When he was 13 years old, he joined an entertainment troupe on tour of Singapore. During these years he began to study performing. In 1932 he debut ed in the film "Gor Nui Ching Chiu" ("Sentimental Song of Companions' Tide") playing a bit part, shot in San Francisco (USA). Soon he came back to Hong Kong to participate in anti-Japanese opposition movement. His first leading role was in 1935 with "Song of the Yesterday", filmed the first version in Hong Kong and the second in the USA in 1937. During World War II Kwan travelled through USA to raise funds for China. In 1947 a Singaporean film company hired him to play martial arts master Wong Fei-Hung in a movie trilogy directed by Wu Peng. Kwan was hired because of his martial arts knowledge. The success was so great that Wu and Kwan would collaborate on 79 films, 59 of which were about Wong. After almost 90 films about Wong Fei-Hung, Kwan played the same character in his first TV series in 1976. In total Kwan made more than 130 films.

Mo Gui-Lan, the last wife of Wong Fei-Hung (1847-1924), who survived this real-life Guandong Tiger, said of Kwan Tak-Hing, when she first saw him acting: "You look just like my late husband!".1983 Member of the British Empire (MBE), awarded for his services to the Film Industry in Hong Kong.