John Lone

Born: 13th October 1952
Where: Hong Kong

The actor is best known for his performance in the kung fu movie Year of the Dragon and Bernardo Bertolucci's The Last Emperor.

Lone - who took his surname to reflect his orphan status - became established on stage initially via several collaborations with playwright David Henry Hwang.

Left parentless as a young boy, Lone began rigorously training as an actor at the Chin Ciu Academy of the Peking Opera in Hong Kong at age 10.

He lived at the school for eight years, undergoing all day training in acting, singing, dance, mime, poetry, weaponry, acrobatics, and martial arts.

At age 18, Lone moved to America and settled in Los Angeles where he quickly snared small roles on film and TV.

He gained attention with his role in the LA production of David Henry Hwang's play F.O.B. and soon headed to New York to reprise this role Off-Broadway in 1981.

The playwright then wrote Dance and the Railroad specifically for Lone who starred in, directed, choreographed and scored the production.

It wasn't long before the movies beckoned with Lone's first significant film role as the titular character in Iceman, following up with Year of the Dragon in 1985, playing a ruthless Chinese Mafia boss.

He is probably best remembered for his 1987 portrayal of Emperor Pu Yi in Bernardo Bertolucci's lavish, Oscar-winning epic The Last Emperor.

Subsequent roles included the part of Song Liling in the big screen version of M Butterfly with Jeremy Irons.

Lone has shifted back-and-forth from stage to screen, directing to acting (he was also chosen as one of the 50 most beautiful people in the world in People magazine).

He has a successful pop singing career in Asia as well as and his own lines of cosmetics and apparel.

After a long absence, Lone impressed US audiences with his charismatic presence playing yet another Chinese ganglord in 2001's Rush Hour 2.