Kungfu Beggar - Breakdown of the Cast

Nanfang City Daily, 28 April 2005
 

《功夫状元》 Kungfu Beggar, a 30-part TV series based very loosely on King of Beggars with some inspirations derived from Kungfu Hustle, has just begun production in early April. According to Tin Kai Man (Tian Qi Wen), as they do not own the rights to King of Beggars, they created a brand new drama based on Beggar Su and the folklore surrounding the title of martial arts scholar. He says that Kung Fu Scholar is not merely a martial arts comedy. They wish to tell the audience that as long as one does one's part well, even a small fry can become a scholar.

Produced and written by Tin Kai Man with Stephen Chow as the artistic advisor, the cast is mainly artistes under Stephen Chow's firm, The Star Overseas, most of whom have appeared in either Shaolin Soccer, Kungfu Hustle or both.


The Three Clowns

Su Can (Beggar Su) 苏灿 - Pu Ye Dong 浦叶栋 (First appeared as the young Golden Mighty Leg in Shaolin Soccer)
Specialises in 18 Dragon-Subduing Palms, Dog-Whacking Stick. A wastrel, and having helped the emperor, cheats his way to become Martial Scholar. However, someone exposes him later, and he loses his status and is relegated to begging. Later, Fatty Chong and Tin Kai Man brings him to train under Yuen Qiu. Once, when he tries to save Yuen Qiu's daughter Jin Sha, Yuen Qiu discovers that he is a very rare martial arts talent. She helps him clear his two major channels Ren and Du, and since then, his martial arts skills improve by leaps and bounds. Eventually, he becomes the saviour, much like Stephen Chow in Kungfu Hustle, except, he is not as mo lei tau as Stephen Chow. Currently, Pu Ye Dong is undergoing devilish training to make his fighting more believable.

Su Bao 苏保 - Ng Man Tat 吴孟达 (Golden Mighty Leg in Shaolin Soccer)
Su Can's father, no martial arts ability. His eyes always light up upon seeing money, leading to Su Can's misunderstanding of him. Actually, everything Su Bao does is for the sake Su Can, to give him a comfortable life. Later, when Su Can thinks that Su Bao has been killed, he turns over a new leaf. This character bears the usual comedic elements of Ng Man Tat's past roles.

Jiang Bao 酱爆 - Li Zhi Bao 李侄雹 (The barber in Kungfu Hustle)
Specialies in Mizong Steps, a skill that allows effortless dodging of attacks. Same name as in Kungfu Hustle. This time plays a servant in the Su family. No longer a minor supporting role. Very wacky character. Li Zhi Bao has learned much from Ng Man Tat, who said that he'll be acting in Kung Fu Hustle 2.
 

The Four Villains

Xiao Long 小龙 - Chen Guo Kun 陈国坤 (Axe Gang boss in Kung Fu Hustle)
Specialises in Peerless Divine Art. He has always wanted to make a name for himself and is very jealous of Su Can. Through his Peerless Divine Art and some unscrupulous means, he earns the title of Martial Scholar. In order to snatch away Su Can's sweetheart, he even divorces his own wife.

Zhuo Fei Fan 卓非凡 - Sun Jing Ji 孙敬季 (Newcomer)
Specialises in Tiger Taming Fist. Xiao Long's crony. Actually, he is a master of martial arts. Seeks to kill Su Can, very blindly loyal. Yet, he lets go of Su Can  at the crucial moment, is a villain character who is actually kind at heart.

Cheng Wu Kou 成无寇 - Shi Xing Yu 释行宇 (The courageous coolie with catastrophically crazy and cool kicks who confronts the Axe Gang in Kung Fu Hustle)
Specialises in Meteor Hammer, Shadowless Kicks. A major villain character. Thinks very highly of himself, feels that his skills are beyond compare. His enmity with the Su family runs deep and spans a number of generations. Thanks to the flames fanned by Advisor Wei and Xiao Long, he keeps hounding the Sus, constantly forcing them into a tight corner. On discovering that his daughter is seeing Su Can, forcibly breaks them up by marrying her to Xiao Long, destroying her daughter's lifetime of happiness.

Advisor Wei 魏师爷 - Zhan Ming Ming 张明明 (The young soccer player who goes all out to harm Golden Mighty Leg in Shaolin Soccer.)
Specialises in Yin Skill that kills without spilling any blood. A vile henchmen of Chen Wu Kou, full of evil schemes, secretly in love with Chen Bai Hua, but, she only treats him like a brother.


The Two Great Masters

Mother Jin 金母 - Yuen Qiu 元秋 (Landlady in Kungfu Hustle)
Specialises in Shaolin Broom Sweep. On the surface, she is just an ordinary housewife who does all the housework, including sweeping the floor. Takes good care of her husband and daughter, a classic virtuous wife and doting mother. Yet, when necessary, she will reveal her true self, her peerless martial arts. She is actually a kungfu master who lives anonymously.

Jin Zhong Zhao 金钟罩 - Tin Kai Man 田启文 (The advisor to Axe Gang in Kungfu Hustle )
His specialty kungfu is unknown, but might have something do with his name Jin Zhao Zhao (Iron Shield). Eva Huang Sheng Yi's father and Yuen Qiu's husband. Looks very cowardly on the surface, and would go about bullying people with Fatty Chong. Later, discovers that Su Can is a rare martial arts talent, one in a million perhaps, and secretly teaches him martial arts. Resembles Landlord in Kungfu Hustle.
 

One Hoodlum

Chong Zai 聪仔 - Lam Tse Chong 林子聪 (Fatty in Kungfu Hustle)
Specialises in Mighty Strength. Like in Kungfu Hustle, is one who bullies the weak and fears the strong. A ruffian who is not exactly all that hopeless and evil, also called Fatty Chong. Always mingles with Tin Kai Man and bullies Beggar Su when he is down in the dumps.

The Three Beauties

Jin Sha 金莎 - Eva Huang Sheng Yi 黄圣依 (The mute ice-cream seller in Kung Fu Hustle)
Very impish, daring and up to all manner of larks, much like Huang Rong of Legend of Condor Heroes. While her mother is a great master of martial arts, she has little interest and knows only a few odd moves, and would slip away on running into dangers. Falls for Beggar Su and takes the initiative to chase him.

Cheng Bai Hua 成白花- Liu Jia Jie 刘佳杰 (Newcomer)
Traipses the pugilistic world looking for Su Can. Does a bit of lame kungfu. Has the most beautiful makeup in the entire series.

Nian Ci 念慈 - Li Hui 李卉 (The girl who slips on the banana peel in Shaolin Soccer)
No martial arts ability. Grows up with Xiao Long, is in love with him. A traditional, caring girl, such that even Su Can loves her deeply. After marrying Xiao Long, the latter thinks that he has been cheated and keeps tormenting her. Eventually, she is cast side by Xiao Long. A tragic character.

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