Tien Ni aka Tanny Tien Ni
Aka Tan Nei aka Tanny Chu aka Tanny aka Tim Lei aka Jan Lei aka Jenny aka Zhen Ni
Tien Ni is born in Shanghai in 1948. Her family stems from the Eastern Chinese province of Shandong, and soon after her birth emigrates to Taiwan where Tien Ni’s sister Chu Kai Li is born in 1958. Both grow up in Taiwan, Tien Ni attends the Peking Opera. In 1967, at the age of 19, she successfully participates in a beauty contest, and then starts a TV career. Her sister, by the way, follows her into a TV and movie career, adopts the screen name Tien Niu (aka Kelly Chu), and plays, for example, in the Shaw movies THE BRAVE ARCHER and THIRTEEN (or, more recently, in FATAL MOVE). Like her sister, she is also known under the English nickname Tanny which may lead to confusion.
Tien Ni 1977 in Battle Wizard, sister Tien Niu 1977 in Brave Archer
Tien Ni debuts on the Taiwanese silver screen in 1969, and plays in Martial Arts movies such as SWORD OF ENDURANCE, THE AVENGER, or Hau Cheng’s THE MASTER SWORD. She also plays lead in his movies THE GOLDEN SABRE, THE MASK HEROINE and LADY LEE. By 1972 she works exclusively in Taiwan, appearing in more than 20 movies produced by various companies. Apart from action movies, she also plays in dramas and love movies such as FROM HOME WITH LOVE, or I AM WAITING FOR YOU. A frequent movie partner of hers is the popular actor O Chung Hung (for example, REBIRTH OF LOVE, CRIMES ARE TO BE PAID). Further Martial Arts productions are BLACK HURRICANE (1970), 36 SWORD GUARDS, or UNSUNG HEROES OF THE WILDERNESS (both from 1971).
In 1972 East Motion Pictures release Guan Shan’s only directional work THE BRUTAL BOXER which is Tien Ni’s first Hong Kong movie. This movie is also known as BLOOD FINGERS, and sometimes labeled as Jackie Chan movie while in fact he only has a very minor part. Tien Ni shifts her working focal point to Hong Kong but continues to play in Taiwanese productions during her whole career. In Hong Kong she works for various production companies, too, but most frequently for the Shaw Studios. She becomes particularly known for seductive roles in Li Han Hsiang’s costume and erotic movies but also plays in Martial Arts and horror movies. Golden Harvest mainly cast her for comedies – she is a very versatile actress after all, and able to play all sorts of roles.
1973 she is in eleven movies, six of them Hong Kong productions, three of them Shaw movies: WOMAN OF THE NIGHT, Li Han Hsiang’s erotic episode movie ILLICIT DESIRE which makes it to the Top Five of the year, and THE HAPPIEST MOMENT. 1974 she again plays in no less than eleven movies, including the Shaw productions THE GOLDEN LOTUS, and SCANDAL (both directed by Li Han Hsiang), as well as RAT CATCHER. Goldig releases the comedy TOO YOUNG (the only movie presenting both sisters) while Golden Harvest releases NAUGHTY! NAUGHTY! as well as SUPREMO aka BADGE 369 directed by Zhu Mu who also shoots some of her comedy movies.
1973 in Illicit Desire, The Happiest Moment; 1974 in The Golden Lotus
1975 Tien Ni is more sought-after than ever, and cast for 12 movies. She decorates Li Han Hsiang’s historic epos THE EMPRESS DOWAGER, Ho Meng Hua’s horror movie BLACK MAGIC, FORBIDDEN TALES OF TWO CITIES, and the Warner Brothers coproduction CLEOPATRA JONES AND THE CASINO OF GOLD. For Golden Harvest, she plays in John Woo’s YOUNG DRAGONS, the comedies ALL IN THE FAMILY and NO END OF SURPRISES as well as THE ASSOCIATION with Angela Mao and Sammo Hung. She is also in Wu Ma’s independent production THE GOLDEN TRIANGLE with Lo Lieh, and two horror movies: THE HAUNTED HOUSE, a Hong Kong production, and AFFECTION AGAINST SATAN, a Taiwan production. That same year Tien Ni marries the well-known fellow actor Yueh Hua, later on they will have a daughter (contrary to some internet resources, they are still married). 1976 Tien Ni starts reducing her output, and appears in nine movies. These include the Shaw productions THE CRIMINALS, Li Han Hsiang’s WEDDING NIGHTS (also stars husband Yueh Hua), BLACK MAGIC 2, Chu Yuan’s Gu Long adaptation THE MAGIC BLADE as well as the Golden Harvest release A QUEEN’S RANSOM with Wang Yu. 1977 she again shares the screen with her husband in Li Han Hsiang’s MOODS OF LOVE, and plays in Pao Hsueh Li’s Jin Yong adaptation THE BATTLE WIZZARD. While her appearances become rarer, Yueh Hua is no longer under exclusive Shaw contract and shoots more movies than ever, including many Taiwanese productions, especially between 1977 and 1980.
1979 Tien Ni appears in the Taiwan production A MAN OF WEALTH. The Shaw Studios release TIGER AND WIDOW, her ninth and last cooperation with Li Han Hsiang, as well as Gwai Chi Hung’s horror movies HEX and CORPSE MANIA in 1980/ 81. 1982 she plays in the drama ONCE UPON A MIRAGE produced by Lap Yan Films, in Golden Harvest’s ghost movie THE TRAIL, and in the Shaw Brothers Martial Arts/ horror crossover THE HUMAN LANTERNS directed by Sun Chung. Hua Shan’s Jin Yong adaptation LITTLE DRAGON MAIDEN starring Leslie Cheung is released in 1983, THE SIAMESE TWINS follows in 1984 and represents both the last common appearance of Tien Ni and Yueh Hua, as well as Yueh Hua’s last Shaw movie. Tien Ni’s last Shaw movies, the comedies HOW TO CHOOSE A ROYAL BRIDE; MY MIND, YOUR BODY as well as Chu Yuan’s LET’S HAVE A BABY are released in 1985. In the latter, Tien Ni acts the role of the female lead’s mother – ditto in WHY ME, MUSICAL SINGER or 1986 in DEVOTED TO YOU, and thus successfully moves on from her vamp image.
The Magic Blade 1976, Human Lanterns 1982, How to Choose a Royal Bride 1984
1988 she plays in the action movie BITTER TASTE OF BLOOD, and in Fung Hak On’s EDGE OF DARKNESS. 1989 releases are two dramas and her hitherto last movie – RUNAWAY BLUES starring Andy Lau. In 1990 the family emigrates to Vancouver, Canada. Tien Ni, her husband and daughter appear in BEING CANADIAN, a production supported by the government of British Columbia – surely a kind of statement. Her husband who nowadays is known as Elly Leung is very committed within Vancouver’s artistic circles, and its large Chinese immigrant community. He makes his hitherto last movie appearance in the 2008 release THREE KINGDOMS: RESURRECTION OF THE DRAGON.
During her 20 year spanning career Tien Ni plays in 25 Shaw productions, or a total of at least 95 movies. According to some internet resources Tulsi Ramsay’s Indonesian horror movie THE HEADLESS TERROR/ PENGANGGALAN from 1967 is her movie debut. Some list the popular ATV series ANYWHERE BUT HERE in her filmographie but here she is mistaken for her sister. In 2007 Tien Ni and Yueh Hua attend the 2nd Shaw Classical Reunion in Hong Kong: Hurray for this grand couple of Shaw veterans!!
Yueh Hua and Tien Ni in Hong Kong, 2007
- As of September 2008 -
