Hi everyone
After watching XAJH 95 on Astro (which ended last week, and which I rather enjoyed despite the modifications here and there), a thought came to my mind. As we lament, or celebrate (depending on your point of view) the end of TVB's Jin Yong serials, I thought about the old guard of TVB, some of whom still served until the last serials HSDS and Crimson Sabre 2000. I thought I'd compile a list of TVB actors who played plot characters. By plot characters I mean characters who were integral to the plot of a story, as I'm sure if we didn't make this distinction some extra who acted as a soldier would win the honour (not that he wouldn't deserve it, but for the purposes of this thread I'm looking at people we can remember, fondly or otherwise).
Using only those JY serials I know of (main book titles only, meaning that spin-offs from the Condor Trilogy and Duguqiubai, and renames like One Sword will not count, while the entire LOCH 82 trilogy counts as one serial, although ROCH will count separately even if the character is the same), and picking a handful of actors by memory (who I think have a pretty good chance of topping the list), here goes...
Years of serials are approximate as I can't remember the exact years...
Kwan Hoi San - 9
Mr Lu - B&S 79
Zhang Sanfeng-HSDS 79
Murong Bo - DGSD 81
Lu Chengfeng-LOCH 82
Lin Zhennan - XAJH 85
Aobai - DOMD 86
Hu Qingniu - HSDS 86
Ling Tuisi - LCJ 88
Bai Zizai - XKX 89
Kenneth Chun Kong - 8
Huang Yaoshi - LOCH 82
Huang Yaoshi - ROCH 84
Yue Buqun - XAJH 85
Yuan Chonghuan - BXJ 85
Chen Zhennan - DOMD 86
Xie Xun - HSDS 86
Tian Guinong - FF 88
Ding Dian - LCJ 88
I also seem to recall him playing some Khitan royalty in DGSD 81, but I can't remember, so I didn't count it.
Lau Siu Ming - 6
Duan Yanqing - DGSD 81
Yideng - LOCH 82
Yideng - ROCH 84
Ren Woxing - XAJH 85
Hai Dafu - DOMD 86
He also acted in B&S 89, but I can't remember which character...
Lau Dan - 10
Hong Qigong - LOCH 82
Hong Qigong - ROCH 84
Tian Boguang - XAJH 85
Wu Sangui - DOMD 86
He Taichong - HSDS 86
Hong Qigong - LOCH 94
Hong Qigong - ROCH 96
Ma Dayuan - DGSD 97
Huang Taiji - BXJ 00
Yuyang Wang - HSDS 00
Chu Tit Woh - 8
Guo Shaotian - LOCH 82
Bai Guishou - HSDS 86
Li Zicheng - DOMD 86
Xuedao Laozu - LCJ 88
Shi Qing - XKX 89
Ouyang Feng - LOCH 94
Ouyang Feng - ROCH 94
Lin Zhennan - XAJH 95
Yeung Chak Lam - 5
Yelu Hongji - DGSD 81
Ouyang Feng - LOCH 82
Ouyang Feng - ROCH 84
Zuo Lengchan - XAJH 85
Some Heaven and Earth society chap, swore brotherhood with Shuang Er then got killed - DOMD 86
Wong Wai - 4
Wanyan Honglie - LOCH 94
Yue Buqun - XAJH 95
Yelu Hongji - DGSD 97
Chongzhen - BXJ 00
Cheong Ying Choy - 8
Yu Daiyan - HSDS 79
Duan Zhengming - DGSD 81
Ma Yu - LOCH 82
Ma Yu - ROCH 84
Chongzhen - BXJ 85
Some comedic monk who tried to teach Wei Xiaobao Yiyangzi - DOMD 86
I think he was one of the 3 Kong monks in HSDS 86, but I might be wrong, so I'm discounting it.
Fang Zheng - XAJH 95
Yellow-Brow Monk - DGSD 97
Lok Ying Kwan - 7
Yu Changhai - XAJH 85
The head of the Dragon Head company - HSDS 86
I seem to recall him as some eunuch in DOMD or BXJ, but can't remember - discounting it
Huang Yaoshi - LOCH 94
Huang Yaoshi - ROCH 96
Murong Bo - DGSD 97
Xie Xun - HSDS 00
Li Zicheng - BXJ 00
Lau Kong - 9
Wanyan Honglie - LOCH 82
Feng Qingyang - XAJH 85
Cheng Kun - HSDS 86
Emperor Shunzhi - DOMD 86
Genghis Khan - LOCH 94
Xiang Wentian - XAJH 95
Wu Santong - ROCH 96
Xuan Ci - DGSD 97
4th Wen brother - BXJ 00
Some chap whose name I don't know, but I see him a lot - 7
Lu Youjiao - LOCH 82
Qi Changfa - LCJ 88
Wanyan Honglie's brother - LOCH 94
Yu Changhai - XAJH 95
Xiao Shuangzi - ROCH 96
Buping Priest - DGSD 97
5th Wen brother - BXJ 00
Phew.. some of them obviously didn't act in as many as I thought.. the winner in my first list is Lau Dan (helped immensely by two dual-roles of Hong Qigong, as well as some amazing stamina to see him still act regularly in 2000), beating even the venerable Kwai Hoi San and Cheong Ying Choy and the charismatic Chun Kong, who I felt for a time appeared in every TVB serial.
My memory of LCJ, FF88 and B&S 89 is quite bad, though, so I might have missed some roles these gentlemen played in those serials. I haven't even watched the late 90s FF starring Sunny Chan either, so please feel free to add to the list to find out who the real JY champion is. If there's anyone else worth mentioning, do give them due recognition in this thread as well.
Ian