Five Tiger Generals of TVB

{{Short description|Group of five male actors}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Five Tiger Generals | image = Fivetigers.jpg | caption = Five Tiger Generals, 1983. Top (L-R): Lau, Wong Bottom (L-R): Miu, Leung, Tong | alias = Five Tigers | origin = [[Hong Kong]] | genre = | years_active = 1980s | label = | associated_acts = [[Television Broadcasts Limited|TVB]] | website = | current_members = [[Michael Miu]] [[Kent Tong]] [[Felix Wong]] [[Andy Lau]] [[Tony Leung Chiu-Wai|Tony Leung]] }} {{Chinese|t=無綫五虎將|s=无线五虎将|l=Wireless Five Tiger Generals|j=Mou4 Sin3 Ng5 Fu2 Zoeng3|p=Wúxiàn Wǔ Hǔ Jiàng}} The '''Five Tiger Generals of [[Television Broadcasts Limited|TVB]]''' ({{lang|zh-HK|無綫五虎將}}), more commonly referred to as simply the '''Five Tigers''' (五虎), were a group of five of the most popular young leading male actors of 1980s [[Hong Kong Television Broadcasting|Hong Kong television]]. The group consisted of [[Michael Miu]] ("Big Tiger"), [[Kent Tong]] ("Second Tiger"), [[Felix Wong]] ("Third Tiger"), [[Andy Lau]] ("Fourth Tiger"), and [[Tony Leung Chiu-wai]] ("Small Tiger"). The group was formed to collectively promote the popularity of the five members, as well as to promote the company's various drama and entertainment productions. [[Five Tiger Generals]] was a name given to them by the media. The term is a popular appellation in [[Chinese culture]], meaning a ruler's five best military generals.

==Background== While all 5 members were once trainees of TVB's then all-year Artiste Training Academy, they joined the school at different times—Kent Tong joined in 1978, Michael Miu and Felix Wong in 1979, Andy Lau in 1980, and Tony Leung in 1981. Tong was the first to debut with his first role as the supporting character Wu Wang-yuen in the 1980 drama ''[[This Land is Mine (1980 TV series)|This Land is Mine]]''. Wong's first role was in the 1981 ''[[The Misadventure of Zoo]]''. The other 3 members had debut roles while still trainees at the school: Miu's debut role was the 1980 drama ''[[The Adventurer's]]'', Lau's first role was in the [[sitcom]] ''[[Hong Kong '81]]'', and Leung had his first major role in the 1982 ''[[Soldier of Fortune (1982 TV series)|Soldier of Fortune]]'', which also starred Wong and Tong.

It did not take long for the Five Tigers to become popular. According to Wong during a 2009 interview for the talk show ''[[Be My Guest (talk show)|Be My Guest]]'', TVB's first generation of leading actors at the time, which included [[Adam Cheng]] and [[Chow Yun-fat]], were leaving the company, and TVB was in need of rounding up a new generation of popular idols; thus, the members of the Five Tigers quickly rose to fame due to many performing opportunities. Wong said that as soon as he graduated from acting school, he was offered a major supporting role.<ref name="wong">{{cite news | work=TVB | date=2009-07-25 | title=''Be My Guest'': Episode 133 | language=zh}}</ref> Wong was then offered a leading role in his second drama, ''[[The Lonely Hunter]]'' (1981), which shot him to instant fame in Hong Kong.

===Formation=== In September 1983, amidst a ratings competition with [[Korea]]n and [[Japan]]ese variety shows, TVB created the show ''All Star Challenge'', which featured almost an entire lineup of the most popular actors and singers of Hong Kong at the time. The five most popular young male idols at the station—Miu, Tong, Wong, Lau, and Leung—were grouped together to perform a variety of stage performances at the show, such as singing and dancing. Their appearances brought in a lot of media attention, and their performances were a selling point for the show.<ref name="allstar">{{cite news | work=Big5.china.com | title=Chapter 2: Television Stars, TVB's Five Tiger Generals | url=http://big5.china.com/gate/big5/lianzai.china.com/books/html/436/1981/17462.html | accessdate=2010-09-25 | language=zh }}{{dead link|date=October 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> The media then branded them as TVB's Five Tiger Generals, and the term quickly caught on to the public. Since their formation, the five of them consistently made public appearances together as a group; they even expressed that they would like to release an album together under their name. In 1991, the group starred in the action thriller ''[[The Tigers (film)|The Tigers]]'', a film adaptation of the 1984 television drama ''Rise and Fall of a Stand-In''. It is the only film to star all five members.

==Legacy and reunion== The popularity of the Five Tigers led TVB to continue with similar group projects even after the members of the Five Tigers left TVB. However, none of them were that successful. Many television dramas that featured the members of the Five Tigers, notably ''[[The Legend of the Condor Heroes (1983 TV series)|The Legend of the Condor Heroes]]'' (1983), ''[[The Return of the Condor Heroes (1983 TV series)|The Return of the Condor Heroes]]'' (1983), ''[[Police Cadet '84|Police Cadet]]'' (1984), ''[[The Duke of Mount Deer (1984 Hong Kong TV series)|The Duke of Mount Deer]]'' (1984), and ''[[Looking Back in Anger]]'' (1989), were branded as classics by many in Asia.

On 27 June 2010, during a press conference for a training academy in [[Panyu]], [[Guangzhou]], Tong revealed that the five members are planning for another reunion project. The collaboration between Miu and Wong in the 2010 drama ''[[Gun Metal Grey]]'' created a heated discussion about a possible reunion of all members in the future. "The Five Tiger Generals will definitely reunite again. The five of us really hope for that day to come; in fact, we are currently planning one right now."<ref name="reunion">{{cite news | work=163 | date=2010-06-27 | title=Kent Tong to film comeback: Five Tiger Generals will definitely reunite | url=http://ent.163.com/10/0627/02/6A5CI1GS00032KMI.html | accessdate=2010-10-09 | language=zh}}</ref>

==Collaborations== {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size: 90%;" ! colspan="8" style="background: LightSteelBlue;"|Film |- ! Year ! Film ! width="15"| [[Michael Miu|Miu]] ! width="15"| [[Kent Tong|Tong]] ! width="15"| [[Felix Wong|Wong]] ! width="15"| [[Andy Lau|Lau]] ! width="15"| [[Tony Leung Chiu-Wai|Leung]] ! Notes |- | rowspan="2"| 1982 || ''[[Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils (1982 film)|Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils]]'' || || {{X mark}} || {{X mark}} || || || |- | ''Once Upon a Rainbow'' || || {{X mark}} || || {{X mark}} || || |- | 1983 || ''Mad, Mad 83'' || {{X mark}} || || {{X mark}} || || {{X mark}} || |- | 1985 || ''[[Twinkle, Twinkle Lucky Stars]]'' ||{{X mark}} || || ||{{X mark}} || || |- | 1986 || ''[[Lucky Stars Go Places]]'' ||{{X mark}} || || ||{{X mark}} || || |- | 1987 || ''[[Eastern Condors]]'' || {{X mark}} || {{X mark}} || || || || |- |rowspan="3" |1988 || ''[[The Dragon Family]]'' ||{{X mark}} ||{{X mark}}|| ||{{X mark}} || || |- | ''[[Lai Shi, China's Last Eunuch]]'' || || ||{{X mark}} ||{{X mark}} || || |- | ''[[The Crazy Companies II]]'' || {{X mark}} || || || {{X mark}} || || |- | rowspan="4"|1989|| ''[[Little Cop]]'' ||{{X mark}} || || || {{X mark}} || || |- | ''City Cops'' || {{X mark}} || {{X mark}} || || || || |- | ''[[Proud and Confident]]'' || {{X mark}} || || || {{X mark}} || || |- | ''[[News Attack]]'' || {{X mark}} || || || {{X mark}} || || |- | rowspan="2"| 1990 || ''[[The Fortune Code]]'' || {{X mark}} || || || {{X mark}} || || |- | ''[[Days of Being Wild]]'' || || || || {{X mark}} || {{X mark}} || |- | rowspan="3"|1991 || ''[[Don't Fool Me]]'' || || || || {{X mark}} || {{X mark}} || |- | ''[[The Tigers (film)|The Tigers]]'' || {{X mark}} || {{X mark}} || {{X mark}} || {{X mark}} || {{X mark}} || align="left"|Nominated—[[11th Hong Kong Film Awards#Best Supporting Actor|Hong Kong Film Award for Best Supporting Actor]] (Tong) |- | ''[[The Banquet (1991 film)|The Banquet]]'' || || || || {{X mark}} || {{X mark}} || |- | rowspan="2"|1992 || ''[[Handsome Siblings]]'' || {{X mark}} || || || {{X mark}} || || |- | ''[[The Days of Being Dumb]]'' || || {{X mark}} || || ||{{X mark}}|| |- |rowspan="4"|1993 || ''[[Hero - Beyond The Boundary Of Time]]'' || ||{{X mark}} || || ||{{X mark}}|| |- | ''Lord of East China Sea'' ||{{X mark}}|| {{X mark}} || || |||| |- | ''Lord of East China Sea II'' || {{X mark}} || {{X mark}} || || || || |- | ''[[Come Fly the Dragon]]'' || {{X mark}} || || || {{X mark}} || {{X mark}} || |- |1994|| ''[[Drunken Master II]]'' || || ||{{X mark}}|| {{X mark}} || || |- | rowspan="2"| 2002 || ''[[Infernal Affairs]]'' || || || || {{X mark}} || {{X mark}} || align="left"|[[22nd Hong Kong Film Awards|Hong Kong Film Award for Best Actor]] (Leung) [[Golden Horse Film Festival and Awards|Golden Horse Awards for Best Actor]] (Leung) [[Golden Bauhinia Awards|Golden Bauhinia Awards for Best Actor]] (Leung) [[22nd Hong Kong Film Awards#Best Original Film Song|Hong Kong Film Award for Best Original Film Song]] (Lau with Leung) Nominated—Hong Kong Film Award for Best Actor (Lau) Nominated—Golden Horse Awards for Best Actor (Lau) |- | ''[[Golden Chicken]]'' || || || {{X mark}} || {{X mark}} || || |- | rowspan="2"| 2003 || ''[[Infernal Affairs III]]'' || || || || {{X mark}} || {{X mark}} || align="left"|[[Golden Horse Film Festival and Awards|Golden Horse Awards for Best Actor]] (Lau) |- | ''[[Golden Chicken 2]]'' || || || {{X mark}} || {{X mark}} || || |- | rowspan="2"|2004|| ''[[Jiang Hu (2004 film)|Jiang Hu]]'' ||{{X mark}}|| || || {{X mark}} || || |- | ''[[Love Is a Many Stupid Thing]]'' ||{{X mark}}|| {{X mark}} || || |||| |- | 2006 || ''My Mother Is a Belly Dancer'' || || {{X mark}} || || {{X mark}} || || |- | 2005|| ''[[Wait 'til You're Older]]'' || || || {{X mark}} || {{X mark}}|| ||align="left"| Nominated—[[26th Hong Kong Film Awards|Hong Kong Film Award for Best Actor]] (Lau) |- | 2007 || ''[[Brothers (2007 film)|Brothers]]'' || {{X mark}} || {{X mark}} || {{X mark}} || {{X mark}} || || align="left"| Nominated—[[27th Hong Kong Film Awards#Best Original Film Song|Hong Kong Film Award for Best Original Film Song]] (Lau with [[Eason Chan]]) |- | 2011 || ''[[I Love Hong Kong]]'' || {{X mark}} || || {{X mark}} || || || |- | 2013 || ''7 Assassins'' || {{X mark}} || || {{X mark}} || || || |- |rowspan=2| 2017 || ''[[Shock Wave (film)|Shock Wave]]'' || || || {{X mark}} || {{X mark}} || ||align="left"| Nominated—[[37th Hong Kong Film Awards|Hong Kong Film Award for Best Actor]] (Lau) Nominated—Hong Kong Film Award for Best Film (Lau) |- || ''[[Chasing the Dragon (film)|Chasing the Dragon]]'' || || {{X mark}} || {{X mark}} || {{X mark}} || ||align="left"| Nominated—Hong Kong Film Award for Best Film (Lau) |- | 2019 || ''[[The White Storm 2: Drug Lords]]''|| {{X mark}} || || || {{X mark}} || || |- | 2023 || ''[[The Goldfinger]]'' || || || || {{X mark}} || {{X mark}} || |- |- ! colspan="8" style="background: LightSteelBlue;"|Television dramas |- ! Year ! Title ! width="15"| [[Michael Miu|Miu]] ! width="15"| [[Kent Tong|Tong]] ! width="15"| [[Felix Wong|Wong]] ! width="15"| [[Andy Lau|Lau]] ! width="15"| [[Tony Leung Chiu-Wai|Leung]] ! Notes |- | rowspan="5"|1981 || ''[[The Adventurer's]]'' || {{X mark}} || {{X mark}} || || || || |- | ''Double Fantasies '' || {{X mark}} ||{{X mark}} || || || || |- | ''Come Rain, Come Shine'' || {{X mark}} ||{{X mark}} || {{X mark}} || || || |- | ''[[The Lonely Hunter]]'' || {{X mark}} || || {{X mark}} || || || |- |''[[The Young Heroes of Shaolin]]'' || {{X mark}} || || {{X mark}} || {{X mark}} || || |- | rowspan="6"|1982 || ''[[A Kid Troupe]]'' || {{X mark}} || || || {{X mark}} || || |- | ''[[Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils (1982 TV series)|Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils]]'' || || {{X mark}} || {{X mark}} || || || |- | ''[[The Legend of Master So]]'' || {{X mark}} || || || {{X mark}} || || |- | ''The Wild Bunch'' || || {{X mark}} || {{X mark}} || || || |- | ''[[Soldier of Fortune (1982 TV series)|Soldier of Fortune]]'' || || {{X mark}} || {{X mark}} || || {{X mark}} || |- | ''[[The Emissary (TV series)|The Emissary]]'' || || || || {{X mark}} || {{X mark}} || |- | rowspan="2"|1983 || ''[[The Legend of the Condor Heroes (1983 TV series)|The Legend of the Condor Heroes]]'' || {{X mark}} || || {{X mark}} || || || |- | ''[[The Return of the Condor Heroes (1983 TV series)|The Return of the Condor Heroes]]'' || || {{X mark}} || || {{X mark}} || || |- | rowspan="5"|1984 || ''[[The Duke of Mount Deer (1984 Hong Kong TV series)|The Duke of Mount Deer]]'' || || || || {{X mark}} || {{X mark}} || |- | ''[[The Foundation (1984 TV series)|The Foundation]]'' || {{X mark}} || {{X mark}} || {{X mark}} || || || |- | ''Rise And Fall Of A Stand-in'' || {{X mark}} || {{X mark}} || || || || |- | ''[[The Return of Wong Fei Hung]]'' || || {{X mark}} || || {{X mark}} || || |- | ''[[Summer Kisses, Winter Tears (TV series)|Summer Kisses, Winter Tears]]'' || {{X mark}} || {{X mark}} || || || || |- | rowspan="3"|1985 || ''[[Sword Stained with Royal Blood (1985 TV series)|Sword Stained with Royal Blood]]'' || {{X mark}} || || {{X mark}} || || || |- | ''[[Tough Fight]]'' || || {{X mark}} || {{X mark}} || || || |- | ''[[The Yang's Saga]]'' || {{X mark}} || {{X mark}} || {{X mark}} || {{X mark}} || {{X mark}} || |- |rowspan="2"| 1987 || ''[[The Grand Canal (TV series)|The Grand Canal]]'' || || || {{X mark}} || || {{X mark}} || |- | ''[[Two Most Honorable Knights]]'' || {{X mark}} || || || || {{X mark}} || |- | 2010 || ''[[Gun Metal Grey]]'' || {{X mark}} || || {{X mark}} || || || align="left"|Nominated—TVB Anniversary Award for Best Actor (Top 15) (Miu) Nominated—[[TVB Anniversary Award for Best Actor|TVB Anniversary Award for Best Actor (Top 5)]] (Wong) |}

==See also== *'''5 Tigers''': [[Michael Miu]], [[Kent Tong]], [[Felix Wong]], [[Andy Lau]], [[Tony Leung Chiu-Wai]] *'''5 Beauties''': [[Yammie Lam]], [[Idy Chan]], [[Margie Tsang]], [[Jamie Chik]], [[Kitty Lai]] *'''5 Fresh Tigers''': [[Louis Koo]], [[Leo Ku]], [[Carlo Ng]], [[Hawick Lau]], [[Keith Ho]] *'''5 Fresh Beauties''': [[Gigi Fu]], [[Jojo Cho]], [[Wallis Pang]], [[Eileen Yeow]], [[Joyce Chen (actress, born 1976)|Joyce Chan]]

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== *[http://www.tvb.com/ TVB.com]

[[Category:TVB veteran actors]] [[Category:Andy Lau]]