Nora Miao Ker Hsiu

                                                                                      Nora Miao  Nora Miao Ker Hsiu

                                                                                     (Miu Ho Sau, Miao Ker Hsiu, Miao Ke Xiu, Nora Chan)                     

                         Actress

  Born: January 31st     Languages: Chinese, English

 

                                   During the 1970's Nora Miao was one of the decade's leading actresses. Appearing in

                                   many of director Lo Wei's martial arts productions for Golden Harvest and his own movie

                                        company, Nora acted opposite Bruce Lee in The Big Boss, Fist of Fury and 

                                                      Way of the Dragon, for which she is best known worldwide. 

 

                                    Nora's leading men were some of the most prominent actors in Asia. Along with Bruce 

                                  Lee, she worked with stars such as Ko Chuen Hsiung, Chan Wai Man, Patrick Tse Yin 

                                 and Jackie Chan, with whom she appeared in three films. She had a special chemistry with

                                    Taiwanese matinee star Ko Chuen Hsiung, starring with him in the Taiwanese romance

                                       The Changing Clouds, Mistress, a Taiwan thriller, and the Hong Kong adventure 

                                                                                  The Devil's Treasure.   

                                        Shuttling back and forth between her home in Hong Kong and Taiwan, Nora filmed 

                                  Taiwanese dramas back to back with Hong Kong swordplay and martial arts films. At one 

                                          point she considered emigrating to Canada, where many of her relatives lived. 

 

                                   Nora was contracted with Golden Harvest studios, and debuted in the 1971 hit swordplay 

                                  picture The Invincible Eight, followed closely by larger roles in the similarly themed The  

                                 Blade Spares None and The Comet Strikes, all helmed by Lo Wei. The same year, Nora  

                                 appeared with Bruce Lee for the first time in a small role as a Thai drinks vendor in The Big 

                               Boss. In 1972, she played Bruce's love interest in the soon to be classic Fist of Fury (aka The 

                              Chinese Connection). In Way of the Dragon, Miao plays a world-weary Chinese woman living  

                              in Italy who is exasperated with Lee's shy, country bumpkin ways. Interestingly, Bruce and Nora 

                                were already acquainted before they ever worked together. They knew each other growing up 

                               as their families were mutual friends. In a 1984 documentary, Nora revealed that the character

                                        of Bruce Lee on screen was very similar to the Bruce Lee she knew in real life. 

                                                                                      

                                Like Bruce, Nora was very popular in Japan. She visited the country in 1975, where she was 

                                  welcomed by Toei film studios president Shigeru Okada. Nora later made a film in Japan.

                              

                                 In 1977 Nora began a short lived stint at Shaw Brothers, co-starring in Chor Yuen's martial

                                    arts mystery Clans of Intrigue and the Shanghai underworld drama To Kill a Jaguar

                                  She was a guest at the wedding of Shaw stars Alexander Fu Sheng and Jenny Tseng.

 

                                   Nora's name in Cantonese is Miu Ho Sau; in Mandarin, it's Miao Ke Xiu. Yet her actual 

                                                                                     family name is Chan. 

                       

                                    Nora Miao's talents were not confined to acting alone. She used to lead a singing group 

                                        which toured Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand. Her constant acting engagements 

                                        eventually forced her to focus on the Singapore market exclusively, where she was 

                                                                                           once popular. 

 

                                Nora Miao has retired from movies, last showing up for a rare appearance in the 1996 all-star 

                                   comedy How To Meet the Lucky Stars. In 2002, she guest starred on ATV's television

                                  series Mission in Trouble. She now resides in Canada where she co-hosts the afternoon

                                                      Chinese talk show "Coffee Break" for Toronto's CCBC radio.

                                         Nora Miao biography © 2000-2005 Hong Kong Movie World All rights reserved. No plagiarism!

                                                                         

                                                                            Nora Miao Filmography

                                                                                          Nora Miao Ker Hsiu      

1971

The Big Boss   (Fists of Fury) 

1971 The Blade Spares None  
  Bruce's Deadly Fingers
1974 The Changing Clouds
1977 Clans of Intrigue          
1971 The Comet Strikes   
1973 The Devil's Treasure
1979 Dragon Fist          
1979 The Dream Sword
1972 Fist of Fury  (The Chinese Connection) 
  The Great Slaughter
1979 Handcuff          
1996 How To Meet the Lucky Stars
1972 The Hurricane             
1971 The Invincible Eight
1977 The Kung Fu Kid         
  The Mask of Vengeance
1977 Men of the Hour   (The Heroic Figure)
1975 Mistress
1975 Money is Everything
  My Blade, My Life
1974 Naughty! Naughty!
1976 New Fist of Fury     
  The Obsessed
1980 Sakyamuni Buddha
1978 Showdown at the Equator   
1974 The Skyhawk         
1978 Snake and Crane Arts of Shaolin
1973 The Story of Daisy
1977 To Kill a Jaguar   
1972 Way of the Dragon

 

 

                                                              Nora Miao -Documentaries

                                                                                         Nora Miao Ker Hsiu

1984

Bruce Lee- The Legend  * 

                                                                          

                                                     * Nora Miao is interviewed in English in Golden Harvest's 

                                                                          1984 Bruce Lee documentary

                                                                    

                   

                                             Nora Miao -Television Credits 

                                                                                         Nora Miao Ker Hsiu

1987 The Fatal Irony 
  Laugh in the Sleeve
2002 Mission in Trouble
 

Reincarnated   * 

 

                                                       * 1970's ATV martial arts drama with Tsui Siu Keung

 

 

                                                Nora Miao Gallery

 

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                                                  Copyright © Hong Kong Movie World  © 2000-2005 All rights reserved. No plagiarism!