Wu, Gregorio
Posted: 17/09/2018, 3:25
Gregorio Wu was one the most prominent Asian actors working in Italy in the 1960s, appearing in countless films and fotoromanzi, though usually uncredited. Acting, however, was not his main profession as he was actually a very famous tenor.
His real name was Wu Pak Chiu and he was born in 1913 in Guangzhou, China. He graduated from the Shanghai Conservatory of Music in 1937 and in 1946 he left China and enrolled as a fourth year student at the Accademia di Santa Cecilia in Rome, graduating in 1948 at the top of his class. During the same period, he also studied as a private student with Beniamino Gigli, and he later sang in concert with Gigli and his daughter Rina.
After a performance as the tenor soloist in Bartok's Cantata profana at the Teatro Argentina in Rome in 1954, he was invited to sing in concert halls all around Europe and also on radio and television. As a tenor he sang under the name Gregorio Wu Pak Chiu.
During his time in Italy, he also ended up being an actor, appearing in many comedies with Totò and with Franco and Ciccio. He was also featured in various Eurospy films and also appeared in a long line of fotoromanzi. He was usually uncredited, even though several of the roles he played were fairly large.
In 1969, Gregorio returned to Hong Kong where he gave his final performance in a recital for the Lingnan University Alumni Association. After retiring from the concert stage, he spent his time teaching vocal and choral singing at various secondary schools.
Gregorio Wu died in Hong Kong on March 31, 1974 at the age of 61. He was survived by his wife and two daughters - one of whom was the actress Elisabeth Wu. She, too, had a career in films and fotoromanzi in Italy and often appeared together with her father.[1]
Filmography
- Camilla .... Department store customer (uncredited)
- La figlia di Mata Hari .... Prince Anak's trusted man / Japanese colonel (uncredited)
1958 - Ragazzi della marina .... Singing south sea island matriarch (credited as "Wu")
- The Quiet American .... Waiter at the Rendezvous club (uncredited)
1959 - Il moralista .... Chinese delegate (uncredited)
1960 - Apocalisse sul fiume giallo .... Nightclub customer (uncredited)
- It started in Naples .... Train passenger (uncredited)
- Sotto dieci bandiere .... Refugee-Prisoner (uncredited)
1961 - Akiko .... Japanese tourist (uncredited)
- Giallo club (TV series) - season 3, ep. 5: "Omicidio cieco" .... Ciang (credited)
- Giallo club (TV series) - season 4, ep. 7: "I conti non tornano" .... Ciang (credited)
- Giallo club (TV series) - season 4, ep. 8: "Il posto vuoto" .... Ciang (credited)
- Maciste alla corte del Gran Khan .... Courtier / Man from the temple (uncredited)
- Ragazzo al telefono (TV movie) .... Voyage office client (credited as "Gregorio Whu" in Radiocorriere TV - no pic)
- Romanoff and Juliet .... Chinese ambassador at the ball (uncredited)
- Totò, Peppino e... la dolce vita .... Party guest (uncredited)
1962 - 2 samurai per 100 geishe .... Japanese lieutenant (credited)
- Marco Polo .... Chef of Tia Balena (uncredited)
- Totò e Peppino divisi a Berlino .... Chinese agent (uncredited)
- Una tragedia americana (TV mini-series) .... Chinese death-row prisoner (credited)
1963 - Il successo .... The Contessa's butler (uncredited)
- Le ore dell'amore .... Party guest (uncredited)
- Totò contro i quattro .... Chen, the butler (uncredited)
1964 - 00-2 agenti segretissimi .... Chinese agent (uncredited)
- 2 mattacchioni al Moulin Rouge .... Opium dealer (uncredited)
- Antes llega la muerte / I sette del Texas .... Lin Chu (credited)
- Mondo balordo .... Spectator watching women wrestling (uncredited)
- Omicron .... Gala guest who is stripped by Omicron's powers (uncredited)
- The Visit .... Cook (uncredited)
1965 - Due mafiosi contro Goldginger .... Biscia's bodyguard (uncredited)
- Fantomas minaccia il mondo .... Policeman at the scientific international congress (uncredited)
- OSS 77 Operazione Fior di Loto .... Chinese agent (credited as "Wu Pak Chiu")
- Operazione Poker .... Yun Tao (credited as "Wu Gregorio")
1966 - Mark Donen - Agente Zeta 7 / Rembrandt 7 antwortet nicht .... Chinese agents chief
1967 - Il figlio di Django .... Bartender (uncredited)
1968 - Colpo sensazionale al servizio del Sifar .... Henchman (uncredited)
- Luana la figlia della foresta vergine .... Club manager (uncredited)
- Quella sporca storia nel West .... Bartender (uncredited)
- Samoa, la regina della giungla .... Mr. Wang (uncredited)
- Vacanza sulla Costa Smeralda .... Mario Cinese (uncredited)
Fotoromanzi
- I fotoromanzi della Senna N. 6: "Fuga a Hong Kong" (April 1964)
- Sofia N. 2: "Il giglio di Hong-Kong" (April 1964) - credited
- Le avventure di Jacques Douglas N. 2: "Da Venezia con amore" (November 1965)
- Le avventure di Jacques Douglas N. 18: "SZ4 nell'isola dell'oblio" (March 1967) - credited as "Mister Wu"
- Supersex il fotofilm fanta-erotico N. 5: "L.S.D. follia liquida" (30 August 1967)
- Killing N. 44: "Combinazione morte" (1 July 1968)
- Dossier Segreto N. 1: "Due volti per una spia" (April 1969) - credited
1. Maestro WuPakChiu.com. |