interview with Al Leong Archived April 12, 2014, at the Wayback Machine, World Wide Dojo
6. A chat with Al Leong – martial artist & stuntman extraordinaire — Chiller Theatre, Planetchocko.com
7. Taylor, Trey (October 30, 2013). "Al Leong: death becomes him". Dazed. Retrieved June 17, 2019.
8. McNeil, Jason William (November 1, 2015). "8 Things You Didn't Know About Al Leong". Black Belt.
9. "David Callaham: Writer Reel (2004)". IMDb.
10. "4th Bearded Child Film Festival". Bearded Child Film Festival.
11. Leong, Al (August 1, 2011). The Eight Lives of Al Ka-Bong Leong. Al Leong. ISBN 978-0-615-38499-3.

External links

• Al Leong at IMDb
• Al Leong: Cinematic Legend Archived July 17, 2014, at the Wayback Machine

• 1952 births
• Living people
• American male film actors
• American male television actors
• American male actors of Chinese descent
• American stunt performers
• American male karateka
• American wushu practitioners
• American male taekwondo practitioners
• American jujutsuka
• American practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu
• Hollywood High School alumni
• 20th-century American sportsmen