Biography
Born in England and raised in Shanghai, actor Burt Kwouk can best be described as a funnier variation of
Bruce Lee. To be sure, many of his acting assignments have called for straight interpretations, notably his roles in such films
Satan Never Sleeps (1961) and
The Brides of Fu Manchu (1965). But Kwouk is best known for his role as karate champ Cato Fong, right-hand man of the hapless Inspector Clouseau (
Peter Sellers). Trained by his boss to attack without warning (the better to keep Clouseau on guard and in shape), Cato has invariably done his job too well, kicking and chopping at the Inspector at the most inopportune times -- when Clouseau is making love, for example. As Cato, Bert Kwouk has appeared in the
Blake Edwards-directed Clouseau films
A Shot in the Dark (1964),
Return of the Pink Panther (1975),
The Pink Panther Strikes Again (1978) and
Revenge of the Pink Panther (1979), and has guest-starred in two pastiche films made after Peter Sellers' death,
Curse of the Pink Panther (1981) and
Trail of the Pink Panther (1982). Outside the aegis of
Blake Edwards, Kwouk has taken action-oriented parts in films like
Rollerball (1980) and
Air America (1990). For several years in the '80s, Burt Kwouk played a Japanese commandant on the British TV series
Tenko. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide