《TAIPEI TIMES》 Actor Jimmy Wang dies in Taipei at 79

MARTIAL ARTS STAR: The Golden Horse Film Festival in 2019 honored the actor best known for the ‘One-armed Swordsman’ with a Lifetime Achievement Award

/ Staff writer, with CNA

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Taiwanese actor and film director Jimmy Wang （王羽）, who was one of the top draws in martial arts films in the 1960s and 1970s, died yesterday of chronic illness at the age of 79, his daughter said.

The martial arts superstar, whose real name was Wang Cheng-chuan （王正權）, was born in Shanghai in 1943.

Wang started his acting career in Hong Kong before emigrating to Taiwan in the 1970s and appeared in more than 60 martial arts films, many of which are now considered classics.

He was also a director, producer and presenter before he suffered a second stroke in 2016, which left him hospitalized for about five years.

“It is with great sadness to tell everyone that our beloved father, Mr Jimmy Wang, passed away peacefully in the morning of April 5 at Taipei Cheng Hsin General Hospital after a six-year battle with an illness,” said Linda Wong （王馨平）, one of Wang’s daughters.

Wang was best known for his role as a noble swordsman in the 1967 Hong Kong film One-armed Swordsman （獨臂刀王）, which broke box office records across Asia.

He was nominated twice for best leading actor at the Golden Horse Awards for his roles in the 1977 film Boxer, Lover, Lawyer （手足情深） and the 2013 movie Soul （失魂）, and was nominated for best supporting actor for his role in the 2011 film Wu Xia （武俠）.

The Golden Horse Film Festival in 2019 honored the veteran actor with a Lifetime Achievement Award. It was presented by Taiwanese director Ang Lee （李安） to Carol Wong （王加露）, who accepted the award on behalf of her hospitalized father.

Lee praised Wang for setting the standard for martial arts stars and pioneering a genre that has inspired numerous successors, including legendary martial artist Bruce Lee （李小龍）.

The 1970 film The Chinese Boxer （龍虎鬥）, which Wang directed and starred in, and movies of the sort “have had a lasting impact on the world far beyond what we can imagine” and are those “people around the world look up to,” Ang Lee said at the festival.

Ang Lee paid tribute to the actor after learning of his death in a message conveyed via his assistant to the Central News Agency.

“It’s with the deepest sorrow that we learned of his passing today. For many fans like me, he represents the vibe of a certain era. His films and his heroic spirit will be deeply missed,” Ang Lee said.

新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES