Stephen Chow facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Stephen Chow
周星馳
Chow in 2008
Born	Stephen Chow Sing-chi (1962-06-22) 22 June 1962 (age 62) British Hong Kong
Occupation	Director, actor, comedian, screenwriter, producer
Years active	As a director: 1994–present As an actor: 1982–2008
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese	周星馳
Simplified Chinese	周星驰
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Zhōu Xīngchí Bopomofo ㄓㄡ ㄒㄧㄥ ㄔˊ Yue: Cantonese Yale Romanization Jāu Sīng-chìh IPA [tsɐ́u séŋ.tsʰȉ] Jyutping Zau1 Sing1-ci4

Stephen Chow Sing-chi (Chinese: 周星馳; born 22 June 1962) is a famous Hong Kong filmmaker, actor, and comedian. He is well-known for his unique "Mo lei tau" comedy style, which involves silly humor and unexpected jokes.

Chow started his career acting in many Hong Kong TV shows. His big break came in 1989 with the comedy series The Final Combat. He then starred in the 1991 action-comedy film Fight Back to School, which became one of the highest-earning films in Hong Kong at the time. He later directed his first movie, From Beijing with Love, in 1994.

In 2001, Chow directed and starred in the sports comedy Shaolin Soccer. This movie was a huge hit around the world and made him famous in North America. After this success, he made the martial arts action-comedy Kung Fu Hustle in 2004. This film also got great reviews and earned over US$106 million worldwide. His last acting role was in the 2008 science fiction comedy CJ7, after which he focused on directing.

Early Life and Inspiration

Stephen Chow was born in Hong Kong on 22 June 1962. His mother, Ling Po-yee, and father, Chow Yik-sheung, divorced when he was seven. He was then raised by his mother.

When he was nine, Chow watched Bruce Lee's film The Big Boss. This movie greatly inspired him to become a martial arts star. After finishing school, he joined TVB's acting classes to pursue his dream.

Becoming a Star

Chow began his acting journey as an extra, meaning he played small, unnamed roles. In 1982, he joined TVB's artist training class. He first gained public attention as a host for the children's TV show 430 Space Shuttle, where he worked for five years.

In 1988, he got a supporting role in the crime drama Final Justice. This role won him an award for Best Supporting Actor. For the next two years, Chow worked very hard, appearing in many films and TV shows.

His career really took off with the film All for the Winner in 1990. This movie became the highest-earning film in Hong Kong at that time. He then starred in sequels to the popular God of Gamblers series.

In 1991, Chow starred in Fight Back to School. This movie was a massive success, earning more than HK$43 million. It even made him more popular than Jackie Chan at the Hong Kong box office for the first time. Over the next ten years, Chow appeared in over 40 films. Many of his movies were top earners, and in 1992, five of the top ten films were his!

In 1994, Chow started his own film company, Choi Sing Company. He worked on a two-part movie based on the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West. These films, A Chinese Odyssey Part One: Pandora's Box and A Chinese Odyssey Part Two: Cinderella, were released in 1995. While they didn't do well at first, they later became very popular, especially online in mainland China.

Global Success

2001–2010: International Fame

In 2001, Stephen Chow's film Shaolin Soccer earned over US$50 million worldwide. Chow won awards for Best Director and Best Actor at the 2002 Hong Kong Film Awards. The movie also won other awards, including Best Foreign Language Film. It was the highest-earning Chinese film in Hong Kong at the time.

Chow promoting CJ7 in Malaysia (2008)

His 2004 film Kung Fu Hustle was another huge hit, making over US$106 million globally. Chow won Best Director at the Taiwan Golden Horse Awards for this film. Many people, including comedian Bill Murray, praised Kung Fu Hustle as an amazing comedy.

Chow's last film as an actor was CJ7, a science fiction comedy released in 2008. The title CJ7 is a fun reference to China's successful space missions. For his great work in comedy, Stephen Chow is often called the "King of Comedy."

2010–Present: Directing Focus

Since 2010, Stephen Chow has mainly focused on directing and producing films. In 2013, his movie Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons became the highest-earning Chinese film ever at that time.

In 2016, his film The Mermaid broke many box office records. It became the highest-earning film of 2016 in China and earned over US$553 million worldwide. This success made Chow one of the top-earning Hollywood directors in 2016.

Chow at the premiere of The New King of Comedy (2019)

Chow spent four years writing, directing, and producing The New King of Comedy. This film, released in 2019, is a remake of his 1999 movie King of Comedy.

Filmography

As Director

As Actor

As Producer Only

Awards and Recognition

Stephen Chow has won many awards for his acting and directing. Here are some of them:

• Amsterdam Fantastic Film Festival
  • 2005: Silver Scream Award for Kung Fu Hustle
• Asia Pacific Film Festival
  • 1992: Best Actor for Justice, My Foot
• Blue Ribbon Awards
  • 2002: Best Foreign Language Film for Shaolin Soccer
• Boston Society of Film Critics Awards
  • 2005: Best Foreign Language Film for Kung Fu Hustle
• Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards
  • 2005: Best Foreign Language Film for Kung Fu Hustle
• Florida Film Critics Circle Awards
  • 2005: Best Foreign Language Film for Kung Fu Hustle
• Golden Bauhinia Awards
  • 1996: Best Actor for A Chinese Odyssey
  • 2002: Best Director for Shaolin Soccer
• Golden Horse Awards
  • 1988: Best Supporting Actor for Final Justice
  • 2005: Best Picture for Kung Fu Hustle
  • 2005: Best Director for Kung Fu Hustle
• Hong Kong Film Awards
  • 2002: Best Picture for Shaolin Soccer
  • 2002: Best Director for Shaolin Soccer
  • 2002: Best Actor for Shaolin Soccer
  • 2002: Best New Director for Shaolin Soccer
  • 2005: Best Picture for Kung Fu Hustle
• Hong Kong Film Critics Society Awards
  • 1995: Best Actor for A Chinese Odyssey Part One: Pandora's Box
  • 2016: Best Director for The Mermaid
• Hong Kong Film Directors' Guild Awards
  • 2016: Best Director for The Mermaid
• Hundred Flowers Awards
  • 2006: Outstanding Feature Film for Kung Fu Hustle
• Las Vegas Film Critics Society Awards
  • 2005: Best Foreign Language Film for Kung Fu Hustle
• Southeastern Film Critics Association Awards
  • 2005: Best Foreign Language Film for Kung Fu Hustle
• Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Awards
  • 2005: Best Foreign Language Film for Kung Fu Hustle
• Utah Film Critics Association Awards
  • 2005: Best Foreign Language Film for Kung Fu Hustle
• Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards
  • 2005: Best Foreign Language Film for Kung Fu Hustle
• BAFTA Awards
  • 2006: nomination: Best Film not in the English Language for Kung Fu Hustle
• Golden Globe Award
  • 2006: nomination: Best Foreign Language Film for Kung Fu Hustle

See also

In Spanish: Stephen Chow para niños

• Sing girls
• Mo lei tau
• Cinema of China
• Cinema of Hong Kong