Mandy Chan Chi-Man 陳志文

(Cantonese: Chan Chi Man  /  Mandarin: Chen2 Zhi4 Wen4)

Mandy was born in 1963 in Hong Kong and immigrated to Boston with his parents in 1976. His passion for martial arts started at the age of 12, when he was inspired by Bruce Lee’s movie Enter the Dragon. Growing up in the streets of Boston’s China Town, he took Kung Fu lessons and practiced his first moves with close friends such as Donnie Yen 甄子丹 (the current number one movie actor in Asia) and John Tsang (who is currently the secretary of treasury in Hong Kong). As part of Chinese culture classes in school, he took Chinese dancing lessons and thus began his first on-stage experience, which inspired in him a passion for performing.

At the age of 20, his martial arts skills and personal charm led him back to Hong Kong where his good friend and mentor Donnie Yen helped him launch his movie career. He appeared in more than 50 movies, ranging from action to drama and comedy, among them Bloodsport (with Jean Claude Van Damme), Legend of the Wolf, Drunken Tai Chi and Satan’s Return. He was also an action director of several films, including The Six Devil Women, The Green Hornet and Circus Kid.

Among his mentors, teachers and colleagues were the Yuen brothers (aka “The Peace family”): Yuen Cheung-yan 袁祥仁 and Yuen Woo-ping 袁和平, the Academy Award & Mac226 winning choreographer of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon in 2000, who also launched the career of Jackie Chan in Snake in Eagle’s Shadow (1978) and Drunken Master (1978). They are both well known in the US for directing movies such as The Matrix (trilogy), Kill Bill Volume 1 & Volume 2, Kung Fu Hustle, Once Upon A Time In China (series), Iron Monkey, and of course The Forbidden Kingdom.

Mandy Chan is a multi-talented person with amazing skills, not only as an actor, stunt man, and fight choreographer, but also as an action director and producer. His movie career allowed him to travel all over the world to film not just in Hong Kong, but also in China, Thailand, Taiwan, Yugoslavia,  South Africa, among other places.

Artistic skills run in his blood, for both of his parents used to be supporting actors and do cameos in several Chinese films when they were still living in Hong Kong.  His father is also a great Chinese calligrapher.

Currently, he owns SkyLab Entertainment, using his multi-talented skills in small, affordable but professional quality video production in a wide range of services which cover short films, documentaries, ads & commercials, birthday parties, and wedding ceremonies. He also tutors students at Bunker Hill Community College, MA and runs an on-going martial arts film production program at Chinese Martial Arts of Acton, MA. With his expertise from years in front of and behind the camera, his curriculum reveals the magic of creating a movie, from acting to choreography and stunts, both pre-production and post- production. Camera angles, movement, lens usage, and lighting are covered in this curriculum where he discusses, demonstrates and teaches scene continuity, along with editing, sound effects, music and exporting the final product to the web, file or DVD.

 

Here are some highlights of his movie career:

 Legend Of The Wolf                             1997       Actor

 Satan's Return                                      1996       Actor

 The Six Devil Women                           1996       Action Director

 Fist of Fury                                           1995       Actor

 The Green Hornet                                 1995       Action Director

 Red Wolf                                                1995       Assistant Director, Actor

 Circus Kid                                              1994       Action Director

 High Voltage                                         1994       Assistant Action Director, Actor

 Iron Monkey                                           1993       Actor

 Mad Mad Ghost                                      1992       Action Director, Actor

 Spy Thirteen                                           1992       Actor

The Twin Dragons                                  1992       Actor

 The Sting                                                1992       Assistant Action Director, Actor

 Legend of Chiuchow Brothers              1991       Action Director

 Coup de Grace                                        1990       Action Director, Actor

 Here Comes a Vampire                           1990       Action Director

 Tiger Cage 2                                           1990       Actor

Pedicab Driver                                        1989       Actor

 Bloodsport                                               1988       Actor           

Armour Of God                                        1987       Actor

 The Final Test                                         1987       Assistant Action Director, Actor

 In The Line of Duty 3                             1987       Brief appearance

 Mismatched Couples                               1985       Actor

 My Lucky Stars                                         1985       Brief appearance

 Drunken Tai Chi                                     1984       Actor

Taoism Drunkard                                      1984       Actor