[2025.03.07] NAKED KILLER DIRECTOR CLARENCE FORD PASSED AWAY AT AGE 68

Clarence Ford passed away due to heart disease and kidney cancer at Sha Tin Hospital at age 68

Clarence Ford's 1992 film NAKED KILLER performed well, with almost HK$ 10 million at the box office and made Chingmy Yau a star

Clarence Ford worked with Andy Lau on CENTURY OF THE DRAGON in 1999
courtesy of mingpao.com

NAKED KILLER (CHET LOR GO YEUNG)'s Hong Kong director Clarence Ford (Fok Yiu Leung) passed away from heart disease and kidney cancer in Sha Tin Hospital on February 1st last year at the age of 68. The Federation of Hong Kong Filmmakers spokesperson Tin Man Kai said that after receiving the news of Fok Yiu Leung's death in February this year, he has been verifying it and did not make the official announcement until yesterday.

Fok Yiu Leuang participated in the RTV training class in 1977 to receive training as a screenwriter and director. After graduation he worked as an assistant writer and director. Later he switched to TVB as a writer and director, and participated in the writing and directing of dramas such as THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY, THE BUND, and THE BROTHERS. Fok Yiu Leung began to show his strength in the film industry in the 80s of the last century, making his directing debut with the Leslie Cheung Kwok Wing, Danny Chan Pak Keung and Paul Chung Po Law starred film JOB HUNTER (SUT YIP SUN). In the same year TVB promoted him to producer, and the television series he produced after included MY LITTLE DARLING and NO ONE IS INNOCENT. In 1984 Fok Yiu Leung hoped to join the film industry fully and terminated his contract with TVB. He also made movies like THE GREATEST LOVER (GUNG JI DOR CHING), THEY CAME TO ROB HONG KONG (BAK BO KEI BING), THUNDER COP (SUN DIP HUET SEUNG HUNG), and SPECIAL ID (DUT SHU SUN FUN).

Fok Yiu Leung was known for thinking fast on his feet, his diligence and his speed. His THE ICEMAN COMETH (GUP DONG KEI HUP) was one of the earliest films with time and space travel subject; THE DRAGON FROM RUSSIA (HUNG CHEUNG FEI LUNG) was the first Hong Kong film to be shot in Moscow. He also made two category III films that were well responded to with completely different styles, REMAINS OF A WOMAN (LONG SUM YU TEET) and NAKED KILLER. In 1992 he directed NAKED KILLER and made Chingmy Yau Suk Ching a star. Because of NAKED KILLER he was even known in Hollywood, as GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY's Hollywood director James Gunn once recommended the film. He said, "Director Clarence Fok’s category III Hong Kong film mixing genres, blood, action and sex in an anything-goes pastiche blew my mind. Chingmy Yau became my crush and Simon Yam the cool guy I wanted to be." James Gunn even said that with this classic film and the Hong Kong films he has seen later, he was inspired to create GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY. After 2000, Fok Yiu Leung focused on making mainland television series. He also participated in movies as an actor, with LET'S MAKE LAUGH II (JOI GEIN CHUT YUT CHING) he was nominated for the Hong Kong Film Awards Best Supporting Actor in 1986.

Director Wong Jing lamented the passing. They worked together on numerous occasions in the past, the most memorable were NAKED KILLER, CON MAN IN VEGAS (DOH HUP DAI JIN LAI SI WAI GA SI). Fok Yiu Leung helped me as his executive director. He praised Fok Yiu Leung as very talented and was once on par with many famous directors. Earlier when he went to work in the mainland, and Hong Kong has been able to see Fok Yiu Leung's work less.

Sean Lau Ching Wan attended the event yesterday and was asked about the news of Fok Yiu Leung's passing. Ching Wan said that he worked with Fok Yiu Leung in TVB in the early years. In his impression Fok was very direct with his production, but they did not know each other too well in private. Lee Lik Chi on social media eulogized him. "Miss you always."