by Erin Chew
A superstar in his own right, Hong Kong-born American actor Philip Ng (New Police Story, Birth of the Dragon, Enter the Fat Dragon) is strutting his martial arts acting skills in the Hong Kong film Twilight of the Warriors:Walled In. With this ambiguous title comes an interesting, action-packed premise with a very star-studded cast.
In addition to Ng, the film stars Hong Kong entertainment legends Louis Koo (The Condor Heroes 95, Detective Investigation Files IV, Death Notice), Raymond Lam (A Step into the Past, Twin of Brothers, Moonlight Resonance), Sammo Hung (Ip Man, Ip Man 2, The Prodigal Son) and Taiwanese singing legend Richie Jen (Bodies at Rest, Fagara, Rob N Roll) among others.
In a recent interview with AsAmNews, Ng said it was an honor to work with big-name stars, adding that he had learned so much from working on this film. Despite being a big name himself, learning is a lifelong journey, and Ng discussed how even in his mid-forties, he still has so much to improve on in his craft.
Twilight of the Warriors:Walled In was not the first time Ng worked with these stars, and in addition to learning from them in different capacities he has remained friends with all of them.
“I know all these distinguished gentlemen, as over my career, I have worked with or alongside them in some way. For example, I have worked with Louis as both an actor and as a stunt director and with Sammo – both fighting against him and acting alongside him (in this film I am working as his underling). In many ways it is such a surreal experience and after all the work is done we just talk like old friends catching up,” Ng stated.
“Every time I work in some capacity with these legends, I improve my acting, my martial arts and my stunt work significantly, and with some of their many years of experience gets bestowed onto me and my ongoing learning.”
The film is set in 1980s Hong Kong. It follows the story of Chan Lok-kwun (played by Lam), a troubled youth who accidentally enters the notorious Kowloon Walled City. Lok-kwun, a refugee from the mainland, is trying to survive by participating in underground fighting rings. He seeks to buy a fake ID to improve his life but is betrayed by Mr. Big (played by Hung), a local crime syndicate boss. In a desperate move, Lok-kwun steals drugs from Mr. Big and flees to the Walled City, where he encounters Cyclone (Koo), the local crime lord who rules the area with a mix of authority and compassion.
Ng plays the character King one of the main antagonists who works under the instruction of Mr. Big. Playing an antagonist character or in simpler terms the bad guy, requires a different set of skills than playing the heroic protagonist or the good guy. To be memorable, an actor needs to think about the way this type of character should presented in the film and to audiences because an antagonist is more than just a character to hate or not like, it is one that needs to be layered to show personality and motivations.
Ng wanted to highlight King’s individual character with his performance considering he is always overshadowed by Mr. Big as the boss. Showing flamboyancy was one of the ways he could make his character unique and memorable.
“King is the main roadblock for the protagonist to overcome to reach his goals,” Ng said. “In playing this antagonist character, I wanted to show his big and exaggerated personality. In many ways demonstrating that King’s personality stems from his insecurities working under Mr. Big. I want audiences to remember him as a cool antagonist and one who is a person in his own right, not just the right hand of Mr. Big.”
Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In revolves around the world of martial arts, showing cool moves and skilled stunt artists. It also portrays at the deepest levels the relationship each character has (protagonist, antagonists and other supporting characters) with martial arts. This relationship is more than just the physical aspect, it’s also the spiritual and emotional connection that is important.
This point rings true for Ng, who shared his relationship with kung fu and the deep connections he has with it.
“Being born in Hong Kong and growing up in the US, my parents instilled a sense of tradition and culture for the family. My father taught kung fu – first teaching us kids in the backyard as a side activity and later expanding his kung fu teachings in centers across Chinatown before finally opening an actual school of his own. I was later sent to Hong Kong to continue my kung fu learning and this family and life experience taught me to be in sync with Kung fu with my body and my soul”, Ng expressed.
“I guess growing up as a child in America, kung fu was the only way I was able to grasp my culture and identity and this spurred me to become an actor in this genre of films as I saw how kung fu/martial arts films bought everyone together whether they be the characters or the audiences”.
Twilight of the Warriors:Walled In was first released in Hong Kong on May 1, 2024, and can now be seen in selected theaters across the world.
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