SON OF THE DRAGON – Press Information – PART II – Bios (09/2006)
Table of Contents – Biographies
I.
CAST
John Reardon – Devil Boy, aka D.B.
David Carradine – Bird
Desiree Siahaan – Princess Li Wei
Rupert Graves – Prince of the North
Theresa Lee – Ting Ting
Eddy Ko – Lord Shing
Kay Tong Lim – Governor
Nitin Ganatra – Prince of India
Michael Chow – Bo
II.
PRODUCTION
David Wu - Director and Editor
Robert Halmi, Sr. – Executive Producer
Robert Halmi, Jr. – Executive Producer
Uwe Schott – Executive Producer
Matthew O’Connor – Producer
Michael O’Connor – Producer
Shan Tam – Producer
Jacqueline Feather – Writer
David Seidler – Writer
Zhen Zhou Yi – Production Designer
Thomas Chong – Costume Designer
Tom Burstyn – Director of Photography
Lee Wilson – Visual Effects Supervisor
I. SON OF THE DRAGON – Cast Biographies
JOHN REARDON (Devil Boy, aka D.B.)
Having recently starred in the RHI Entertainment miniseries Merlin’s Apprentice, film
and television actor John Reardon now stars in another magical adventure miniseries Son
of the Dragon. Reardon’s character Devil Boy, or D.B. as he is more affectionately
known, is a charming young street thief who uses his gains to provide food for the street
children he considers his family. A plan to swindle the royal court of its jewels finds
D.B. masquerading as a potential suitor, Prince DeeBee, for the hand of Princess Li Wei.
D.B. finds himself smitten with the Princess and becoming an unlikely hero as he
uncovers and attempts to foil a plot against the Governor and his royal court.
Reardon’s charismatic star turn as the title character in the miniseries Merlin’s
Apprentice, a sequel to the hit miniseries Merlin, found him portraying another reluctant
hero in the world of Camelot, appearing opposite Sam Neill and Miranda Richardson.
Son of the Dragon reunites Reardon with the creative talent behind Merlin’s Apprentice,
including executive producer Robert Halmi, Sr., producers Matthew O’Connor and
Michael O’Connor, and director/editor David Wu.
A native of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, Reardon graduated from Mount Allison
University, a prestigious liberal arts institution in New Brunswick. During his college
years, his natural athleticism included being an all-star player for the school’s football
team. A few years later he made his professional acting debut with a television
appearance on musician Chris Issac’s surreal mix of fact and fiction comedy series, The
Chris Issac Show.
Beginning to guest star on such television series as The Twilight Zone and Andromeda,
Reardon appeared as Randall Thompson in a three-episode arc of the hip supernatural
drama series Tru Calling, starring Eliza Dusku and Jason Priestley. He also guest starred
on the ensemble drama The L Word, working with director Rose Troche.
Reardon appeared in the big screen undercover comedy White Chicks, a Wayans Brothers
affair, directed by Keenan Ivory Wayans, starring Shawn Wayans and Marlon Wayans.
He also appeared in the theatrical thrillers Severed and Sea Ghost. Television movie
credits include James Patterson’s First to Die, a mystery starring Gil Bellows, Tracy
Pollan, and Pam Grier.
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DAVID CARRADINE (Bird)
With more than 200 credits as an actor in film, television, and stage works, and the man
audiences immediately picture in their minds when they hear “kung fu,” David Carradine
stars as Bird in the RHI Entertainment miniseries Son of the Dragon. A mentor and
father figure to the young thief, D.B., Carradine’s Bird is a wise and peaceful man who
was once a soldier and a mighty warrior. Having forsaken his fighting ways, Bird is
forced to face his enemy, Lord Shing.
In a professional career spanning 45 years, Carradine has appeared in 118 films, 32 plays,
27 television movies of the week, miniseries and dramatic specials, 35+ guest
appearances on various series, and has starred in 3 series. His second starring role, as
Caine in Kung Fu, evolved into becoming one of the most iconic roles in the history of
television. In addition to the smash hit series that garnered Carradine both Emmy® and
Golden Globe® nominations, it also introduced many viewers to Asian martial arts and
Chinese philosophy. There were also two television movies, Kung Fu, The Way of the
Dragon and Kung Fu The Movie. Carradine resurrected his Caine character with a
second series, Kung Fu, The Legend Continues, which he also co-produced. He also
authored Spirit of Shaolin, A Handbook of Kung Fu Philosophy and voiced Caine, The
Kung Fu Adventure Online.
A member of one of Hollywood’s acting dynasties, Carradine followed his father, John, a
star of screen and stage dating back to the golden era of Hollywood into the family
business. Carradine and his well-known brothers represent the second generation and
many of their children make up a third generation of established actors.
In feature films, Carradine began working more than four decades ago appearing in such
films as Taggart, starring Dan Duryea and Bus Riley’s Back In Town, starring AnnMargret. Highlights from his 118 films include Martin Scorsese’s first Hollywood
feature, Box Car Bertha, opposite Barbara Hershey; co-starring with Liv Ulmann in
Ingmar Bergman’s only English language feature and the only one shot outside Sweden,
The Serpent’s Egg; the Roger Corman cult classic, Deathrace 2000; starring as folk
music legend Woody Guthrie in Bound For Glory for director Hal Ashby, a performance
for which he was named Best Actor by the National Board of Review® and nominated
for a Golden Globe®; Robert Altman’s The Long Goodbye; Scorsese’s classic, Mean
Streets; co-starring with his brothers Keith and Robert, as well as other actors/brothers
with the surnames of Quaid, Keach, and Guest in Walter Hill’s Western, The Long
Riders; starring, directing, producing, editing, and composing the main theme for
Americana, a film which was awarded the People’s Prize at the Director’s Fortnight of
the Cannes Film Festival; the notorious title character in Quentin Tarantino’s smash hit,
Kill Bill Vol I., another role which garnered him a Golden Globe® nomination; the
second part of Tarantino’s saga, Kill Bill Vol. II; and his most bizarre performance to date
in another cult classic, Sonny Boy, portraying an ex-con living out his life cross-dressing
as a mid-Western housewife, while running a gang of thieves.
Carradine has recently completed roles in the independent feature, Homo Erectus, The
Caveman Comedy, starring, written, and directed by Adam Rifkin, as well as the Rob
Schneider comedy, Big Stan, and a romantic comedy, Camille, where he co-starred with
James Franco and Siena Miller. He next will appear in the action film Blizhiny Boy: The
Ultimate Fighter.
Carradine’s television work also covers more than four decades, dating back to
appearances on such series as East Side, West Side, starring George C. Scott, Wagon
Train, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Gunsmoke, Ironside, and Rod Serling’s Night Gallery.
His first starring role in a series was as the title character in the series Shane, based on the
classic film. He continued making guest appearances on such series as The Young
Riders, Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman, Profiler, Charmed, Just Shoot Me, and the current
hit, Medium. He had recurring roles on the series Largo Winch, Family Law, The Queen
of Swords, and Alias. In the miniseries genre, he starred in Mr. Horn, was impressionist
artist Paul Gaugin in Gaugin, The Savage, and portrayed one of his most menacing
characters ever in the Civil War era epic hit miniseries, North and South and it’s sequel,
Love and War: North and South II. His television movies and dramatic specials include
productions of The Bad Seed, appearing opposite Mia Farrow in a David Susskind
produced adaptation of Johnny Belinda, Gambler IV – The Luck of the Draw, By Dawn’s
Early Light, and The Outsider, among many others.
In a theatre career that began while he studied drama at San Francisco State College,
Carradine was soon appearing in some of the Bard’s classic works at both the San
Francisco Shakespeare Festival and the Ohio’s Great Lakes Shakespeare Festival. Even
during his stint in the Army he continued to act, producing, directing, and performing in
musicals and dramas for the U.S. Army Entertainment Unit. Upon his honorable
discharge from the military, Carradine found himself in New York and began working his
way upward in the theatre world at the same time he was beginning to pursue his film and
television career. He landed a leading role on Broadway in The Deputy. For another play
on Broadway, The Royal Hunt of the Sun, starring opposite Christopher Plummer,
Carradine was named Most Promising New Personality by Theatre World. He continued
to do classical and contemporary theatre work in New York and at major regional stages
around the country.
Carradine the published author has also written his autobiography, Endless Highway, as
well as The Kill Bill Diary, a day-to-day journal of his experience on the film set and
beyond, and two martial arts related instructional books, David Carradine’s Tai Chi
Workout and The Healing Art of Chi Gung. He has produced and starred in a series of
martial arts workout videos, beginning with David Carradine’s Kung Fu Workout, and a
number of others on Tai Chi, Chi Gung, Cheng Tai Chi Meditation and Kung Fu Kick
Boxing.
In addition to his ongoing pursuits as an actor, producer, director and writer, Carradine is
also a composer, musician, and singer. He has released the albums Grasshopper and As
Is, as well as singles, including You and Me, Troublemaker and Walk The Floor.
Affirming his status as an acting legend, Carradine has his own star on Hollywood’s
Walk of Fame.
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DESIREE SIAHAAN (Princess Li Wei)
A native of Singapore, well known throughout Asia for her work as a television actress,
model and host, Desiree Siahaan portrays the beautiful Princess Li Wei in RHI
Entertainment’s miniseries Son of the Dragon. Siahaan’s Princess is a beautiful woman
honor-bound by tradition to accept the suitor deemed appropriate by her father. Taking
control of her own destiny, she slyly orchestrates a series of challenges for her suitors to
prove who is most worthy for her hand in marriage and does what she can to ensure that
her preferred choice, D.B., is kept from harm’s way on his quest.
Stepping into the limelight at age 17 when she won first runner-up in the New Paper
“New Face Contest” in her native Singapore, Siahaan began appearing in a number of
advertising and public service campaigns in Singapore, as well other countries throughout
the Pacific Rim, including Korea, Japan, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia and the
Philippines.
Segueing from modeling and commercial assignments to acting roles, Siahaan began
appearing in such Singapore produced programs as the Channel 5 sitcom, Making Love,
the television movie Blue Print, the award-winning Ceceliation, and Troubled In Law.
She also guest starred in such local productions as the sitcom Living With Lydia, Training
Day and Chase, and appeared in Arts Central’s production of Stage to Screen Series Travelling Light.
Recently Siahaan was seen on the series Heartlanders, alongside regulars Aaron Aziz
and Vincent Ng. She also hosted the reality series, Villa Wellness. Television audiences
throughout Asia know Siahaan through her starring role in MTV Asia’s first dramatic
action series, Rogue.
In addition to her acting roles and advertising campaigns, Siahaan continues to be known
as a “cover girl” for monthly magazines. She appeared on the front of the premier issue
of Maxim’s Singapore edition, as well as such publications as Her World, Seventeen, and
New Man, among many others.
On the acting front, Siahaan will next co-star in the dramatic action miniseries Marco
Polo for RHI Entertainment. Portraying two characters, sisters Temulan and Kensai, the
project is being produced by the same team behind Son of the Dragon. The Marco Polo
production began only weeks after Dragon wrapped principal photography.
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RUPERT GRAVES (Prince of the North)
Known to motion picture, television and theatre audiences for his broad range of
characterizations, including some classic literary adaptations, Rupert Graves portrays the
Prince of the North in RHI Entertainment’s miniseries The Son of the Dragon. His
Prince is a handsome, well-heeled and arrogant man, who deems himself the only choice
to win the hand of the Princess Li Wei. It soon becomes obvious his intentions have less
to do with matters of the heart and more to do with overthrowing the royal court of the
Governor. He will stop anyone who gets in his way, especially D.B.
Born and raised in Britain, Graves made his professional stage debut in a production of
The Killing of Mr. Toad and soon was co-starring opposite Harvey Fierstein in the
London West End production of Torch Song Trilogy. He continued to work in theatre as
well in television.
Only a few years into his professional career, Graves was cast in his first feature film, A
Room With a View. Based on the E.M. Forster novel and from the prestigious producing
team of Ishmael Merchant and James Ivory, who also directed, Graves was part of an
ensemble cast which included Maggie Smith, Helena Bonham Carter, Julian Sands, Judi
Dench, Daniel Day-Lewis, and Simon Callow. The film received eight Academy
Award® nominations, including Best Picture and went on to win three Oscars. The film
also received multiple nominations and wins in various categories from the BAFTA
Awards®, The Golden Globe® Awards, and many other awards organizations
throughout Britain, the United States, and Europe.
Graves continued his affiliation with Merchant Ivory Productions, when he co-starred in
another E.M. Forster adaptation, Maurice, also directed by James Ivory. A gay love story
set among the British upper class in the early part of the twentieth century, the cast also
included James Wilby, Hugh Grant, Simon Callow, Denholm Elliott, and Ben Kingsley.
Two additional films found him working with many of the same actors as the Merchant
Ivory projects, this time both were under the direction of Charles Sturridge. In A Handful
of Dust, he co-starred with James Wilby, Kristin Scott Thomas, Judi Dench and Alec
Guinness. In the second feature, Where Angels Fear To Tread, another E.M. Forster
adaptation, Graves co-starred opposite Helen Mirren and Helena Bonham Carter.
Other feature film credits for Graves include director Louis Malle’s Damage, co-starring
with Jeremy Irons, Juliette Binoche, and Miranda Richardson; Bent, written by Martin
Sherman, based on his original play, co-starring Clive Owen, Ian McKellan, and Jude
Law; The Madness of King George for director Nick Hynter with Nigel Hawthorne,
Helen Mirren, Ian Holm and Rupert Everett; Mrs. Dalloway where he co-starred with
Vanessa Redgrave; the action thriller Extreme Ops for director Christian Duguay, costarring Devon Sawa and Rufus Sewell; and the futuristic thriller V For Vendetta for
director James McTeigue, where he co-starred with Natalie Portman, Hugo Weaving,
Stephen Rea, Stephen Fry, and John Hurt.
Among Graves’s numerous credits in television include such projects as the miniseries
The Fortunes of War, co-starring with Kenneth Branagh and Emma Thompson; an
episode of the long-running Inspector Morse series, opposite John Thaw in the title role;
the television movie Blonde Bombshell, a biopic on Diana Dors, the British answer to
Marilyn Monroe; and the television movies Take A Girl Like You, Cleopatra, and
Charles II – The Power and the Passion. Graves appeared in the acclaimed miniseries
The Forsythe Saga, as well as its sequel, The Forsythe Saga II.
While appearing in film and television, Graves also continued to perform on the stage.
Appearing in productions on the major stages of London, as well as major regional
theatres throughout England, Graves appeared in a blend of contemporary dramas and
comedies, as well as the classics. This included such plays as Candida, Amadeus, The
Importance of Being Ernest, ‘Tis Pity She’s a Whore, A Midsummer Night’s Dream,
Design For Living, HurlyBurly, The Iceman Cometh, The Caretaker, and A Woman of No
Importance, among others. New York audiences were able to see Graves on stage when
he appeared on Broadway in a highly acclaimed production of The Closer, as well as a
revival of The Elephant Man.
Recently Graves completed production on the features Intervention, a comedy for
director Mary McGuckian co-starring with Charles Dance, Andie McDowell and Colm
Feore and director Frank Oz’s dark comedy Death At A Funeral, co-starring with
Matthew McFadyen and Peter Dinklage.
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THERESA LEE (Ting Ting)
Hong Kong based film and television actress and host Theresa Lee portrays Ting Ting in
RHI Entertainment’s miniseries Son of the Dragon. An accomplished sword master and
companion to the Princess, Lee’s Ting Ting, masquerading as a man, is sent along to
keep D.B. out of trouble as he and the other suitors compete in challenges designed to
determine who will marry the Princess.
While Lee spent most of her growing up years in Canada, where she also attended
university, she returned to Hong Kong upon graduation. Deciding to compete in the Miss
Hong Kong Pageant, Lee was 2nd Runner Up and soon began working as an actress and
host.
Lee began in supporting roles in such films as What A Wonderful World, as well as
Who’s the Woman, Who’s The Man, and Intimates. She was soon cast in leading roles in
films including Love is Not A Game, But A Joke, as well as Timeless Romance, Love and
Let Live, The Poet, and Déjà Vu. Film audiences more recently saw Lee starring in When
I Fall in Love, and Lunch With Charles.
In addition to many television appearances as an actress and host in Hong Kong and other
Asian markets, Lee had a principal role on the sci-fi series, Stargate SG-1, as well as
guest starring on the series Beggars and Choosers.
As a host, Lee was the master of ceremonies for the CMG Asia Prize Ceremony and was
Honorary Ambassador for Hong Kong Expo-Asia ’99. She was also a reporter at the
2000 Olympic Games in Sydney for TVB Hong Kong.
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EDDY KO (Lord Shing)
Known for his intense characters, this film and television actor portrays military
commander and advisor Lord Shing in RHI Entertainment’s miniseries The Son of the
Dragon. While he answers to the ruling Governor, Ko’s Lord Shing is a man of
questionable loyalties and ethics.
With more than 60 feature film credits and 1000+ hours worth of work in television
series, miniseries and movies, Ko, who splits his time between Canada and Hong Kong
has amassed an impressive list of leading and supporting lead roles in his 33-year career.
Many audiences know him for his menacing villainous roles in such classics as Ching Siu
Tung’s Death to the Duel; Hitman in the Hand of Buddha with Hwang Jang Lee; Ronny
Yu’s The Postman Fights Back, and his The Bride With White Hair I & II; The Sleeping
Fist opposite Leung Kar Yan; director Tsui Hark’s early works The Butterfly Murders
and We’re Going to Eat You, among others. He also portrayed a mob boss in Johnnie
To’s action film, The Mission.
Starring in director John Woo’s first war film, the Vietnam drama Heroes Shed No Tears,
Ko showed his sympathetic side. Another memorable good guy role was in Yuen Wo
Ping’s The Miracle Fighters. Ko worked opposite Mel Gibson and Danny Glover in
Lethal Weapon IV, the international hit comedic action film franchise. Ko was under
contract to Hong Kong’s famous Shaw Brothers from 1970 through 1986. He recently
completed the features The Counting House, a mystery thriller and the action-packed
Lethal Ninja.
Ko’s 1000+ television hours came about in part by being a contract actor with two Hong
Kong TV powerhouses – A.T.V. from 1987 through 1990 and T.V.B. from 1990 through
1996. His television projects include Fist of Fury, King of Gambler, Legend of Dagger
Lee, Police Cadet II and Who is the Winner, among many others. Ko recently appeared
in the series The Gentle Crackdown.
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GOVERNOR USHI (Kay Tong Lim)
Singaporean film, television and stage actor Kay Tong Lim portrays the Governor in RHI
Entertainment’s miniseries Son of the Dragon. As the benevolent leader of the region,
Lim’s Governor is a trusting man, striving to do what is best for his daughter Princess Li
Wei, and all his people. He is unaware that his own military advisor Lord Shing is
conspiring with others to disrupt his reign.
Balancing his work in film and television with his stage work as an actor, as well as a
founder and director of the Singapore-based Theatreworks theatre company, Lim has
amassed a large list of credits in all three mediums. Holding a Bachelor of Arts with
honors in drama from Hull University in England, Lim also has a diploma in acting from
the Webber-Douglas Academy of Dramatic Arts in London. His credits encompass
Asian based productions, as well as many produced through North America and the
United Kingdom.
His feature film roles include director Dijinn Ong’s Perth; A Sharp Pencil for director
Gallen Mei; portraying the chief investigating detective opposite Kate Beckinsale and
Claire Danes in Jonathan Kaplan’s drug-smuggling crime drama, Brokedown Palace;
director Rob Cohen’s biopic, Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story; the romantic comedy, It
Could Happen to You, starring Nicolas Cage and Bridget Fonda; Christopher Crowe’s Off
Limits; director Jim Godard’s Shanghai Surprise; among others.
Television audiences worldwide have seen Lim’s work in such projects as the HBO
television movie, A Bright Shining Lie; reuniting with director Rob Cohen on his
television movie, Vanishing Son; guest-starring on the long-running hit sleuth series,
Murder She Wrote, starring Angela Lansbury; guest-starring on Christopher Crowe’s
series, H.E.L.P.; appearing on the Australian mystery series Ruth Rendall Mystery: The
Speaker of Mandarin; the WWII miniseries, Tanamera: Lion of Singapore; and the epic
miniseries, James Clavell’s Noble House. Lim was also a series regular as Charlie Tay
Wee Kiat for six seasons on the Singaporean television series, Growing Up. He also
appeared on the sci-fi series Flatland and the comedy series Brand New Towkay. Lim
acted as a narrator and presenter for True Files as well as doing narration for TAB TV.
In addition to his Theatreworks company, Lim has appeared on various stages in
Singapore and throughout Asia, as well as Hong Kong, England, Scotland, and the
United States. He has worked with directors David Henry Hwang, Kuo Pao Kun, and
Ong Keng Sen on a number of occasions. Among the plays Lim has starred in include
Origins, FOB, Dance and the Railroad, The Coffin Is Too Big For The Hole, No Parking
On Odd Days, Art, Longing, House of Sleeping Beauties, Sansho the Bailif, Heavenly
Bento, and Quills.
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NITIN GANATRA (Prince of India)
British film, television, theatre and radio actor Nitin Ganatra portrays the Prince of India
in RHI Entertainment’s miniseries Son of the Dragon. From a faraway land, Ganatra’s
Prince of India seems a worthy suitor for the hand of the Princess Li Wei. However,
once the challenges begin, it is apparent he’s out of the running against D.B. and Prince
of the North.
As a film actor, audiences have seen Ganatra in a wide array of film comedies and
dramas. He portrayed Prince Pondicherry in Tim Burton’s hit remake of Charlie and the
Chocolate Factory, starring Johnny Depp. He has also worked with such directors as
Mike Leigh on his Oscar® nominated Secrets and Lies, and Antony Minghella in Truly,
Madly, Deeply. He co-starred in the international hit, Bride and Prejudice, for director
Gurinder Chadha, and most recently appeared in Paul Mayeda Berges’s Mistress of
Spices. Additional film credits include the lead in Shani Grewal’s Guru in Seven, as well
as Our Charley, Stag, Pure, Chess, Piccadilly Jim, and Color Me Kubrick, among others.
Ganatra’s television credits include series, movies for television and miniseries.
Beginning with a role in This Life for director Joy Perino, he has amassed an impressive
and extensive list of roles. Upon wrapping his role in Son of the Dragon, Ganatra went
on to film Shadow In The North for director John Alexander. He also recently guest
starred in an episode of The Bill for Sallie Aprahamian, a director for whom he worked
with early in his television career when he appeared in Extremely Dangerous. Other
television projects for Ganatra include New Street Law, the In At The Death episode of
the anthology series, Twisted Tales, Jane Hall’s Big Bad Bus Ride, Indian Dreams,
Canterbury Tales, Silent Witness, Second Generation, Me and Mrs. Jones, The Jury, and
Murder In Mind, among many others.
Continuing to work in theatre amidst his roles in front of the camera, Ganatra has
appeared in productions at national, London West End and key regional and repertory
theatres throughout the United Kingdom, including the National Theatre, the Young Vic,
Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC), and the Edinburgh Festival. His credits run the
range from contemporary to classical drama and comedy, including The Sanctuary; To
the Green Fields Beyond, with director Sam Mendes; Blessings; a number of projects
with director Tim Supple, including As I Lay Dying, Twelfth Night and The Jungle Book;
Les Enfants Du Paradis for Simon Callow; MacBeth; a one man show, I Am Not
India/Kiwi for director David Ellis; Animal Farm; Yobbo Nowt; The Bacchae and
Turandot, both at the Edinburgh Festival; and a national tour of another one man show,
Testimonial, for director Gareth Evans.
Ganatra also has performed a number of radio plays for BBC Radio and other production
companies and networks. Having graduated with a Bachelor of Arts with Honors in
Drama, Film and Television from Bristol University, he also trained in Kabuki, mime and
experimental dance. Additional performing arts studies have taken him to Italy, the
London School of Capoiera, as well as the Attakaalari Winter School in Kerala, India,
specializing in Karnatc Vocals and Kalaripayat (an Indian Martial Arts Form). Ganatra
has also taught acting in various schools and theatre companies, including Aspect and the
Black Mime Theatre Company.
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MICHAEL CHOW (Bo)
Canadian-born and based in Hong Kong where he launched his film career, Michael
Chow, also credited as Michael Chow Man-Kin, portrays Bo in the RHI Entertainment
miniseries Son of the Dragon. Though many of his portrayals have emphasized his
physical strengths and leading man persona, his characterization of Bo is of a different
sort. Self-important, but a fiercely devoted member of Princess Li Wei’s court, Bo is
over-protective, humorous, and highly opinionated.
Growing up in Canada, where he graduated from York University of Toronto with a
degree in psychology, Chow made the decision to move to Hong Kong and pursue an
acting career. Although his Cantonese language skills were limited and he was only in
the early stages of training as an actor when he arrived in Hong Kong. Chow began
working in film and worked his way up the ladder. He has subsequently gone on to star
in more than 30 features and his overall film credits total more than 80.
Chow made his feature debut with a role in director Philip Chen’s comedy Chocolate
Inspector. In addition to his extensive list of acting credits, Chow has also written,
produced, and directed some of the projects he’s acted in. In the comedy Kung Phooey!,
Chow not only starred, but produced the film as well. For the film Mr. Mumble, he
served as star, producer, writer, and co-director. For Spirit of the Dragon, he again multitasked as star, writer and co-director on the project. More recent feature acting credits
include The Era of the Vampire aka Tsui Hark’s Vampire Hunters, Dou Hap Yi Yan Ding
Sing Tin, Mint Condition and Snakeheads. Earlier credits include Forever Yours, Enjoy
Yourself Tonight, Asian Connection, Thief King, and He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother,
among many others.
While Son of the Dragon marks Chow’s first American television miniseries, he has
appeared in such Chinese based projects as Tou Du aka Human Cargo, a story on illegal
immigration, as well as the television movie Love In Shanghai, among others. Chow
will also co-star in another dramatic adventure miniseries, Marco Polo, for RHI
Entertainment and the producing team behind Son of the Dragon. Production for the new
miniseries began only weeks after Dragon wrapped principal photography.
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II. SON OF THE DRAGON – Production Biographies
DAVID WU - Director and Editor
Son of the Dragon marks the latest collaboration with RHI Entertainment for David Wu.
Dating back to Snow Queen, starring Bridget Fonda, and most recently on another fantasy
miniseries, Merlin’s Apprentice, starring Dragon’s John Reardon, as well as Sam Neill
and Miranda Richardson, this new project reunites him with the same producing team for
a third time. A prolific director, editor, producer, actor, and writer, Wu first established
his name as a creative force in his native Hong Kong. He made his move to North
America more than a decade ago and has continued to use his impressive talents in the
film and television industry. Son of the Dragon afforded Wu the opportunity to shoot a
project on the Chinese mainland.
Amassing an impressive number of film credits behind and in front of the camera during
his Hong Kong years, Wu’s work is well known to Chinese audiences. These projects
include the fantasy romance The Bride With White Hair II (Bai Fa Mo Nu Zhuan II), the
drama Once A Black Sheep (Ca Mong Ving Xiong), and the action comedy caper Spy
Games (Shong Ri Nan Bei He), all of which he directed and co-wrote. Other directing
credits include From Zero To Hero (Luan Shi Chao Ren), about a fighter pilot’s lifetime
of war and peace. His projects have featured such internationally-known Chinese cinema
stars as Chow Yun-Fat and Maggie Leong, among many others. Wu also has numerous
credits as an editor and actor from his years of working in Hong Kong.
Once he moved to North America, Wu’s multiple talents as a filmmaker were quickly
recognized and his credit list continued to grow. He teamed with longtime collaborator
John Woo on his television series Once A Thief, as both director and editor. He directed
the television movie/pilot of Largo Winch, the pilot/premiere episode of Adventure Inc.,
working with producer Gale Ann Hurd, and The Shannon Lee Project pilot for CarseyWerner Productions. He has directed episodes of such television series as Missing
(formerly known as 1-800 Missing), G-Spot, The Coven, Tracker, The Associates,
Freedom, Relic Hunter, and Power Play. He also directed the television movie Plague
City for Lions Gate/CTV. As he did during his Hong Kong years, Wu has amassed
numerous credits for his editing work on features and television projects.
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ROBERT HALMI, SR. - Executive Producer
Robert Halmi, Sr., of RHI Entertainment, LLC (formerly Hallmark Entertainment, LLC),
is described in his 1999 Peabody Award citation as "perhaps the last of the great network
television impresarios." TV Guide calls him "TV's master showman." These and other
descriptions sit comfortably on the shoulders of one of the industry's most prolific and
respected producers; a man who, in little more than two decades, has created a signature
niche in the television business, producing quality, family-friendly long form
entertainment.
Halmi has produced nearly 200 television films, miniseries and motion pictures,
including five-time Emmy Award winning The Josephine Baker Story, Gypsy (Bette
Midler), Mr. and Mrs. Bridge (Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward) and Gulliver's Travels
(Ted Danson and Mary Steenburgen), another winner of five Emmy Awards.
More recently Halmi was honored by Reed MIDEM with a Lifetime Achievement Award
at the 2004 MIPTV international market in Cannes, France. While there, he received the
city of Cannes’ Palme D’Or, from the Mayor of Cannes, Bernard Brochand, at a special
event held in his honor at the Villa Domergue. That same week he was also was named
Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Letters by the French government, the country’s
highest honor in the fields of art and culture.
Robert Halmi's "event" productions include Arabian Nights (Rufus Sewell, Dougray
Scott, John Leguizamo, Mili Avital), Alice in Wonderland (Tina Majorino, Martin Short,
Miranda Richardson), Cleopatra (Leonor Varela, Billy Zane, Timothy Dalton),
Dostoevsky’s Crime & Punishment (Ben Kingsley, Patrick Dempsey), Don Quixote (John
Lithgow, Bob Hoskins, Vanessa Williams, Isabella Rossellini), In Cold Blood (Anthony
Edwards, Eric Roberts, Sam Neill), Jason and the Argonauts (Jason London, Dennis
Hopper, Frank Langella), Merlin (Sam Neill, Isabella Rossellini, Martin Short, Miranda
Richardson), Moby Dick (Patrick Stewart, Gregory Peck), Noah's Ark (Jon Voight, Mary
Steenburgen, F. Murray Abraham) The Odyssey (Armand Assante, Greta Scaachi), and
The 10th Kingdom (John Larroquette, Scott Coen, Kimberly Williams).
Triumphs from recent seasons include the Emmy Award® winning and technically
groundbreaking Dinotopia, Animal Farm (Pete Postlethwaite, with the voices of Patrick
Stewart, Kelsey Grammer, Ian Holm), Dreamkeeper (August Schellenberg), King of
Texas (Patrick Stewart, Marcia Gay Harden), The Prince and the Pauper (Aidan Quinn),
and Snow White: The Fairest of Them All (Miranda Richardson).
2004 was truly a benchmark year, ushering in several major Halmi productions including
the highly acclaimed The Lion in Winter (Glenn Close, Patrick Stewart) for Showtime, a
musical version of A Christmas Carol (Kelsey Grammer, Jason Alexander, Jesse L.
Martin) for NBC, Mitch Albom’s The Five People You Meet in Heaven (John Voight, Jeff
Daniels, Ellen Burstyn, Michael Imperioli) for ABC, and Legend of Earthsea (Isabella
Rossellini, Danny Glover, Shawn Ashmore, Kristin Kruek) for The Sci Fi Channel. In
2005-06, Halmi continued to churn out epic dramas including Human Trafficking (Mira
Sorvino, Donald Sutherland) for Lifetime and The Ten Commandments (Dougray Scott,
Omar Sharif, Naveen Andrews) for ABC, as well as Merlin’s Apprentice (Sam Neill,
Miranda Richardson, John Reardon), a sequel to the hit miniseries Merlin, and the sci-fi
thriller Final Days of Planet Earth (Daryl Hannah, Gil Bellows, Campbell Scott).
The Hungarian-born Halmi was active in the anti-Nazi underground in World War II, and
later was arrested by the Communists when they took over the country. He came to the
U.S. in 1950 and worked for many years as an award-winning photographer for Life
Magazine. In 1994, Halmi sold his company, RHI Entertainment, to Hallmark Cards and
in January 2006 Halmi Sr. together with his son, Robert Halmi Jr. and affiliates Kelso &
Company, acquired all ownership interest in Hallmark Entertainment LLC and relaunched the company as RHI Entertainment, LLC.
Halmi and RHI Entertainment continued their collaboration with the Son of the Dragon
producers on another miniseries, Marco Polo. Production commenced only weeks after
principal photography wrapped on Dragon.
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ROBERT HALMI, JR. – Executive Producer
Emmy Award winner Robert Halmi Jr. currently serves as President of RHI
Entertainment, LLC (formerly Hallmark Entertainment, LLC). His career as a film
producer began in 1980 with Wilson's Reward, which garnered numerous awards,
including a gold medal at the Houston Film Festival. He has produced more than 100
movies and miniseries for television, including Dreamkeeper, Dinotopia, Arabian Nights,
The 10th Kingdom, Cleopatra, Alice in Wonderland, The Baby Dance, and Lonesome
Dove, which earned seven Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe for Best Miniseries.
Recent Halmi, Jr. “event” productions include Earthsea, Mitch Albom’s The Five People
You Meet in Heaven, King Solomon’s Mines, La Femme Musketeer, Frankenstein,
Frederick Forsyth’s Icon, Supernova, Mysterious Island and The Poseidon Adventure.
In 1984, at age 26, Halmi Jr. became President of RHI Entertainment Inc. (RHI) a
publicly traded entertainment company founded by his father. In 1994, RHI was sold to
Hallmark Cards Inc. and Halmi Jr. became President and CEO of Hallmark
Entertainment, the successor to RHI. For over the past decade, Hallmark Entertainment
has remained the largest supplier of movies and miniseries in the television industry,
garnering more Emmy nominations for television movies than any other production
company in the history of television. Under Halmi Jr’s guidance, Hallmark
Entertainment produced over 2,000 hours of television programming. These shows
received 448 Emmy nominations and garnered 103 Emmy Awards.
From 1994-2005, Hallmark Entertainment provided four of the top five highest rated US
miniseries and movies made for television, including 2004’s highest rated original movie,
Mitch Albom’s The Five People You Meet in Heaven. Hallmark Entertainment
productions have also topped the ratings charts of the major basic cable networks,
Earthsea for SciFi Channel (their highest rated miniseries in 2005), Single Santa Seeks
Mrs. Claus for Hallmark Channel (highest rated in the history of the network at the time),
and most recently Lifetime television with Human Trafficking, the highest rated
miniseries on basic cable for 2005.
In 1995, Halmi Jr. was instrumental in forming Crown Media Holdings, Inc., which owns
and operates pay television channels across the globe dedicated to high quality, broad
appeal, entertainment programming. In 2000, Crown Media went public on the Nasdaq
stock exchange. To date, Crown Media has launched channels in more than 122 countries
and in 25 languages.
In January 2006, Halmi Jr. along with members of senior management and affiliates
Kelso & Company, a private investment firm, acquired all the ownership interest in
Hallmark Entertainment, LLC (a wholly owned subsidiary of Hallmark Cards) and relaunched the company as RHI Entertainment, LLC.
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UWE SCHOTT – Executive Producer
A prolific producer of television movies and features in his native Germany, Uwe
Schott’s credits also include English-language projects. Son of the Dragon marks the
first collaboration for Schott with RHI Entertainment, executive producer Robert Halmi,
Sr., producers Matthew O’Connor, Michael O’Connor, and Shan Tam.
German audiences best know Schott for his work as producer of Verbrechen des
Professor Capellari, a continuing series of television movies. These crime dramas center
on the sleuthing skills of title character Professor Viktor Capellari, portrayed by Friedrich
Von Thun. With a total of 15 movies to date, they began with 1998’s Verbrechen des
Capellari: Still ruht der See, Die, with the most recent outing being 2004’s Verbrechen
des Professor Capellari: Der letze Vorhang, Die.
Schott has also produced such English-language features as the family action adventure
Catch That Kid, directed by Bart Freundlich and the romantic comedy Venus and Mars,
co-starring Lynn Redgrave, Michael Weatherly, and Julie Bowen. Schott also produced
the television movie Hart to Hart: Til Death Us Do Part. Starring Stefanie Powers and
Robert Wagner, audiences had the opportunity to enjoy a new crime solving adventure
with the wealthy, glamorous Harts, as they did throughout the run of their popular 1980’s
television series, Hart to Hart.
Among Schott’s other projects are the German features Cowgirl, Half Past Dead
(Halbtot), Ukulele Blues and Deadly Measures (Im Sog Des Bosen). He also executive
produced the German television series Typisch Sophie.
Schott continued his collaboration with RHI Entertainment and the Son of the Dragon
producing team on another dramatic adventure miniseries, Marco Polo. Principal
photography began only weeks after production wrapped on Dragon.
MATTHEW O’CONNOR – Producer
Veteran filmmaker Matthew O’Connor, whose credits include award winning feature
films, television movies, miniseries and music videos, marks a decade of association with
Robert Halmi, Sr. and RHI Entertainment with his production of Son of the Dragon. This
latest miniseries began its early pre-production phase while O’Connor and Halmi, Sr.
were collaborating on two miniseries shot back-to-back during the summer and fall of
2005 – the fantasy adventure Merlin’s Apprentice and the science-fiction thriller Final
Days of Planet Earth. During his 25 years in the film industry he has worked his way
through the production ranks to become a leading producer and film executive. He is
also a Partner in the production and financing company Reunion Pictures.
With early credits as production manager and assistant director to his name, by the mid
1980’s O’Connor had formed Metro Pictures International, which produced music videos
for Long John Baldry, Poisoned, and numerous others performing artists. Metro won two
West Coast music awards for best video and went on to produce a feature presentation for
The Canadian Pavilion at Expo ’86 in Vancouver, B.C.
O’Connor later founded Pacific Motion Pictures (PMP), which became one of Canada’s
largest and most respected motion pictures companies producing more that 80 films with
combined production budgets of $750 million. PMP later joined forces with other
entertainment powerhouses to form Sextant Entertainment Group, a diversified media
group in Vancouver B.C. where O’Connor spent two years as president of Sextant before
becoming Chairman of the Board of Directors.
Having produced more than 100 hours of long form television, O’Connor’s projects have
garnered numerous award nominations and wins. He received the prestigious Peabody
Award for the television movie The Baby Dance (1998), produced in partnership with
Jodie Foster’s Egg Pictures. His television movies and miniseries have garnered him
nominations for the Emmys®, Golden Globes®, Genies® (Canadian Oscars), and
Gemini Awards® (Canadian Emmys). In 2003, O’Connor won the Gemini for Best
Television Movie/Miniseries for the docudrama 100 Days in the Jungle.
The first collaboration between O’Connor and Hallmark Entertainment was the television
movie Captains Courageous, starring Robert Urich in 1996. O’Connor was nominated
for a Gemini Award ® for producing and the project won in the categories of costume
design and photography. Son of the Dragon marks the twelfth project O’Connor has
produced with Robert Halmi, Sr. and was his first experience of filming in mainland
China. Earlier miniseries and television movies collaborations for O’Connor and Halmi,
Sr. include Earthsea, Dreamkeeper, The Colt, Snow White: The Fairest of Them All,
Aftershock: Earthquake in New York, Voyage of the Unicorn, and Snow Queen.
In the area of theatrical features, O’Connor has produced films for such major studios as
Columbia Pictures, Metro Goldwyn Mayer and Tri-Star. Magic In the Water, a fantasy
adventure starring Mark Harmon and Joshua Jackson won Genie Awards in sound and
cinematography. Other films include Kiss The Sky starring William Petersen and Gary
Cole, the comedy thriller Masterminds with a cast headed by Patrick Stewart, the
romantic drama Bliss starring Craig Sheffer, Sheryl Lee and Terence Stamp, and A Boy
Called Hate, starring James Caan and Elliott Gould.
As he did when producing Merlin’s Apprentice and Final Days of Planet Earth last year,
O’Connor again has back-to-back projects with Halmi, Sr. and RHI Entertainment.
Another China-based adventure miniseries, Marco Polo, began production only weeks
after principal photography wrapped on Son of the Dragon.
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MICHAEL O’CONNOR – Producer
Michael O’Connor is a 30-year veteran of the entertainment business with a wide range
of experience that has carried him well into becoming one of Vancouver’s most sought
after producers. His collaboration with executive producer Robert Halmi, Sr. and RHI
Entertainment on the Son of the Dragon miniseries marks the eighth time they have
worked together. The pre-production phase on the project began while O’Connor and
Halmi, Sr. were collaborating on two miniseries shot back-to-back during the summer
and fall of 2005 – the fantasy adventure Merlin’s Apprentice and the science-fiction
thriller Final Days of Planet Earth.
O’Connor began his career in the art department of numerous acclaimed theater and film
productions and went on to become one of the top set decorators in western Canada. His
credits in this area include the Oscar® winning dramas The Accused, starring Jodie Foster
and Children of a Lesser God, starring Marlee Matlin and William Hurt. He worked on a
number of feature films, television series and movies for television, including Knight
Moves, Palace Guard, Dead Ahead: The Exxon Valdez Disaster, Sin and Redemption,
and Don’t Talk to Strangers. For his work as set decorator on TriStar’s adventure fantasy
feature Magic In the Water, starring Mark Harmon and Joshua Jackson, O’Connor was
nominated for a Genie Award® (Canadian Oscars).
By the mid 1990’s, O’Connor made the transition into producing, starting as an associate
producer on the comedy thriller feature Masterminds, with a cast headlined by Patrick
Stewart. He began building a reputation for his expertise in post-production, particularly
those with complex visual effects. His first project with Robert Halmi, Sr. was serving as
post-production supervisor on Snow White: The Fairest of the Them All. As a producer,
O’Connor’s other collaborations with Halmi, Sr. include the miniseries Earthsea, Voyage
of the Unicorn, Aftershock: Earthquake in New York, and Snow Queen. The various
projects O’Connor has produced over his 30 years in the industry have garnered
numerous Emmy®, Genie® and Gemini® (Canadian Emmys) nominations.
As he did when producing Merlin’s Apprentice and Final Days of Planet Earth last year,
O’Connor is once again producing back-to-back miniseries with Halmi, Sr. and RHI
Entertainment. Another China-based adventure miniseries, Marco Polo, began
production only weeks after principal photography wrapped on Son of the Dragon.
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SHAN TAM – Producer
Born in Hong Kong and living in Canada, producer Shan Tam has been active in film and
television on both sides of the Pacific for two decades. Her work has earned her multiple
awards and numerous nominations. Son of the Dragon marks her first collaboration with
RHI Entertainment, executive producers Robert Halmi, Sr. and Uwe Schott, and
producers Matthew O’Connor and Michael O’Connor.
Tam recently produced Julia Kwan’s inaugural feature, Eve and the Fire Horse, which
was awarded a Special Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival. The film has also
appeared at other festivals throughout the world and has won several other awards.
A solid working relationship with Asian producers afforded Tam the opportunity to
produce the first feature co-production between Canada and Hong Kong with Young
Offenders in 1993. She also produced the second co-production between the two nations
with the feature Lunch With Charles. The film garnered a Genie Award® (Canadian
Oscars) nomination and won three Leo Awards (awarding excellence in film and
television for projects produced in British Columbia). For producing the one-hour
documentary Made In China, Tam was the recipient of the Canada Award at the 16th
annual Gemini Awards® (Canadian Emmys). She also recently produced the
documentaries Call It Karma and Hong Kong Express, both shot primarily in Asia.
Tam continues to promote film cultures across the Pacific. She was on the advisory
committee for Telefilm Canada and BC Film to develop Canada Asia co-productions. In
1999, she organized a Canadian Film Showcase which sold-out at the Shanghai
International Film Festival. Tam co-organized two national tours of the Chinese Film
Festival and served as a committee member for the Chinese Cultural Centre organizing
their annual film festival.
Over the years, Tam has line produced a number of international film productions
including Uwe Boll’s upcoming epic fantasy Dungeon Siege, Jackie Chan’s blockbuster
movie Rumble In The Bronx, and Andy Lau’s Savior Of The Soul II. She has worked
with such acclaimed film talent as Michelle Yeoh, Chow Yun-Fat, Yuen Wo-Ping, and
Cory Yuen. Her projects have taken her to numerous countries in Europe, Asia, North
and Central America.
Tam continued her collaboration with RHI Entertainment and the Son of the Dragon
producing team on another dramatic adventure miniseries, Marco Polo. Principal
photography began only weeks after production wrapped on Dragon.
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JACQUELINE FEATHER – Writer
Having compiled a number of television movies and animated feature film credits cowritten with partner David Seidler, Son of the Dragon marks the first time Jacqueline
Feather has worked with RHI Entertainment. The project is also her first television
miniseries.
Feather’s credits, all co-written with Seidler, began with the television movie, Malice In
Wonderland. Based on the book by George Eells, the project depicted the famous feud
between gossip queens Louella Parsons and Hedda Hopper during Hollywood’s golden
era, and starred Elizabeth Taylor and Jane Alexander. Her next project was the television
biopic Onassis: The Richest Man in the World, based on the book by Peter Evans and
starring Anthony Quinn in the title role as well as co-starring Jane Seymour, Raul Julia
and Francesca Annis. Among her other television movie projects are the war drama My
Father, My Son, starring Keith Carradine and Karl Malden; Who’s Child is This? The
War For Baby Jessica, based on a true story and starring Susan Dey, David Keith and
Amanda Plummer; Dancing in the Dark, starring Victoria Principal; Goldrush: A Real
Alaskan Adventure, starring Alyssa Milano and Bruce Campbell; Time To Say Goodbye,
a family drama starring Eva Marie Saint and Richard Kiley; the military drama Lies He
Told, starring Gary Cole; and By Dawn’s Early Light, starring Richard Crenna and David
Carradine.
In the area of animated feature films, Feather and Seidler co-wrote Quest For Camelot
(aka The Magic Sword: Quest for Camelot) and The King and I, based on the classic
musical adaptation by writer Oscar Hammerstein II of the novel Anna and the King of
Siam by Margaret Landon. The writing team also wrote the teleplay and story for the
Italian television movie Soraya.
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DAVID SEIDLER – Writer
Partnered with co-writer Jacqueline Feather, Son of the Dragon marks the first project
David Seidler has written for RHI Entertainment. It is also the team’s first miniseries. In
addition to a number of television movies and animated feature film credits co-written
with Feather, Seidler also collaborated with Arthur Schulman to write the screenplay for
the feature film, Tucker: The Man and His Dreams. Directed by Francis Ford Coppola
and starring Jeff Bridges as the title character, the biographical film tells the story of
maverick automaker Preston Tucker and his ultimately failed attempt to compete with the
major auto companies.
Seidler’s credits, co-written with Feather began with the television movie Malice In
Wonderland. Based on the book by George Eells, the project depicted the famous feud
between gossip queens Louella Parsons and Hedda Hopper during Hollywood’s golden
era and starred Elizabeth Taylor and Jane Alexander. His next project was the television
biopic Onassis: The Richest Man in the World, based on the book by Peter Evans and
starring Anthony Quinn in the title role as well as co-starring Jane Seymour, Raul Julia,
and Francesca Annis. Among his other television movie projects are the war drama My
Father, My Son, starring Keith Carradine and Karl Malden; Who’s Child is This? The
War For Baby Jessica, based on the true story and starring Susan Dey, David Keith and
Amanda Plummer; Dancing in the Dark, starring Victoria Principal; Goldrush: A Real
Alaskan Adventure, starring Alyssa Milano and Bruce Campbell; Time To Say Goodbye,
a family drama starring Eva Marie Saint and Richard Kiley; the military drama Lies He
Told, starring Gary Cole; and By Dawn’s Early Light, starring Richard Crenna and David
Carradine.
In the area of animated feature films, Feather and Seidler co-wrote Quest For Camelot
(aka The Magic Sword: Ouest for Camelot) and The King and I, based on the classic
musical adaptation by writer Oscar Hammerstein II of the novel Anna and the King of
Siam by Margaret Landon. The writing team also wrote the teleplay and story for the
Italian television movie Soraya.
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ZHENZHOU YI - Production Designer
Known for his production design work on an array of Chinese television series and
features, Zhenzhou Yi is working with RHI Entertainment for the first time on Son of the
Dragon. The project also marks Yi’s first time working on an English language
television miniseries.
Film audiences worldwide saw Yi’s designs when the Chinese feature Hero (also
released in the United States as Quentin Tarantino Presents Hero), directed by Zhang
Yimou, had a major international release. The action drama starred Jet Li, Tony Leung,
Maggie Cheung, and Ziyi Zhang. The film was awarded as Best Film at the Hong Kong
Film Awards and the Golden Rooster Prize at the Chinese Film Festival. Another
international hit film featuring Yi’s designs was The Emperor and the Assassin, directed
by Chen Kaige. The film received a Technical and Artistic Contribution Prize from the
venerable Cannes Film Festival and was another Golden Rooster Prize winner from the
Chinese Film Festival.
Yi’s work can also be seen in the feature film period war drama depicting 15th to 17th
century Japan, Battle of Wits, directed by Zhang Zhiliang. His credits in the television
area include a number of Chinese language television series including Jing Guang Chang
Ge, Storm in the Qing Dynasty, The Precious Horse, Romantic Stories, The Lonesome
Guard, The First Emperor, The Year of the Great Exam, Chronicles of the East Zhou,
Empress Wu, The Illegal Immigrant Lady, and The Heir of the Great Yu.
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THOMAS CHONG - Costume Designer
Having designed costumes for numerous major features produced in China and starring
some of the biggest names in Asian cinema, Thomas Chong brings his talents to RHI
Entertainment’s, Son of the Dragon. This marks Chong’s first English language
television miniseries.
Chong’s costume designs have appeared in such features and television projects as The
Touch, directed by Peter Pao and starring Michelle Yeoh; Fearless, directed by Ronnie
Yu and starring Jet Li; The Myth, directed by Stanley Tong and starring Jackie Chan;
Armour of God II, directed by and starring Jackie Chan; Who Am I, co-directed by Jackie
Chan and Benny Chan; three Ringo Lim directed projects – School on Fire, Wild Search,
Undeclared War; Better Tomorrow III, directed by Tsui Hark and starring Chow Yun
Fat; among others.
For The Legend of Zu, another Tsui Hark feature, in addition to the costumes, Chong also
was the production designer and was awarded a Golden Horse Award. He also received a
nomination for his production design work on Hark’s Green Snake, starring Maggie
Cheung, and another nomination for his design work on Waiting Alone for director
Dayyan Eng.
A graduate from Hong Kong Polytechnic, having majored in commercial design, Chong
worked as an art director and creative director at major international advertising agencies.
He served as Image Director for such organizations and programs as Brain Child
Productions, ATV’s Miss Asia Beauty Pageant, the Future Idol singing contest, and
Guangzhou’s Oriental Paradise Theme Park. Chong continues to provide his image
consulting services to a wide array of clubs, restaurants and cafes throughout China.
As with others on the Son of the Dragon production team, Chong worked back-to-back
for RHI Entertainment on another adventure miniseries, Marco Polo. Production on the
second project began only weeks after principal photography wrapped on Dragon.
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TOM BURSTYN - Director of Photography
For his work on the miniseries Son of the Dragon, Tom Burstyn was reunited with the
producing team he worked with as director of photography on another RHI Entertainment
miniseries, Final Days of Planet Earth. His collaboration on that contemporary science
fiction thriller marked the first time that the company or executive producer Robert
Halmi, Sr. and producers Matthew O’Connor and Michael O’Connor had completely shot
on the high definition video format, or HD as it is commonly known in the industry. Son
of the Dragon marks the second project shot on HD. Based in Vancouver, B.C., Canada,
Burstyn is known as one of the premier cinematographers working with the HD process,
as well as for his extensive body of work using traditional film cameras.
Beginning with a documentary short Flash William, which he also directed, Burstyn was
on his way to amassing an impressive list of credits in both feature films and television.
His first television project was the miniseries Tales of the Klondike. Other television
credits in this period included Broken Vows, Ford: The Man and the Machine, Foxfire,
Leap of Faith, Empire City, Silent Motive, A Child Lost Forever: The Jerry Sherwood
Story, and Hush Little Baby.
Early feature film credits for Burstyn include The Lost Tribe, Heavenly Bodies, Native
Son, La Grenouille et la Baleine (aka The Tadpole and the Whale), Arctic Blue, The
Lotus Eaters, Andre, and Exquisite Tenderness.
Burstyn collaborated with Son of the Dragon producer Matthew O’Connor on the feature,
Magic In The Water. Starring Mark Harmon and Joshua Jackson, the family fantasy film
was nominated for a number of Genie Awards® (Canadian Oscars), with Burstyn
winning as Best Cinematographer for his work on the project. His other feature credits
include Crying Freeman, City of Industry, Spooky House, Where the Money Is, La
Premiere Fois, Lost Junction, and The Boys and Girls from County Clare.
Additional television projects for Burstyn include Crazy Horse, Dead Silence, Peter
Benchley’s Creature, When Trumpets Fade (aka Hamburger Hill 2), A Marriage of
Convenience, The Girl Next Door, Deadlocked, All Souls, Walking Shadow, and Going to
the Mat.
Burstyn received an Emmy® nomination for his work on the series The 4400. He also
worked on the miniseries Terminal City, starring Final Days lead, Gil Bellows. He
recently worked on the horror thriller feature film Population 436. Upcoming projects
for Burstyn include the feature Oops, Ups and Downs: The Murder Mystery of Humpty
Dumpty.
As with others on the production team of Son of the Dragon, Burstyn worked back-toback on another adventure miniseries, Marco Polo, for RHI Entertainment. Principal
photography on the second project began only weeks after Dragon wrapped production.
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LEE WILSON - Visual Effects Supervisor
A long time collaborator with RHI Entertainment, executive producer Halmi, Sr. and
producers Matthew O’Connor and Michael O’Connor, the Son of the Dragon miniseries
is the latest project for Lee Wilson and his team at Anthem Visual Effects. Only months
before he began working on creating a myriad of 3-D environments and characters for the
mystical ancient Chinese world depicted in Dragon, Wilson was completing such visual
effects as a race of bug-like aliens masquerading in human form for the sci-fi thriller
Final Days of Planet Earth and a myriad of effects for the magical world of Camelot for
Merlin’s Apprentice, two miniseries shot back-to-back by the same producing team.
During his many years based in Vancouver, B.C., Canada, Wilson has amassed numerous
credits in the area of feature films and television movies, series, and miniseries. His first
project with producer Matthew O’Connor and executive producer Robert Halmi, Sr. dates
back to the television movie Captains Courageous. Over the years he has worked with
them on a number of projects, including Earthsea, for which he received an Emmy®
nomination. He won a Leo Award® (awarding excellence for film and television
produced in British Columbia) for his visual effects work on the miniseries. His other
projects with the producing team include Aftershock: Earthquake in New York, Voyage of
the Unicorn, Snow White: The Fairest of Them All, Mr. St. Nick and Snow Queen.
Wilson’s feature and television credits also include the series, Masters of Horror, the
miniseries 10.5, which also garnered him an Emmy® nomination, the series So Weird,
the features The Butterfly Effect 2, Wrongfully Accused, Mr. Magoo, and Free Willy 3:
The Rescue, among others. He is currently serving as visual effects supervisor and a
consulting producer on the upcoming television anthology series, Masters of Science
Fiction. Additional credits for Wilson as an effects supervisor include the films
Videodrome, The Fly, and Dead Ringers.
Wilson continued his collaboration with the Son of the Dragon production team and RHI
Entertainment, when he worked with them on their next adventure miniseries, Marco
Polo. Also filming in China, the new project began principal photography only weeks
after Dragon wrapped principal photography.
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