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 63) 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. This type of humor often seems silly or nonsensical, but it is very funny.

Chow started his career in television. He became popular through variety shows and TV dramas. His big break came in 1989 with comedy dramas like The Final Combat. He also worked with actor Ng Man-tat for the first time. In the next two years, he broke Hong Kong box office records. This happened with films like All for the Winner (1990) and Fight Back to School (1991). These movies made him one of the most popular comedic actors in the region.

In the early 1990s, Chow began writing and directing films. He was a director for Flirting Scholar (1993) before getting his first official directing credit. This was for From Beijing with Love (1994). His films Flirting Scholar and A Chinese Odyssey (1995) became very popular over time. By the 2000s, A Chinese Odyssey made him a huge icon in China.

In 2001, he directed and starred in Shaolin Soccer. This film brought him international fame. His next film, Kung Fu Hustle (2004), made him even more famous worldwide. His last acting role was in CJ7 (2008). After that, he focused fully on filmmaking. He had great success with comedies like Journey to the West (2013) and The Mermaid (2016).

Early Life and Education

Stephen Chow was born in Hong Kong on June 22, 1962. His mother, Ling Po-yee, went to Guangzhou Normal University. His father, Chow Yik-sheung, came from Ningbo, Zhejiang. Stephen has an older sister, Chow Man-kei, and a younger sister, Chow Sing-ha.

His given name, "Sing-chi," comes from an old Chinese poem. When he was seven, his parents separated. His mother raised him. Stephen went to Heep Woh Primary School. When he was nine, he watched Bruce Lee's film The Big Boss. This movie inspired him to become a martial arts star. After finishing school, he joined TVB's acting classes.

Stephen Chow's Career Journey

Chow started his career as an extra for Rediffusion Television. Around 1980, he tried to join TVB's artist training course. His friend, Tony Leung Chiu-wai, got in, but Chow was not accepted. He then worked as an office assistant for a shipping company, which he found very boring. A year later, his friend Jaime Chik Mei-jan helped him. She had been in the training course the year before. Thanks to her, he was accepted into the 1982 training class.

Becoming a TV Star

He first gained public attention as a host. He hosted the TVB Jade children's program 430 Space Shuttle. He worked on this show for five years. Producer and actor Danny Lee then signed him to a contract. Lee cast him in a supporting role in the crime drama Final Justice (1988). For this role, Chow won the Golden Horse Award for Best Supporting Actor.

For the next two years, Chow worked very hard. He became even more famous on TV in the wuxia series, The Final Combat (1989). While filming The Final Combat, he also appeared in 12 feature films. Most of these were action films or dramas.

Breaking Box Office Records

In 1990, Jeff Lau directed Chow in Thunder Cops II. Later, Lau hired Chow to star in a comedy film. This film was a parody of the hit movie God of Gamblers. Chow starred with Sharla Cheung and Ng Man-tat.

All for the Winner (1990) became the highest-grossing Hong Kong film ever at that time. It was the number one film of the year. After this success, Wong Jing hired Chow for the official sequels. These were God of Gamblers II (1990) and God of Gamblers III: Back to Shanghai (1991).

After All for the Winner, Chow had two more big hits. These were God of Gamblers II and Tricky Brains. However, some of his next films did not do as well. A magazine even reported that Chow's career was over. But then, he starred in Fight Back to School (1991). This movie was a huge success, earning a lot of money. It also started a new film series. This was the first time Chow's film earned more than a Jackie Chan film at the Hong Kong box office.

Over the next ten years, Chow appeared in more than 40 films. His movies often took the top spot at the box office. In 1992, all five of the top films were Chow's movies.

Directing and International Fame

In 1994, Chow worked with director Lee Lik-chi and writer Vincent Kok. They made Love On Delivery. Later that year, Chow teamed up with Kok and Lee again. They made a James Bond parody called From Beijing with Love. Chow was credited as co-writer and co-director. This film became the third most popular movie of the year.

Around this time, Chow started his own film company, Choi Sing Company. He worked with Jeff Lau on a new movie idea. Lau suggested making a two-part film based on the classic Chinese novel, Journey to the West. Chow agreed. To film in mainland China, it became a co-production. The two films were A Chinese Odyssey Part One - Pandora's Box and A Chinese Odyssey Part Two - Cinderella. They were released in 1995. At first, they did not do well at the box office. However, they became very popular later on. They became cult favorites in mainland China. Phrases and jokes from the films became a big part of early Chinese internet culture. This was known as the Stephen Chow Phenomenon.

Global Recognition

In 2001, his film Shaolin Soccer earned over US$50 million worldwide. Chow won Best Director and Best Actor at the 2002 Hong Kong Film Awards. The film also won many other awards. It was the highest-grossing Chinese film in Hong Kong at the time.

Chow promoting CJ7 in Malaysia (2008)

In 2004, his film Kung Fu Hustle earned over US$106 million worldwide. Chow won Best Director at the Taiwan Golden Horse Awards. He also won Best Picture at the Imagine Film Festival. The film received over twenty international awards. Famous comedian Bill Murray called it "the supreme achievement of the modern age in terms of comedy."

His last acting role was in the film CJ7. Filming began in July 2006. The movie's title, CJ7, was a playful reference to China's successful space missions. For his comedy work, Stephen Chow has been called the "King of Comedy" by groups like the Brooklyn Academy of Music.

Focusing on Directing

In 2010, Stephen Chow became an executive director and major shareholder of BingoGroup Limited.

In 2013, his film Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons became the highest-grossing Chinese film ever at that time.

In 2016, his film The Mermaid broke many box office records. It became the highest-grossing film of 2016 in China. The Mermaid was released in Vietnam in February 2016. By March, it was the third-highest-grossing film of all time there. It has earned over US$553.81 million worldwide. Chow became one of the top-grossing Hollywood directors in 2016.

Chow spent four years writing, directing, and producing a new version of his 1999 film King of Comedy. The new film was called The New King of Comedy and was released in February 2019.

Personal Life

Stephen Chow and Jacqueline Law met while filming The Final Combat in 1989. They dated for a few years. They ended their relationship in 1992.

Chow later dated Athena Chu after they worked together on Fight Back to School. Their relationship lasted over three years.

From 1995 to 1998, Chow dated actress and singer Karen Mok. She starred with him in several films.

Chow had a long relationship with Alice Yu Man-fung. She is the daughter of a business person. Their relationship lasted for many years until 2010.

Filmography

Film Roles

Acting roles

Filmmaking Credits

Feature film

Producer

Television Roles

Awards and Recognition

Stephen Chow has won many awards for his work in film. Here are some of the awards he has received:

See also

In Spanish: Stephen Chow para niños

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