After a beginning his career in Mainland China during the Republican era, he was an important figure in the early development of Taiwanese and Hong Kong cinema, but came to the attention of international audiences for his appearances in a multitude of Italian films during the 1960s and '70s.

[1] Born Wang Chun-yang (Chinese: 王春陽; pinyin: Wáng Chūnyáng) in Dandong, Liaoning Province, Republic of China in 1918.

When the war made remaining in Mainland China untenable, Wang led the withdrawal of most his studio's personnel and equipment to Taiwan, in 1949.

He subsequently became one of the most important stars in the early years of Taiwanese cinema,[2] and was eventually promoted to head of Technical Production at China Film Studio.

[2][4] In 1978 he returned to Taiwan and back to acting, winning in 1981 a Golden Horse Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in The Coldest Winter in Peking (皇天后土).