Lu Feng (actor)

Lu Feng (born April 3, 1956 ) is a Taiwanese-born Hong Kong-based martial artist actor, action choreographer, and director. Lu gained international prominence in 1978 for starring in the Shaw Brothers film Five Deadly Venoms, earning him and the rest of the cast the collective moniker of Venom Mob. He was part of Chang Cheh's ensemble of fourth generation actors along with Chiang Sheng, Philip Kwok, Lo Mang, and Sun Chien.

Early life
Lu was born Chu Qi Xue on April 3, 1956, in Taipei, Taiwan. His ancestral roots can be traced back to Anhui Province in Mainland China. The youngest of four sons, Lu grew up idolizing martial arts actor Chen Kuan-tai. At age 8, he was sent to the government-run Junior Lu Guang Drama School by his parents, who were struggling to support him and his siblings. There, he studied revolutionary opera with future costar and lifelong friend, Chiang Sheng. Lu, along with Chiang, Philip Kwok, Robert Tai, and Ricky Cheng Tien-Chi would practice acrobatics near Taipei Bridge and earned pocket money playing extras in movies that were shot nearby. In addition to acrobatics, Lu sang, practiced martial arts and somersaults, and became proficient in various weapons. Upon graduating, he had plans to pursue a career in the professional arts but decided on film and television instead, owing to the declining popularity of Chinese opera. An avid drinker of Coca-Cola, Lu's love of the soft drink earned him the nickname Cola King.

Career
Lu was recruited by Chang Cheh in 1975 around the same time the latter relocated his independent film company, Long Bow, to Taiwan. Lu started out as an actor on the set of Shaolin Hellgate and had filmed scenes before the project was shelved and its entire crew recast two years later. Nonetheless, he was noticed by Chang who subsequently promoted him as an actor and in 1976, landed his first major role in Chang's film, Shaolin Temple. In addition to acting, Lu briefly worked as a stuntman in some productions including Ng See-yuen's Secret Rivals 2 (1977), where much of his previous acrobatic training was applied to the action choreography. Following Long Bow's closure in late 1976, Lu, along with Chiang Sheng, Philip Kwok, and several other actors left with Chang who relocated back to the Shaw Brothers Studio in Hong Kong.

In 1978, Lu was cast as Tang Shankui a.k.a. the Centipede in Chang's Five Deadly Venoms where he also served as one of the film's action directors. Lu recalled the experience as "very hard to put together but we had a great time doing it. In retrospect, I have nothing but good memories." Five Deadly Venoms enjoyed commercial success in Hong Kong and Taiwan but especially so in North America where the main cast became collectively known by fans as the Venom Mob. Lu and his cast members, however, did not become aware of the film's international popularity until several years after its release. Following the film's success, Lu frequently starred with the Venom Mob, often in villainous roles. Amongst these films was Shaolin Rescuers (1979) for which his portrayal of the main antagonist Gao Jinzhong won him Best Supporting Actor at the 25th Asia-Pacific Film Festival in Singapore. Lu regards winning the award as the highlight of his acting career and the character remains one of his favorite roles.

The Venom Mob eventually disbanded in 1981. Lu's fellow Venom actor Philip Kwok attributed the split to them simply leaving Shaw's with Chang following suit, while another costar, Lo Mang, believed it was due to audiences no longer wishing to see gory heroics, preferring instead the lighter, more comedic tones of Jackie Chan films. Lu, similarly, was of the opinion that the split was caused by the decline of martial art films in Taiwan and Hong Kong, and because Chang had shifted his focus to the mainland market.

Later life
In 1981, Lu returned to Taiwan where he, along with Venom costars and close friends Philip Kwok and Chiang Sheng made their directional debut in Ninja in the Deadly Trap (1982). Production was fraught with delays and Boxer from Shantung director Pao Hsueh-Li was eventually brought in to ensure its completion. Lu later cofounded Hong Kong Chang He Film Company with Chiang which debuted with the 1983 supernatural film, Attack of the Joyful Goddess. Lu's film appearances decreased after completing Shanghai 13 (1984) as he shifted primarily to television at the suggestion of his childhood friend and fellow Shaw's actor, Ricky Cheng Tien-Chi. He remains active in television where he largely directs or choreographs (sometimes both) TV series from Taiwan or Mainland China. His more notable works include New Legend of Madame White Snake (1992), My Fair Princess (1997), Legend of Dagger Li (1999), and Justice Bao (2010).

In 2017, Lu received the Urban Fists of Legends Legacy Award and, to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Five Deadly Venoms, The Martial Arts Cult Classic Cinema Award at The Urban Action Showcase and Expo in New York City. He was honored the following year at the Martial Arts History Museum’s Dragonfest expo in Burbank, California.

Personal life
Lu is married to Lily Sun with whom he has one son. During the production of New Legend of Madame White Snake, their son (then aged 2) was abducted and nearly trafficked as Lu was alighting at a train station. He was eventually retrieved by a costar, Lu Liang Hui.