'I would even film sex scenes': Sammo Hung says he's interested in acting in anything

There's more to Sammo Hung's repertoire than just kung fu, and he's willing to show it.

Sammo revealed in an interview with HK01 that he's willing to consider acting in anything, "as long as someone asks him for it".

"I would even film sex scenes if they've got enough courage to ask," the 71-year-old martial artist and movie veteran said. 

Sammo received a lifetime achievement honour at the 16th Asian Film Awards on Sunday (March 12) following more than six decades of work in the entertainment industry, with nearly 200 film titles under his belt.

And it seems that he still has many more years to give to the industry, as he shared with HK01 that he has a new film planned out.

He's been pitching it for around three years and, although it hasn't been approved just yet, Sammo isn't worried.

"It doesn't matter. My fortune teller told me that I have 100 years of life to live, so I will wait!"

'I just want to entertain people' 

Sammo also shared his motivations for acting.

He explained: "From small roles to large roles, from the beginning [of my career] to the present, I just want to entertain people.

"I like hearing laughter and applause from the audience, I really enjoy it. I don't know how to act or film tragedies, because I find it very boring when everyone starts crying."

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However, Sammo is also aware that Hong Kong cinema isn't the same as it used to be, especially so for action movies that feature martial arts.

He sighed: "How can the youth of Hong Kong make the decision to learn kung fu? Training in kung fu used to be a way to pursue the dream of stardom by becoming an actor in movies.

"But now, learning kung fu can pretty much only let you sell shrimp dumplings and siew mai — without films for you to act in, what's the use of learning kung fu?"

Sammo also admitted that it's difficult to come up with ideas for new action movies nowadays and explained that the audience prefers plot-driven films instead of the action-oriented ones of the past.

He added: "I don't know why Hong Kong audiences have lost interest in Hong Kong films. Perhaps it's because Hong Kong films have issues with quality…

"I don't want the recent success that Hong Kong cinema has had to be something short-lived. I hope that it will continue to rejuvenate itself and return to the film climate of some 20 to 30 years prior."

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khooyihang@asiaone.com