Gregorio Wu

[Johan Melle]

Gregorio Wu in 1967

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.

Source: http://www.wupakchiu.com/

FILMOGRAPHY

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1958

1. The Quiet American (uncredited) .... Waiter at the Rendezvous club
   
   1959
2. Il moralista (uncredited) .... Chinese delegate
   
   1960
3. It started in Naples (uncredited) as Train passenger
   
   1961
4. Giallo club (TV series) - season 3, episode 5: "Omicidio cieco" (credited) .... Ciang
5. Maciste alla corte del Gran Khan (uncredited) .... Courtier
6. Sotto dieci bandiere (uncredited) .... role?
7. Totò, Peppino e... la dolce vita (uncredited) .... Party guest
   
   1962
8. 2 samurai per 100 geishe (credited) .... Japanese lieutenant
9. Totò e Peppino divisi a Berlino (uncredited) .... Chinese agent
10. Una tragedia americana (TV mini series) (credited) .... Chinese death-row prisoner
    
    1963
11. Il successo (uncredited) .... The Contessa's butler
12. Le ore dell'amore (uncredited) .... Party guest
13. Omicron (uncredited) .... Gala guest who is stripped by Omicron's powers
14. Totò contro i quattro (uncredited) .... Chen, the majordomo
    
    1964
15. 00-2 agenti segretissimi (uncredited) .... Chinese agent
16. 2 mattacchioni al Moulin Rouge (uncredited) .... Opium dealer
17. I sette del Texas (credited as Gregory Wu) .... Lin Chu
18. The Visit (uncredited) .... Cook
    
    1965
19. Due mafiosi contro Goldginger (uncredited) .... Biscia's bodyguard
20. OSS 77 Operazione Fior di Loto (credited as Wu Pak Chiu) .... Chinese agent
21. Operazione Poker (uncredited) .... Yun Tao
    
    1967
22. Il figlio di Django (uncredited) .... Bartender
    
    1968
23. Colpo sensazionale al servizio del Sifar (uncredited) .... Henchman
24. Luana la figlia della foresta vergine (uncredited) .... Club manager
25. Quella sporca storia nel West (uncredited) .... Bartender
26. Samoa, la regina della giungla (uncredited) .... Mr. Wang
27. Vacanza sulla Costa Smeralda (uncredited) .... Mario Cinese

FOTOROMANZI

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1. I fotoromanzi della Senna N. 6: "Fuga a Hong Kong" (April 1964)
2. Sofia N. 2: "Il giglio di Hong-Kong" (April 1964) - credited
3. Le avventure di Jacques Douglas N. 2: "Da Venezia con amore" (November 1965)
4. Le avventure di Jacques Douglas N. 18: "SZ4 nell'isola dell'oblio" (March 1967) - credited as Mister Wu
5. Supersex il fotofilm fanta-erotico N. 5: "L.S.D. follia liquida" (30 August 1967)
6. Killing N. 44: "Combinazione morte" (1 July 1968)
7. Dossier Segreto N. 1: "Due volti per una spia" (April 1969) - credited

[Johan Melle]

The earliest role I've managed to find for Gregorio is in Totò, Peppino e... la dolce vita (1961) where he has a small speaking role as a party guest together with Totò

He also has a very brief role as a Chinese agent at the end of Totò e Peppino divisi a Berlino (1962)

His biggest and most memorable role with Totò was in Totò contro i quattro (1963) where he plays Chen, the sinister majordomo at the mysterious villa

Totò and Erminio Macario are convinced something strange is going on at this villa, and their suspicions appear to be confirmed when the look through a keyhole and see Gregorio about to stab a woman with a large knife!

So of course they barge in to come to the rescue - only to realize that what they saw was the making of a 'fotoromanzo sexy'

[Johan Melle]

Gregorio also worked several times with Franco and Ciccio.

First in 2 samurai per 100 geishe (1962) where he has a rare credited role as a severe Japanese lieutenant

He also has a fairly large (but uncredited) role as an opium dealer in 2 mattacchioni al Moulin Rouge (1964)

In this film, his daughter Elisabeth Wu appears alongside him and she's uncredited too

Gregorio also has a small comical part in the spy spoof 00-2 agenti segretissimi (1964) as a Chinese agent

[Johan Melle]

In the 1960s, the so-called Eurospy movies were very popular and in these films there was often a need for Asian actors to play Chinese spies etc, so of course Gregorio showed up in a couple of these films.

In Operazione Poker (1965) he's a a Vietnamese official who's traveling for talks with the U.N. and so the protagonist Roger Browne is assigned to protect him

Quite a big role and really unfair that he wasn't credited


Gregorio also appears in OSS 77 Operazione Fior di Loto (1965) as a Chinese agent

Just a short role, really, but this time he was credited - under his real name Wu Pak Chiu

He also pops up in other films. Here as the nosy club manager in the jungle adventure Luana la figlia della foresta vergine (1968)

And he ends up paying the price for his nosiness, too - getting strangled with a telephone cord!

Again, a pretty good role, but still uncredited


He also pops up in the musical-comedy Vacanze sulla Costa Smeralda (1968) in a short comical role

Gregorio even did some work for television. In the famous 7-part series Una tragedia americana (1962) he has a short but memorable (and credited) role as a death-row prisoner who is sent to the electric chair

[Ciavazzaro]

My biggest compliment my friend i was waiting for this !
Amazing work, i did not imagine Gregorio had done so many movies.

Very interesting he was an opera singer, we have on the site another generico who was also an opera singer Maurizio Piacenti who is everywhere in italian movies from the mid 1970's till the end of the 1980's.
I wonder how many others opera singers turned generici we will found

[Johan Melle]

Thank you! I'm sure we will find even more roles!

But Gregorio also had a good career in fotoromanzi. Normally, there are very few Asian actors to be found in fotoromanzi, but Gregorio is one of the few exceptions.

In Sofia N. 2: "Il giglio di Hong-Kong" (April 1964) he has a good credited role, appearing alongside his daughter Elisabeth, who is the protagonist of the story

Here together with Elisabeth

Also a pretty good role in I fotoromanzi della Senna N. 6: "Fuga a Hong Kong" (April 1964) but this time he's uncredited

Gregorio did not appear in a lot of romantic fotoromanzi, however. For the most time he appeared in fotoromanzi aimed at male readers - typically in spy fotormanzi or violent and/or sexy stories. Most of these fotoromanzi are now quite rare and are considered cult.

Here he is in the excellent Le avventure di Jacques Douglas N. 2: "Da Venezia con amore" (November 1965) as a Chinese bad guy together with his daughter yet again

Unfortunately, only Elisabeth is credited


But Gregorio also appears in another Jacques Douglas fotoromanzo - one of the best in this long-running serial in fact:
Le avventure di Jacques Douglas N. 18: "SZ4 nell'isola dell'oblio" (March 1967) in a terrific 'mad professor' role

For this terrific role he was rightfully credited, but under the name Mister Wu!

[Johan Melle]

Some more cult fotoromanzi interpreted by Gregorio:

Typical bad guy role in Supersex il fotofilm fanta-erotico N. 5: "L.S.D. follia liquida" (30 August 1967)

And of course he also appeared in the infamous Killing fotoromanzi!
Here in a terrific role in Killing N. 44: "Combinazione morte" (1 July 1968) - together with Paul Muller

And finally in the rare spy fotoromanzo Dossier Segreto N. 1: "Due volti per una spia" (April 1969)

This one was another credited role

[Johan Melle]

According to the IMDb, Gregorio also has a credited role in the Spanish/Italian western I sette del Texas a.k.a. Antes llega la muerte (1964). Do you have this one, Carlos?

[carlos]

Yep I sette del Texas (1964) Lin Chu

In the Italian and English versions he's credited as Gregory Wu, but the Spanish he's Gregorio

[Johan Melle]

Thanks to the Radiocorriere TV archives, I've learned that Gregorio participated in the fourth and final season of the TV series Giallo Club in 1961. He appeared in the wraparound segments as Ciang, the majordomo of the show's host, Mister Club (Francesco Mulè)