A gifted action performer and all-around tough whose onscreen antics inevitably (and invariably) recalled those of Jackie Chan, Nick Cheung launched his career with more traditional period martial arts fare for such directors as Andy Lau, but in time began to specialize in crime-themed pictures with a liberal undercurrent of jet-black humor, often coupled with grisly, take-no-prisoners violence. Cheung frequently paired up with helmer Johnny To, a cult sensation responsible for such gangster-themed outings as Election (2005), Exiled (2006), and Triad Election (2006) -- all of which starred Cheung as one of the leads. He was particularly memorable in Exiled as the syndicate Wo.