George Cheung

Biography

George Kee Cheung (born 8 February 1949 in Hong Kong) is a Hong Kong-born American actor and stunt performer. Since 1975 he has built a career of more than two hundred film and television roles, most often playing supporting villains and henchmen.

Raised in Hong Kong, he practised martial arts as a child. He moved to the United States to study at the University of San Francisco, where he took a degree in biology. He started acting in 1975 in San Francisco productions, including the series The Streets of San Francisco and Sam Peckinpah's The Killer Elite, and that year he also worked as a stunt performer on The Enforcer. His guest spots on television run across decades, from MASH to Lost, while in film he became a familiar face in action titles such as Rambo: First Blood Part II, Lethal Weapon 4 and Under Siege. In 2013 he voiced a character in Grand Theft Auto V*. In 2008 California's Asian Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus gave him its award for excellence in arts and entertainment.

His legacy lies in steady craft: a recognisable presence in many action and crime productions, rarely in the lead. He remains active in recent projects.

Key films

• The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)
• Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985)
• Mission: Impossible III (2006)
• Rush Hour (1998)
• Rush Hour 3 (2007)
• Under Siege (1992)