Trivia

Longtime friend of Jackie Chan (Rush Hour (1998)) and Sammo Kam-Bo Hung (Le flic de Shanghai (1998)).

Attended Peking Opera school, run by Jim-Yuen Yu who moved to Hong Kong from Mainland China. By the time Yuen Biao, Jackie Chan, and Sammo Kam-Bo Hung graduated, Peking Opera performances were declining in popularity (a fictionalized account is told in Painted Faces 1988, starring Sammo Hung as their infamously strict teacher Yu Jim Yuen.) These graduates skilled in Peking Opera and martial arts then entered film business to apply their life-long skills, transforming the waning swordplay and (old school) kung fu genres in 1970s-1980s, and inventing the now classic, multi-genre modern action of 1980s.

Biao has worn spectacles since adolescence. Although in most movies he does not not wear spectacles he can be seen wearing his own pairs in Soif de Justice (1984), Le Retour de Mr Vampire (1986), and Dong on X: Sat yan fan (1997).

Is one of the rare HK performers who have a more loyal following in Japan than in his native Hong Kong. Thus the many Japan/HK co-productions in his work (Rakuyô (1992), Baka yarô! 4 You! Omae no koto da yo 3 Sagi naru Japan (1991), Mou man tai 2 (2002).) For the Kung Fu-soccer comedy Boh ngau (1983)), he was promoted as a wholesome, super-athlete version of Japan's pop idol culture. As the norm for idols in Japan, Yuen released several music albums despite his rudimentary grasp on Japanese and pop music. Documented as recently as 2004, Yuen still makes the occasional personalized replies to his Japanese fans.

"Yuen" is the surname of his Peking Opera school teacher, Jim-Yuen Yu. Many school graduates take the name as their stage name, in honor of their teacher. "Biao" means a youthful tiger in its prime.

Yuen Biao did not portray The Pickpocket, aka Little Frog, in La Rage du vainqueur (1973) (Snake Fist Fighter). The role was actually played by Kwok-Choi Hon.

Introduced nephew Yuen-Man Fung to film production. Fung has now directed Seung ji (2005).

He is one of the few to retain the "Yuen" name that he was forced to take on whilst a member of Yu Jim-Yuen's Chinese Drama Academy. Most of the other performers who studied at the same school - including Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung - stopped using their given "Yuen" names after leaving the Academy.

Yuen Biao was mistaken by some to be the brother of Korean martial arts director/action star Won Jin, due to their acrobatic skill and similar names, as Won Jin was translated to Yuen Jan in Cantonese.

Yuen Biao was the original action director for the movie Opération Scorpio (1992), but this role was ultimately performed by fellow "7 Little Fortunes" member Yuen Tak.