20 Things You Didn’t Know About You Only Live Twice (1967)

17. “We’ve Had Some Interesting Times Together, Ling...”

Sean Connery James Bond You Only Live Twice
MGM/UA

James Bond’s lover, Ling, who arranges for his “assassination” in Hong Kong, is played by Tsai Chin who returned in several of the poker sequences in Casino Royale (2006) as Madame Wu.

Chin famously portrayed Dr. Fu Manchu’s deadly daughter, Lin Tang opposite future Bond villain, Sir Christopher Lee in Harry Alan Towers's five Fu Manchu movies in the mid-to-late 1960s. She later escaped from the stereotypical roles that had characterised her earlier career by appearing in such films as The Interpreter (2005), Memoirs of a Geisha (2005), and Casino Royale.

Her brother, Michael Chow also featured in You Only Live Twice, although they did not share any scenes together. He portrayed SPECTRE agent Number Four, who moonlights as Mr Osato’s office manager and shares control room duties inside Blofeld’s volcano with SPECTRE Number Three, played by Pink Panther (1963-1993) and Goldfinger (1964) alumnus, Burt Kwouk.

Whilst Chow continues to act, for instance in Lethal Weapon 4 (1998) and the Rush Hour franchise (1998-2007), his entrepreneurism has led to the opening of "Mr Chow" Chinese restaurants in Knightsbridge, Las Vegas, Miami, New York City, and Beverly Hills.

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I started writing for WhatCulture in July 2020. I have always enjoyed reading and writing. I have contributed to several short story competitions and I have occasionally been fortunate enough to have my work published. During the COVID-19 lockdown, I also started reviewing films on my Facebook page. Numerous friends and contacts suggested that I should start my own website for reviewing films, but I wanted something a bit more diverse - and so here I am! My interests focus on film and television mainly, but I also occasionally produce articles that venture into other areas as well. In particular, I am a fan of the under appreciated sequel (of which there are many), but I also like the classics and the mainstream too.