Chow Yun Fat is today one of the most famous Asian actors in the world. During his career, he managed to star in a mass of various films and successfully work together with Hollywood film gurus. He appeared before the audience in different images, each of which was able to recreate perfectly.
Chow Yun Fat: actor biography
Today, this famous
Asian actor is the embodiment of a real
action movie hero. But this was far from always. He was born on May 18, 1955 on the territory of the small island of Lamma, which is not far from Hong Kong. His parents were simple poor farmers who, after some time, moved to Hong Kong in search of a better life.
In the city, the boy's father found a job in an oil refining company, and Chow Yun Fat went to school. Unfortunately, he did not manage to finish it - at the age of seventeen the guy dropped out of school and went to look for work, because he needed to help support his family. During this time, the young man tried many professions - delivered letters and newspapers, worked as a corridor and a courier.
Needless to say, the poor son did not have any acting education. However, in 1973 he found an ad in the newspaper and went to the tests, which were carried out by one of the famous Hong Kong channels. To the joy and surprise of the guy, he was offered a job.
First steps in a career
Immediately after listening, the young man signed a contract, after which he participated in various television projects for many years. After some time, the actor decided to improve his stage art and entered the School of Professional Acting.
It should be noted that in the 1970-1980s Chow Yun Fat constantly appeared on different channels. In particular, he played the gangster Hui Man-Keng in the cult Hong Kong series called Shanghai Beach. And in 1976, he starred in the film "Masseuses". In the future there were other projects. In particular, in the film “The History of Vu-Viet”, the actor demonstrated his skills in a dramatic game.
“Bright future” and well-deserved success
In 1986, the film "Bright Future" was released, the director of which was the famous John Wu. One of the main characters in the picture was played by Chow Yun Fat. The filmography of the actor replenished with the role of Mark Lee - a guy working for a mafia group. The film was a real breakthrough in the development of Hong Kong cinema. This picture is considered the first example of the style of the so-called "heroic bloodshed." The work of John Wu influenced the work of both Asian and European, American directors. In 1986, the film became the rental leader. And to this day, he is among the hundred best Chinese films. Naturally, participation in such a popular and significant project made the actor famous.
In 1987, the second part was shot under the name "Bright Future-2: Hurricane Fire." Here, Chow Yun Fat played Ken Lee, Mark's twin brother. And already 2 years later, in 1989, the premiere of the last part of the trilogy entitled “Bright Future-3: Love and Death in Saigon” took place. Naturally, one of the main roles went to Chow Yun Fatu. It is with these paintings that a breakthrough in the actor’s career is often associated, as well as his subsequent success in Hollywood.
Asian actor films
Naturally, after such a success of the cult picture now, Chow Yun Fat himself became popular. Films with his participation appeared almost every year. In 1987, a new action movie called “The City on Fire” was filmed, where the actor played Koh Chow, an undercover cop. And in 1998, the comedy “The Tiger in the Police” was released, where Chow played Francis Lee, a cowardly policeman who, nevertheless, was eager to accomplish a feat.
In 1989, he starred in another John Wu movie titled Hired Assassin. In the same year, he got the role of the ingenious card player Koh Chun in the film “God of Players”. Then there were other films - “Born a Thief” in 1991, “Cool Cooked” in 1992, and “The Return of the Players God” in 1994. Chow Yun Fat became a very popular actor, without whom no serious action movie was complete in Hong Kong.
Moving to Hollywood and a new career stage
Of course, the beginning of work with European and American directors was a real breakthrough for the extremely popular Asian actor in Hong Kong, but little known in the world. In 1998, he played Gene Lee's cold-blooded hitman in the action movie Antoine Fuqua Replacement Killers. This picture did not become very famous, but still helped Chow demonstrate his talents.
And in 1999, he starred in an American action movie as Nick Chen, a police lieutenant in Chinatown, who will collaborate with detective Danny Wallace.
The filmography of the actor
The historical feature film "Anna and the King", released in 2000, finally cemented the success of the Chinese actor. Chow Yun Fat (photo in front of you) in this picture played the wise Siamese king, who hired an English teacher to educate his children. The touching, platonic love of two heroes led to the huge popularity of the picture among lovers of melodramas. The film was even nominated for an Oscar in the category of Best Decorations and Costumes.
And in 2001, the actor appeared on the screen in the image of martial artist Lee Mubai in the movie "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon." In 2003, a new film was shot with the participation of Chow Yun Fat - his filmography was replenished with the fantastic action movie “Bulletproof Monk”, where he played a silent monk.
The actor also got the role of Emperor Ping in the historical Chinese film “The Curse of the Golden Flower” in 2006. By the way, this picture was also nominated for an Oscar for best costumes. By the way, the film today is the most expensive masterpiece of Chinese cinema.
And in 2007, Chow got the role of Xiao Fen in the epic film “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End”. In 2009, the actor appeared on the screen in the image of the master Rosa in the James Wong science fiction film "Dragon Ball: Evolution." In the same year, he got the role of Anthony Lanting, the leader of the Shanghai triad in the criminal thriller Shanghai. A year later, he played the main character in the biographical film Confucius.
New films featuring Chow Yun Fata
Of course, the actor continues to act actively today. In 2010, he took part in the creation of the film “Let the bullets fly”, where he brilliantly played the role of the greedy tyrant Mr. Juan.
A year later, the premiere of a Chinese historical film entitled “Creating a Party” took place, the plot of which describes the events between the October Revolution in 1917 and the creation of the Chinese Communist Party in 1921. Yun Fat played here Yuan Shikaya, a famous Chinese military leader who first became an authoritarian ruler, president, and then self-proclaimed emperor of China.
In 2012, the actor got a role in the film “The Last Tycoon”, the plot of which is based on real life events of the famous leader of the Shanghai gangster group. And more recently, the premiere of a science fiction film entitled "The Monkey King" took place.
Some interesting facts
Chow Yun Fat was awarded the Hong Kong Academy of Motion Picture Arts Award three times. He also wrote the scripts for several films, including All About A Long (1989) and The Hotel of the World (1995). By the way, one of the characters in the famous computer game John Woo Present Strangelehold received the appearance of the famous actor.
Chow Yun Fat: personal life
The first serious relationship with the actor began with actress Candice U. Young people met on the set of the project "Masseuses". They met for several years, the relationship was serious, but then everything went wrong. When the actor was 26 years old, the couple broke up, and Yun Fat met another girl - Idi Cheng. Before marriage, the young man asked his mother for blessings, but she refused. Naturally, not a single Chinese man brought up in the spirit of old traditions could oppose the will of his parents. Therefore, Chow broke up with his girlfriend and returned to Candice, who agreed to become his wife. Soon the young people got married. But the relationship with his wife went wrong, and after six months the actor again turned to his mother, this time asking for blessings for divorce.
In 1984, while solving some cases in Singapore, Chow met Jasmine, the daughter of an influential Singaporean businessman. And two years later, happy lovers played a wedding. Jasmine and Yun Fat are married to this day - over the years of marriage, not a single gossip appeared in the press or even a hint of infidelity of the famous actor or his wife. Today, Jasmine is an accountant, agent, and lawyer for Chow.