If there’s one inscription that should be etched into the history of Al Leong it’s that he was ‘the guy in all those action movies’ since really when you look at it Al has an impressive career and just going by his filmography he’s been in a slew of action movies, often as the same type of character, a henchman most likely or someone that carries at least some importance to moving the plot forward. There are a few good examples of his time on screen as an actor and stuntman and Lethal Weapon has to be one of the best. Recall that scene in which Riggs is hanging by his wrists beneath a stream of water and Mr. Joshua is attempting to question about a shipment of heroin the cops found out about. Endo, played by Leong, is the guy that ‘has forgotten more about dispensing pain than you and I will ever know’ as Mr. Joshua says it. That means that Endo is one bad, bad man that knows how to inflict pain in a way that might cause lasting damage but will surely get anyone the kind of information they need. In fact the only problem with Endo’s part in the movie is that it’s so short and he really doesn’t do much other than shock the living hell out of Riggs before Martin up and wraps his legs around Endo’s neck, killing him as he uses the pain to fuel his rage.
Another great part played by Leong came in Die Hard when he had the chance to play one of the terrorists by the name of Uli. He didn’t get a whole lot of screen time and when his big moment did come he was gunned down unceremoniously by John McClane, thereby ending his role in the movie. He was basically seen here and there for certain parts of the flick just to make sure that people could see him, but he was basically a glorified extra. One of the best ever representations he’s had in the movies however came when he played the Wing Kong Hatchet Man, as the credits read, and was absolutely badass in his role. In fact he was the one to break the staredown when the Wing Kong and their opponents, the Chang Sings, went to war in the middle of an alleyway during the movie Big Trouble in Little China. His role in this movie didn’t really include any talking but it did allow him to get into the thick of it with the other actors as he was one of the toughest guys in the group and didn’t meet his end until the final battle.
Yet another great role came in the form of Genghis Khan, who he played in Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure and was absolutely hilarious in since he didn’t really have to speak, he just had to be awesome and aggressive, and he nailed it. Throughout much of his career Al has been one of the extras or a part of a story that either didn’t spend a lot of time on his character or used him as someone that was just important enough to keep in. It might sound like a way to take advantage of an actor but in truth there are likely a lot of people that enjoy recognizing him in various roles since sometimes seeing a familiar face pop up is pretty cool since it means that they’re helping to influence the business in a way that’s not as grandiose as many others but they’re still doing their part and are doing it well. Al apparently suffered from brain cancer back in the 90s and had a stroke in 2005 so it’s not hard to assume that he decided to take it easy eventually and didn’t continue to appear as readily in the movies or on TV. In fact looking at his credits it’s easy to see that he did decide to take a pretty long break in between, which is likely for the best since he’s starting to get up there in years. But his accomplishments at this point are still very impressive and earned him a cult following a while ago that’s still around today.
The guy also has a pretty impressive net worth which isn’t too hard to believe since he’s been one of the most reliable actors on the scene throughout the years and someone that can say he’s the only actor that’s been in a Die Hard and Lethal Weapon movie. Like it or not, that’s pretty impressive since one would assume there would be a little more crossover. Looking at his resume though Al is definitely someone that’s easy to be impressed by even if he never got top billing in the past. He’s still someone that’s fun to see no matter what role he’s in.
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