Derek Tsang facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Derek Tsang
曾國祥
Tsang at the 2010 Hong Kong International Film Festival
Born	(1979-11-08) 8 November 1979 (age 45) British Hong Kong
Occupation	Filmmaker actor
Spouse(s)	Venus Wong ​ (m. 2019)​
Parents	Eric Tsang (father) Rebecca Chu (mother)
Family	Bowie Tsang (half-sister) Tsang Wing Yee (half-sister) Mark Tsang (brother)
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese	曾國祥
Simplified Chinese	曾国祥
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Zēng Guóxiáng Yue: Cantonese Jyutping Zang1 Gwok3coeng4

Derek Tsang Kwok-cheung (born November 8, 1979) is a famous filmmaker and actor from Hong Kong. He is the son of another well-known actor, Eric Tsang. After finishing college in Canada, Derek started his movie career working for director Peter Chan.

He first appeared on screen as an actor in the movie Men Suddenly in Black (2003). Later, he started directing movies. His first movie as a director was Lover's Discourse (2010), which he co-directed with Jimmy Wan Chi-man. They were even nominated for a Best New Director award for their work.

Derek became very well-known for his solo directing. His movie Soul Mate (2016) was a huge hit with critics. His next film, Better Days (2019), was so successful that it was nominated for an Academy Award for Best International Feature Film. This was a big moment for Hong Kong cinema.

Early Life and Education

Derek Tsang was born in Hong Kong on November 8, 1979. His father is the famous actor Eric Tsang.

Even though his dad was a big star, Derek had a normal childhood. He said his father lived separately to keep his family life private. This allowed Derek to have an "ordinary, middle-class upbringing." He lived with his mom, grandmother, and younger brother. When he was 11, his family moved to Canada, but his father stayed in Hong Kong.

In 2001, Derek graduated from the University of Toronto Scarborough with a degree in Sociology.

Career in Movies

Getting Started

After college, Derek returned to Hong Kong. His father helped him get a job with the director Peter Chan. This was a great start for him. There, he met people who would become important partners in his future film projects.

Although he didn't plan to be an actor, Derek has acted in many movies. He often took on roles that other actors might not have wanted. His first acting role was a small part in Men Suddenly in Black (2003), where he played the younger version of his father's character.

Becoming a Director

Derek's first big success as a solo director was the movie Soul Mate (2016). The film was loved by critics and earned him nominations for Best Director at many award shows.

His next movie, Better Days (2019), was an even bigger success. It won eight awards at the 39th Hong Kong Film Awards, including Best Film and Best Director for Tsang. The movie was chosen to represent Hong Kong at the 93rd Academy Awards and was nominated for Best International Feature Film. This made Derek the first Hong Kong native to direct a film nominated in that category.

In 2021, Derek was invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the group that votes for the Oscars.

Filmmaking Style

Derek has said that his biggest influences are artistic films, known as art-house cinema. He was inspired by directors like Wong Kar-wai and movies from the French New Wave. This is different from his father's movies, which were mostly popular comedies. He also gives credit to his half-sister, Bowie Tsang, for teaching him about film and books.

Personal Life

In 2019, Derek Tsang married actress Venus Wong. He has said he is careful about casting his wife in his movies because he doesn't want people to think she only gets roles because they are married.

Filmography

Here is a list of some of the projects Derek Tsang has worked on.

As a Director

• Lover's Discourse (2010)
• Lacuna (2012)
• Soul Mate (2016)
• Better Days (2019)
• 3 Body Problem (2024), episodes 1-2

As an Actor

Derek has appeared in many films, including:

• Men Suddenly in Black (2003)
• The Eye 2 (2004)
• Isabella (2006)
• Run Papa Run (2008)
• Ex (2010)
• The Thieves (2012)
• SDU: ... Duties Unit (2013)
• ... Ambition 2 (2014)
• From Vegas to Macau II (2015)
• S Storm (2016)
• Love Off the Cuff (2017)
• Missbehavior (2019)

Awards and Nominations

Derek Tsang has won and been nominated for many awards for his work as a director.