Debut on TV: 1976 in prime-time soap called Hotel
Fame acquired from: Shanghai Beach (soap opera)
Dramatic influences: Cantonese Opera, at yearly festivals in honor of the Goddess of the Sea, and American movies
Inspired fashion: Long trench coat (Mark Gor in The Killer)
Marital status: First wife: Yu On-On (actress)
Second wife: Jasmine
Family members: Parents
The journey from Hong Kong to Hollywood is a long one, and, perhaps, like the road to hell, paved with good intentions. For Chinese superstar Chow Yun Fat, that road has led to two English language releases, 'The Replacement Killers' and 'The Corrupter', which, whatever their relative merits, have been less well-received than his earlier Hong Kong productions. However long the road from cult status to mainstream commercial success, it is a relatively short journey for a man who managed to make his way from a remote Hakka village, situated on Hong Kong's Ngam Nga Island, to international fame and fortune. Besides his undeniable talent and charisma, Chow Yun Fat has proved that he has staying power. His recent projects, including 'Anna And The King', and "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" are both a conventional dramatic piece that may bring him a whole new audience.
Chow began his career entertainment when, largely on account of his height and naive natural charm, he was selected to enter the famed TVB Actors Training Programme. On graduation, he worked the Hong Kong t.v treadmill, appearing in dozens of Cantonese t.v series, from period pieces to contemporary fare, from comedy to drama to romance. He finally emerged as TVB's brightest star with 'Shanghai Bund', a gangster series now regarded as a classic. Chow's death scene, in the final episode, had the same impact as "Who shot J.R?" had in the west. Given the exhausting, and largely unrewarding, nature of the Hong Kong t.v industry, it was only natural that Chow would seek to turn his talents to the big-screen. With the exception of Ann Hui's critically acclaimed, 'Story Of Woo Viet', Chow's early forays in filmdom proved disappointing. By the time director John Woo wanted to cast him as 'Mark Gor' in 'A Better Tomorrow', his stock had sunk so low that the influential Asian distributors begged Woo to cast someone else in the role. Woo stuck to his guns, perhaps literally, and a legend was forged.
'A Better Tomorrow' established Chow, among western film fans, as an action star, a hero who wielded guns with the same grace that kung fu players twirled their swords. He confirmed his image as the screen's fast, coolest gunman in the John Woo directed thrillers 'A Better Tomorrow II', 'The Killer' and 'Hard-Boiled'. In Asia, though, Chow became equally popular for his performances in comedy and drama. This versatility made him the most popular Hong Kong performer of the 1980s, and the star himself admits that he became "an acting machine" during this period. Good examples of his work in the various genres of Chinese cinema include the comedies 'Eighth Happiness' and 'TheGreatest Lover', and the dramas 'All About Ah Long' and 'Prison On Fire'. Besides the match-chewing, double-gun toteing Mark Gor, Chow's most memorable screen character is Ko Chun, the 'Do San' or 'God Of Gamblers', which he created in an eponymous 1989 film.
Through the latter half of the 90s, there were rumours that Chow Yun Fat would 'go Hollywood'. He was going to remake 'The Killer' in English. He was going to co-star in the next 'Aliens' movie. When it came, established fans of Chow's Hong Kong films bemoaned his move to Hollywood, but even his most ardent admirer would admit that his last pair of Chinese movies, 'Treasure Hunt' and 'Peace Hotel', were disappointments. Chow's US debut, 'The Replacement Killers', paired him with Oscar winner Mira Sorvino. In terms of style and content, the film sought to recreate the elements that had turned international audiences on to 'Hard-Boiled' and 'The Killer'. Though by no means a flop, the film failed to make the kind of impact enjoyed by Chow's fellow Asian actors, Michelle Yeoh, Jet Li and Jackie Chan, when they made their Hollywood debuts. Undeterred, Chow made a second English language film, 'The Corrupter', which was very much in the same vein as 'Replacement Killers'. If nothing else, the films proved that Cho w could, at least, hold his own with the rest of the current crop of action heroes. He, and his management, have their sights set on higher ground. The announcement that Chow will co-star with uber-actress Jodie Foster in 'Anna And The King', a non-musical retelling of 'The King And I', established him as a genuine Hollywood leading man. The film's script aroused the ire of the Thai government, who forbade the film-makers from shooting on location in their country, forcing the production to move to Ipoh, Malaysia. Cynics noted that, for the first time since he became a star, Chow was taking second billing, both in the credits and the title.
He comes to the screen again for North America in December with "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" by Ang Lee, and next year in "King's Ransom" and "Bulletproof Monk".

«Click here : Return to sitepage Top»