Sek Yin-tsi, born Mak Chi-sing in Shunde, Guangdong in 1920, was nicknamed 'the Stone God' in the trade. Trained from childhood under the opera actor Ho Sai-hei, he made his stage debut at eleven and was hailed as a child prodigy; noted for his martial roles and polished free-hand northern style, he earned the name 'new martial top scholar'. He later studied under Law Ka-kuen and Leng Chi-pak. In 1939 he toured the United States and was stranded there after the Pacific War began in 1941. Returning to Hong Kong in 1947, he performed Cantonese opera with Law Ban-chiu, Sun Ma Sze-tsang and Ho Fei-fan. In 1948 he joined the Tai Kam Lung troupe and in 1949 founded the Yin San Sing troupe, staging The Return of the Amorous Swallow. In 1957 he formed the Yin Tsi troupe, with hits such as The Butterfly and Consigning the Fragrant Concubine to the Sea of Fire. During his time in America he appeared in two Grandview films, and after returning to Hong Kong his first leading film was Fong Sai-yuk and Miu Chui-fa (1948). Between 1947 and 1987 he appeared in about 140 films, some twenty of them with him as Fong Sai-yuk, hence the nickname 'the reborn Fong Sai-yuk'. He was still acting in the 1980s, appearing with his wife Yam Bing-yee in a stage cameo in Hello, Goodbye (1984) and in A Better Tomorrow (1986); his last film was Happy-Go-Lucky (1987). Versatile beyond opera and film, he also acted on television, painted fine-line religious figures and was a keen horseman who once rode professionally in Singapore. He held office in the Chinese Artists Association of Hong Kong and co-founded the Cantonese Actors' Association. He died in Hong Kong in 1986.
Famed for his martial skill and nicknamed 'the reborn Fong Sai-yuk', Sek Yin-tsi appeared in about 140 films between 1947 and 1987, some twenty of them starring him as the young martial hero, fixing that image in Cantonese swordplay cinema. A versatile talent skilled in singing, painting and horsemanship, he later held office in the Chinese Artists Association, linking Cantonese opera and martial-arts film.
Achievements
- 1948 · Starred in Fong Sai-yuk and Miu Chui-fa, his first film after returning to Hong Kong.
- 1949 · Founded the Yin San Sing troupe and staged The Return of the Amorous Swallow.
- 1957 · Formed the Yin Tsi troupe, staging operas such as The Butterfly and Consigning the Fragrant Concubine to the Sea of Fire.