David Yip
David Nicholas Yip[1] (Chinese: 葉西園; pinyin: Yè Xīyuán; Jyutping: Jip6 Sai1 Jyun4; born 4 June 1951) is a British actor of Chinese and English descent. He gained prominence through his lead role in the BBC series The Chinese Detective.[2]
David Yip | |
|---|---|
| Born | David Nicholas Yip 4 June 1951 Liverpool, England |
| Occupation | Actor, playwright |
| Years active | 1979–present |
| Spouse(s) | Virginia Yip |
| Website | davidyip |
Early life
Yip was born in Liverpool to a Chinese father, a seaman from Canton, and an English mother from Liverpool. He has six brothers and had a working class upbringing.[3][4]
After leaving school at 16, Yip worked as a shipping clerk for British Railways for 2 years. At 18, he was offered a job as an assistant stage manager by Teresa Collard at the Neptune Theatre. He participated in local youth productions while working at the Everyman, including one under the direction of Barry Kyle when he was visiting the Liverpool Playhouse. Yip's peers encouraged him to audition for drama school. He got into East 15 Acting School and went on to complete his training in 1973.[5]
Career
Yip's first screen roles were in the detective game show Whodunnit? in 1975, and small roles in the BBC TV movie Savages (1975) and an episode of the sitcom It Ain't Half Hot Mum in 1978. He appeared in the 1979 TV series of Quatermass for Thames Television, and also had a small part in the 1979 Doctor Who story "Destiny of the Daleks". He became better known for playing the lead role of John Ho in the 1981 BBC drama The Chinese Detective, notable for its frontlining of an ethnic British cast. He also played Michael Choì in the soap opera Brookside from 1989 to 1990. His film credits include playing Wu Han in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) and CIA liaison agent Chuck Lee in the 1985 James Bond film A View to a Kill.
He performed the radio play The Inventor of Fireworks, written by Benjamin Yeoh for BBC Radio 3 on 22 January 2004.
Yip wrote a play entitled Gold Mountain, based on his father's life. It was intended for the Liverpool Capital of Culture 2008 event, but was delayed due to writing problems. It premiered on 6 October 2010, at the Unity Theatre, Liverpool, and was performed again in 2012.[6]
In 2013, Yip joined the cast of feature film All That Remains[7] which was released on 5 May 2016.[8]
Personal life
David Yip is a practising Nichiren Buddhist and a member of the Soka Gakkai International. He lives in north Oxfordshire with his wife Virginia and his dog Buddy. His brother, Stephen Yip, stood as an independent candidate in the 2021 Liverpool mayor election.
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | The Quatermass Conclusion | Frank Chen | |
| 1984 | Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom | Wu Han | |
| 1985 | A View to a Kill | Chuck Lee | |
| 1986 | Ping Pong | Mike Wong | |
| 1987 | Out of Order | Policeman | |
| 1994 | Goodbye Hong Kong | Peter Ma | |
| 1996 | Hamlet | Sailor One | |
| 1999 | Fast Food | Mr Fortune | |
| 1999 | Entrapment | Chief of Police | |
| 2001 | My Kingdom | Merv | |
| 2008 | Act of Grace | Kai | |
| 2009 | The School That Roared | Winnie's Dad | |
| 2011 | Re-Evolution | Councillor | |
| 2016 | All That Remains | Noburu Nagai | |
| 2020 | Break | Vincent Qiang | |
| TBA | Sigh of the Sea | ||
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | Whodunnit? | Suspect | Episode: "Portrait in Black" |
| 1979 | Doctor Who | Veldan | Destiny of the Daleks; 2 episodes |
| 1979 | Quatermass | Frank Chen | 2 episodes |
| 1981–1982 | The Chinese Detective | Detective Sergeant John Ho | Lead role |
| 1989–1990 | Making Out | Mr. Kim | 3 episodes |
| 1989–1990 | Brookside | Michael Choi | 17 episodes |
| 1993 | Every Silver Lining | Leonard | 6 episodes |
| 1996 | Bugs | Chaku | Episode: "...Must Come Down " |
| 2000 | Arabian Nights | Assad | Miniseries |
| 2002 | Oscar Charlie | Dr Pang | 6 episodes |
| 2003 | The Bill | Li Chen | Episode: "100: Under the Thumb" |
| 2006 | Casualty | Jiang Guang | Episode: "No Way Back" |
| 2008 | ChuckleVision | Chives the Butler | Episode: "The Mystery of Little-Under-Standing" |
| 2010 | Spirit Warriors | Ding-Xiang | 6 episodes |
| 2013 | Holby City | Raymond Lo | 2 episodes |
| 2014 | 24: Live Another Day | President Wei | 2 episodes |
| 2017–2018 | Fortitude | Hong Mankyo | 6 episodes (series 2–3) |
| 2018 | Luo Bao Bei | Grandpa | Voice role; 26 episodes |
| 2021 | Midsomer Murders | Fergus Rooney | Episode: "Scarecrow Murders" |
Video games
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Silver | Cagen | |
| 2001 | Three Kingdoms: Fate of the Dragon | ||
| 2003 | Warhammer 40,000: Fire Warrior | Ko'vash | |
| 2010 | Just Cause 2 | ||
| 2012 | Brink | Additional voices | |
| 2013 | Lego City Undercover | ||
| 2017 | The Lego Ninjago Movie Video Game | ||
| 2018 | Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom | Pugnacius | English version |
References
- "David Yip - Biography". IMDb. Retrieved 13 July 2017.
- Hill, Dave (12 March 2009). "The Chinese Detective starring David Yip was quality 1980s television drama". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 8 October 2018.
- "David Yip stars in 'Gold Mountain' at Liverpool's Unity Theatre". Liverpool Daily Post. 8 October 2010. Archived from the original on 7 July 2013.
- Clarke, Alan (October 1983). "Interview with David Yip The Chinese Detective" (PDF). Marxism Today. Retrieved 2 December 2021.
- Rogers, Philip (22 July 2020). "Exclusive Interview with David Yip about 'Break'". Blazing Minds.
- "David Yip On ... Revisiting 'Gold Mountain'". What's On Stage. 10 April 2012. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 8 October 2018.
- "Cast Interview: David Yip". All That Remains: production blog. 26 April 2013. Retrieved 8 October 2018.
- "All That Remains (2016)". IMDb. Retrieved 13 July 2017.
Benidorm Joyce Temple Savage mentions him if he was climbing Benidorm Mountain