Biography

One of the most instantly recognizable faces in Asia, Chow Yun-Fat is an actor of phenomenal renown and popularity. An icon of the action genre thanks to his numerous collaborations with Hong Kong directors John Woo and Ringo Lam, Chow gained fame playing the killer with a soul (and two large guns) in such films as Woo's classic A Better Tomorrow, and in doing so, inspired new trends in action filmmaking. However, although he is best-known on the international level for his work in action films, Chow has also acted in films of almost every conceivable genre, proving himself equally adept in melodramas, romances, and comedies alike.

Born on May 18, 1955, on Lamma, a small island off of Hong Kong's Victoria Harbor, Chow moved with his family to Hong Kong proper in 1965. Influenced early on by the Cantonese Opera, the yearly Goddess of the Sea festivals, and American movies, he got his start as a professional actor while still in his teens. Chow's first break came in 1973, when he answered a newspaper ad for young actors by the TVB, a Hong Kong TV station. He enrolled in the station's training program for young actors, training in the company of friend and future director Ringo Lam. While working for the TVB, Chow performed in a number of soap operas. In the early '80s, he would star in the station's popular series Shanghai Beach, earning lasting fame as the ultra-cool gangster Hui Man-Keung.
Chow broke into films in the mid-'70s, winning a lead role in the forgettable Massage Girls in 1976. He had his first critical success five years later as the star of Ann Hui On-Wah's The Story of Wu Viet; unfortunately, the acclaim he earned for his portrayal of a South Vietnamese soldier was subsequently overshadowed by a period of personal and professional problems marked by a string of largely unimpressive films and a short-lived marriage with fellow-TV star Candice Yu On-On.
Chow's luck began to change in the mid-'80s, when he won a Best Actor award from the Asian Pacific Film Festival and Taiwan's prestigious Golden Horse for his performance in Leung Po Chi's Hong Kong 1941 (1984), a romantic drama set against the backdrop of World War II. Two years later, he had his true breakthrough when then-obscure director John Woo cast him as hitman Mark Gor in A Better Tomorrow, a hugely influential movie responsible for the birth of the Hong Kong gangster film genre. The character of Gor has remained one of Chow's most popular to date, and made him -- to say nothing of Woo -- an instant star in Asia. The actor's portrayal won him a prestigious Hong Kong Film Award, and Gor became something of an icon in the action genre, influencing such international directors as Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez.
Chow would star in the two Better Tomorrow sequels which followed in 1988 and 1989, but in the meantime he continued to prove his dramatic and comedic abilities in a number of other films. The same year that he starred in A Better Tomorrow, he played an orchestra conductor caught up in a seeemingly eternal love affair in Dream Lovers, a fantasy romance directed by Tony Au. The following year, he won another Golden Horse as the romantic lead in An Autumn's Tale and further turned on the charm in the romantic comedy My Will, I Will. However, 1987 proved that Chow's greatest claim to fame on an international level was his status as an action star. That year, he caused a sensation in Hong Kong with his portrayal of a prison inmate in old friend Ringo Lam's Prison on Fire. The film astonished audiences with both its excessive violence and bloodshed and the strength of the fraternal bond between Chow and Tony Leung Kar-Fai, who played a young inmate under Chow's tutelage. Chow earned a Hong Kong Film Award nomination for his work in the film, and that same year he won the same award for his portrayal of an undercover cop in Lam's City on Fire. A hugely influential film that was the inspiration for Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs, City widened Chow's American fan base and further cemented his status as one of Asia's most bankable stars.
Further screen immortality was granted to Chow when he played a hitman trying to make good in Woo's The Killer (1989). The film was a huge success and is widely viewed as the director's stylistic masterpiece, a tribute to such directors as Kubrick, Peckinpah, and Scorsese and an inspiration to any number of international filmmakers. The following year, Chow was able to combine his prowess as an action star with his talent for comedy and romance in Woo's Once a Thief, in which he, Leslie Cheung, and Cherie Chung played a trio of orphans who have grown up to be art thieves. The film was not nearly as violent as most of Woo's movies tended to be, but Chow was back in full hard man regalia for his next major outing, Lam's Full Contact (1992). An extremely stylish action film, it starred the actor as a nightclub bouncer bent on revenge. As such, it was packed with the type of well-choreographed violence that had endeared him to audiences everywhere: one of the film's highlights featured Chow single-handedly fighting off three machete-wielding gangsters with a three-inch butterfly knife.
The same year he starred in Full Contact, Chow also had one of his most celebrated collaborations with Woo, Hard-Boiled. Cast as a tough cop with a heart of gold who teams up with a precariously unstable undercover agent (Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, Chow did his part to help amass one of the highest body counts in cinematic history, and in doing so he further exhibited the kind of graceful will to destruction that had become his trademark. The film was Woo's last before he departed for Hollywood, and was the inspiration for his terrifically successful Face/Off, starring John Travolta and Nicolas Cage in variants of the Chow/Leung roles.
Having attained such unparalleled popularity in Asia, it was almost inevitable that Chow would make the crossover to American films. He did so in 1998 as the star of Antoine Fuqua's The Replacement Killers. Unfortunately, the film -- which cast Chow as an assassin alongside Mira Sorvino -- received largely negative reviews, and sank at the box office. The following year, Chow played a man on the other side of the law in The Corruptor, starring as an NYPD officer in charge of keeping peace in Chinatown. Like Chow's previous film, The Corruptor didn't do as well as expected, though it allowed the actor to continue to demonstrate action prowess. That same year, he showed his softer side in Anna and the King, playing the titular King of Siam (Thailand) opposite Jodie Foster as a strong-willed governess. It was Chow's first mainstream, non-action Hollywood film, something that further signaled recognition of the actor as one of the cinema's true international stars.
Perhaps ironically, Chow would find his biggest crossover success with a film steeped in Chinese folklore, director Ang Lee's martial arts epic Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Released to standing ovations at the 2000 Cannes Film Festival, the picture -- which cast Chow as a warrior haunted by the unavenged death of a friend -- enjoyed a long and healthy life at the North American box office, eventually becoming the most successful foreign-language picture ever released in the States. Better yet, Chow's work was universally cited by critics as one of the actor's most soulful, compassionate turns. Although Tiger would garner an impressive 10 Academy Award nominations, Chow and his equally deserving co-stars Michelle Yeoh and Ziyi Zhang were denied nods in a year which was admittedly over-crowded with Oscar-caliber performances. ~ Rebecca Flint, All Movie Guide

Filmography

Land of Destiny (2003) .... Gun-Li
Bulletproof Monk (2003) .... The Monk
Chow Yun-Fat Goes Hollywood (2001) (V) .... Himself
73rd Annual Academy Awards, The (2001) (TV)(uncredited) .... Himself
Wo hu cang long (2000) .... Master Li Mu Bai
... aka Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) (USA)
... aka Gua hu chang long (2000)
... aka Ngo foo chong lung (2000) (Hong Kong: Cantonese title)
... aka Wo hu cang long (2000) (China: Mandarin title)
... aka Wo hu chang long (2000)
Anna and the King (1999) .... King Mongkut
Corruptor, The (1999) .... Nick Chen
Replacement Killers, The (1998) .... John Lee
Heping fandian (1995) .... The Killer
... aka Peace Hotel, The (1995)
Du shen xu ji (1994) .... Ko Chun
... aka God of Gamblers 2 (1994)
... aka God of Gamblers Returns (1994)
... aka God of Gamblers' Return (1994)
Hua qi Shao Lin (1994) .... Chang Ching
... aka American Shaolin (1994)
... aka National Treasure (1994) (USA)
... aka Treasure Hunt (1994)
Who Do You Think You're Fooling? (1994) .... Chow/Mr. Orange
Xia dao Gao Fei (1992) .... Jeff
... aka Full Contact (1992)
Wo ai chou wen chai (1992) .... Ng Shan-shui
... aka Liu mang yu dao bing (1992)
... aka Love: Now You See It... Now You Don't (1992)
... aka Now You See It... Now You Don't (1992)
... aka Now You See Love, Now You Don't (1992)
Lashou shentan (1992) .... Yuen (Tequila)
... aka God of Guns (1992)
... aka Hard-Boiled (1992) (International: English title)
... aka Hot-Handed God of Cops (1992)
... aka Ruthless Super-Cop (1992)
Dou hap (1991) .... Cameo appearance (God of Gamblers)
... aka Du xia (1991) (Hong Kong: Mandarin title)
... aka God of Gamblers II (1991)
Tao fan (1991) .... Chung Tin Ching
... aka Jian yu feng yun xu ji (1991)
... aka Prison on Fire II (1991)
Black Vengeance (1990)
Zong heng si hai (1990) .... Joe
... aka Once a Thief (1990)
Du sheng (1990) .... Cameo appearance
... aka All for the Winner (1990)
Ban wo chuang tian ya (1989) .... Lau Chung Pong/'Mew-Mew'
... aka Boon ngoh chong tin ngaai (1989) (Hong Kong: Cantonese title)
... aka Wild Search (1989)
Du shen (1989) .... Ko Chun
... aka God of Gamblers (1989)
Ji xing gong zhao (1989) .... Lam Bo Sun/Mr. Stink
... aka Fun, the Luck, and the Tycoon, The (1989)
Wo zai hei she hui de ri zi (1989) .... Li Man-Ho
... aka Inside Story, The (1989)
... aka Triads: The Inside Story (1989)
Yi ben wu yan (1989) .... Hui
... aka Brotherhood (1989)
... aka Code of Honour (1989)
... aka Promise Without a Word (1989)
... aka Triad Savages (1989)
Yinghung bunsik III (1989) .... Mark Gor
... aka Better Tomorrow III, A (1989)
... aka Better Tomorrow III: Love and Death in Saigon, A (1989) (USA: US version)
You jian A Lang (1989) .... Ah-Long Yeung
... aka A Lang de gu shi (1989)
... aka All About Ah-Long (1989)
Die xue shuang xiong (1989) .... Joe -- Original version
... aka Bloodshed of Two Heroes (1989) (Hong Kong: literal title English title)
... aka Killer, The (1989/I) (USA)
Ba xing bao xi (1988) .... 'Handsome' Long
... aka Eight Happiness, The (1988)
... aka Eighth Happiness, The (1988)
Chang duan jiao zhi lian (1988) .... Joe
... aka Fractured Follies (1988)
Gong zi duo qing (1988) .... Locomotive
... aka Greatest Lover, The (1988)
Jing zhuong zhui nu zi zhi er (1988)
... aka Romancing Star II, The (1988)
Lo foo chut gang (1988) .... Francis Li
... aka Lao hu chu geng (1988) (China: Mandarin title)
... aka Tiger Goes on the Beat (1988) (literal English title)
... aka Tiger on Beat (1988)
... aka Tiger on the Beat (1988) (UK)
Sing si jin jaang (1988) .... Dick Lee
... aka Cheng shi zhan zheng (1988) (China: Mandarin title)
... aka City War (1988)
... aka Yi daam hung sun (1988) (China: alternative title Cantonese title)
... aka Yi dan hong chun (1988) (China: alternative title Mandarin title)
Yu Da Fu chuan qi (1988) .... Yu Da Fa as adult
... aka Cherry Blossoms (1988)
... aka Legend of Yu Ta Fu, The (1988)
Zai jian ying xiong (1988) .... Hung
... aka Good-bye, Hero (1988)
... aka Goodbye, My Friend (1988)
Daai jeung foo yat gei (1988) .... Chow Ting Fat/'Ah Fat'
... aka Big Husband's Diary (1988) (literal English title)
... aka Da zhang fu ri ji (1988) (China: Mandarin title)
... aka Diary of a Big Man (1988)
Fu xing jia qi (1987)
... aka Chasing Girls (1987)
... aka Jing zhuong zhui nu zi (1987)
... aka Romancing Star, The (1987)
Gaam yuk fung wan (1987) .... 41671/Ching
... aka Jian yu feng yun (1987) (China: Mandarin title)
... aka Prison Turbulence (1987) (literal English title)
... aka Prison on Fire (1987)
Gong woo ching (1987) .... Li Ah-Chai
... aka Drifter Love (1987) (literal English title)
... aka Jiang hu qing (1987) (China: Mandarin title)
... aka Rich and Famous (1987)
Gui xin niang (1987) .... Double Circle Pu
... aka Phantom Bride, The (1987)
... aka Spiritual Love (1987)
Jiang hu long hu men (1987) .... Chang Ho-Tien
... aka Dragon and Tiger Fight (1987)
... aka Flaming Brothers (1987)
Long hu feng yun (1987) .... Chow Yun Fat
... aka City on Fire (1987)
Xiao sheng meng jing hun (1987)
... aka Kid Dreams Thriller (1987) (literal English title)
... aka Scared Stiff (1987)
Yinghung bunsik II (1987) .... Ken Gor/Mark Lee
... aka Better Tomorrow II, A (1987)
... aka Color of a Hero II, The (1987)
Ying hung ho hon (1987) .... Chi
... aka Hero (1987/III)
... aka Heroic Hero (1987) (literal English title)
... aka Rich and Famous 2 (1987)
... aka Tragic Hero (1987)
... aka Ying xiong hao han (1987) (China: Mandarin title)
Chou tin dik tong wah (1987) .... Boat-head/Figurehead/Figgy/Samuel Pang
... aka Autumn's Tale, An (1987) (Hong Kong: English title)
... aka Liumang daheng (1987) (Hong Kong: Mandarin title)
Chu yi shi wu (1986) .... Peter
... aka Missed Date, The (1986)
Deiha tsing (1986) .... Detective Lan
... aka Di xia qing (1986) (Hong Kong: Mandarin title)
... aka Love Unto Waist (1986)
... aka Love Unto Waste (1986)
Din lo jing juen (1986) .... Chung
... aka Dian lao zheng zhuan (1986) (China: Mandarin title)
... aka Lunatic's True Story (1986) (literal English title)
... aka Lunatics, The (1986)
... aka Story of Maniacs, The (1986)
Ni qing wo yuan (1986)
... aka My Will, I Will (1986)
... aka You Want, I Want (1986)
... aka You Will I Will (1986)
Shaqi Errenzu (1986) .... Football Fat
... aka 100 Ways to Murder Your Wife (1986)
Yi gai yun tian (1986) .... Ho Ting-Bon
... aka Hearty Response, A (1986)
... aka Heavy Response, A (1986)
Ying huang boon sik (1986) .... Mark Gor/Mark Lee
... aka Better Tomorrow, A (1986)
... aka Color of a Hero, The (1986)
... aka Essence of Heroes, The (1986) (Hong Kong: literal title English title)
... aka Gangland Boss (1986)
... aka True Colors of a Hero (1986) (Hong Kong: English title)
Yuan Zhen-Xia yu Wei Si-Li (1986) .... Wei
... aka Dr. Yuen and Wisely (1986)
... aka Seventh Curse (1986)
... aka Seventh Curse, The (1986)
Meng zhong ren (1986) .... Song Yu
... aka Dream Lovers (1986)
"Daai heung gong" (1985) TV Series .... Lok Ching Hing
Hoh bit yau ngoh (1985) .... Mr. Chow
... aka He bi you wo (1985) (China: Mandarin title)
... aka Why Me? (1985)
Meigui de gushi (1985) .... Charles Wong/Ga-Ming
... aka Lost Romance (1985) (Hong Kong: reissue title English title)
... aka Rose (1985)
... aka Story of Rose, The (1985)
Nu ren xin (1985)
... aka Women (1985)
Qi yuan (1985) .... Joe
... aka Affair from Nepal, The (1985)
... aka Nepal Affair, The (1985)
... aka Witch from Nepal (1985)
"San jaat si hing - juk jaap" (1985) TV Series .... Ging Shing
Dang doi lai ming (1984) .... Yip Kim Fay
... aka Deng dai li ming (1984) (China: Mandarin title)
... aka Hong Kong 1941 (1984)
... aka Waiting for Dawn (1984)
... aka Waiting for Daybreak (1984) (literal English title)
Ling qi po ren (1984) .... Valentino Chow
... aka Occupant, The (1984)
... aka Tenant, The (1984)
Qing cheng zhi lian (1984) .... Fan Liu-Yuan
... aka Love in a Fallen City (1984)
Fa sing (1983) .... Kwong-Ping
... aka Flower City (1983) (literal English title)
... aka Hua cheng (1983) (China: Mandarin title)
... aka Last Affair (1983) (Hong Kong: English title)
Lie tou (1983) .... Nguyen Dich
... aka Head Hunter, The (1983)
... aka Hunting Head (1983)
Shang Hai tan (1983)
... aka Bund, The (1983)
... aka Shanghai Beach (1983)
Shang Hai tan xu ji (1983)
... aka Bund Part II, The (1983)
... aka Shanghai Beach 2 (1983)
Xue han jin qian (1983) .... Bullet
... aka Bloody Money (1983) (Hong Kong: English title)
... aka Hardworking Money (1983)
"Fo fung wong" (1982) TV Series .... Ngai Chun
"Sou hat yi" (1982) TV Series .... Beggar So
Woo yuet dik goo si (1981) .... Wu Yuet
... aka God of Killers (1981) (USA: DVD title)
... aka Hu yue de gu shi (1981) (China: Mandarin title)
... aka Story of Woo Viet, The (1981)
... aka Woo Yuet's Story (1981) (literal English title)
Xun cheng ma (1981) .... Fu Jun
... aka Patrol Horse (1981)
... aka Patrol of Horses (1981)
... aka Postman Fights Back, The (1981)
... aka Postman Strikes Back, The (1981)
Zhi fa zhe (1981)
... aka Executioner, The (1981)
... aka Executor, The (1981)
... aka Killers Two (1981) (USA: video title)
... aka Kiss, Kiss, Bang Bang (1981)
Hei kek wong (1980) .... Jen Lung
Shi ba (1980)
... aka Master Father (1980)
... aka See-Bar (1980) (USA)
Xi gan xian (1980) .... Chu Ka-Wah
... aka Be This First (1980)
... aka Hard Boiled Killers (1980) (USA: video title)
... aka Police Sir (1980)
Ai yu kuang chao (1978) .... Ko Ming-Chung
... aka Mad Love (1978)
... aka Private Lives, The (1978)
... aka Their Private Lives (1978)
Jing wang shuang xiong (1978)
... aka Heroic Cops (1978)
... aka Killers Two (1978) (Hong Kong: English title)
"Keung yan" (1978) TV Series
'O' nu (1978) .... Kuan Yen-Ping
... aka Miss O (1978)
Chi nu (1976)
... aka Club Girl Story (1976) (Hong Kong: reissue title English title)
... aka Massage Girls (1976)
... aka Pond Girl (1976)
"Saat sau qi shi er siu si" (1976) TV Series .... Leui Gong
Tou tai ren (1976)
... aka Reincarnation, The (1976)