Chow Yun-fat makes challenging new film after 5-year absence

Hong Kong film legend Chow Yun-fat is back in the game after a five-year hiatus! Here we give you the rundown on the story of his career, and the details of his latest comeback film.

Chow Yun-fat is a Hong Kong actor who is best known for his work as an ‘underdog’ character in some of Hong Kong’s most iconic films in history, according to a Hong Kong Baptist University report on the actor.

Chow Yun-fat was born on Lamma Island in Hong Kong on May 18, 1955. According to The Mirror, the actor's childhood would be considered rough by today's standards, as he grew up in a home without electricity and had to help support his family by working in the streets and fields.

Even after moving to Kowloon, Hong Kong, at the age of ten, Chow Yun-fat's life of doing odd jobs did not end. Chow Yun-fat had to drop out of school at the age of 17 to support his family, and he did so by working as a bellboy, postman, salesman, and private hire driver.

Given how busy he was trying to make ends meet, it was surprising that Chow Yun-fat would end up as an actor, as most enter the profession with zeal. For him, it was fate that he saw a TVB ad in the newspaper for actor-trainees, signed up, and the rest is history.

Image: TVB

Did you know?: Chow Yun-fat and the late actor Ng Man-tat both attended and graduated from TVB's acting school at the same time, and the two were close. However, Ng Man-tat was the first to achieve mainstream success, according to Today Online.

Chow Yun-fat was a late bloomer in the acting scene. Some of his early works include ‘Hot Blood’, ‘The Hunter, the Butterfly and the Crocodile’, and ‘See-Bar’.

Image: TVB

Chow Yun-fat’s years of gruelling work since graduating from TVB’s acting school in 1976 finally paid off when he was cast in the 1980 TV series ‘The Bund’, which still holds the title of being one of the best gangster TV themed series in Hong Kong history.

Image: TVB

What really sealed the deal for Chow Yun-fat’s rise to fame was his work with John Woo. His work in the ‘A Better Tomorrow’ film series was so popular in Hong Kong and beyond that it prompted Chow Yun-fat to quit TV entirely to focus on being a film star!

Image: Fortune Star Media

In a strange twist of fate, Chow Yun-fat was now making it big while his friend and colleague Ng Man-tat was down in the dumps due to his gambling addiction. Today Online reported that Ng Man-tat had gone to seek financial help from Chow Yun-fat for his gambling debts but was buffed by his friend.

Despite the fact that this caused Ng Man-tat to experience a depressive episode as a result of his now very successful friend's rejection, Chow Yun-fat actually played a significant role in helping Ng Man-tat get back on track by reviving his career!

Later on, Chow Yun-fat used his connections to help recommend Ng Man-tat for a role in ‘A Moment of Romance’, and the film’s success allowed his friend to get back on track in his career and to pay off his debts.

Image: PBE Media

Aside from this good deed for a struggling friend, Chow Yun-fat is famed for being a generous philanthropist and even pledged to donate his million-dollar wealth to charity after death, according to Al Jazeera. That’s just like his ‘tough-but-good guy’ screen persona!

Despite his longstanding trademark for playing tough gangster guys, Chow Yun-fat is not a one-trick pony when it comes to acting.

Image: Fortune Star Media

Chow Yun-fat demonstrated more versatility in his acting abilities in 1989, when he debuted a wholly different kind of character in the iconic Hong Kong comedy film 'God of Gamblers'.

This surprised audiences at the time, as many were surprised to see the normally serious Chow Yun-fat dishing out and taking jokes on screen.

Image: Win's Entertainment

Chow Yun-fat’s diversity in his career went even further when he went on to act for the Western market. He was cast to play in not just one, but several Hollywood films.

You might remember Chow Yun-fat for his role as Sao Feng in ‘Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End’, and Li Mu-bai in ‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon’.

Image: Sony Pictures

Other Hollywood films Chow Yun-fat had starred in include 'Anna and the King', 'Bulletproof Monk', and 'Dragonball Evolution'.

Image: 20th Century Fox

Chow Yun-fat's time in Hollywood, however, was brief, as he returned to Hong Kong in 2014 and continued to be based there for work, where he had greater success than in Hollywood.

After his time in Hollywood, Chow Yun-fat has appeared in four major films, namely the ‘From Vegas to Macau’ series. His last film to date was in 2018’s ‘Project Gutenberg’, where he starred alongside Hong Kong A-list heartthrob Aaron Kwok.

It seems that Chow Yun-fat’s acting life does not end with ‘Project Gutenberg,’ even though the actor took a brief hiatus. He is back in the game after a five-year break for his role in the film ‘Don't Call Me God of Gamblers/One More Chance’.

According to The Straits Times, Chow Yun-fat had to make several sacrifices for his role, which is likely related to his legendary appearance in the 'God of Gamblers' series. The actor had to endure scenes in which his co-star slapped him 62 times!

Image: Distribution Workshop

The physical assault on his body as a result of acting sacrifice was not the end of the story. According to The Star, Chow Yun-fat was involved in a freak accident on set and had to be rushed to the hospital, where he received stitches on his face during filming.

Image: Distribution Workshop

Chow Yun-fat's new role appears to be quite serious, and given his reputation in film, his sacrifices for the role are surely visible on screen in his performance.

Image: Distribution Workshop

Interested to see him in action again, catch Chow Yun-fat in 'Don't Call Me God of Gamblers/One More Chance,' in theaters! It premiered on June 21, 2023.

Image: Distribution Workshop

Although the film has been described as a classic 'feel-good' film by 8days and the South China Morning Post, it has also been described as relying on and riding heavily on the audience's love for Chow Yun-fat. Despite the mixed reviews, we're glad he's back in the game!

Image: Distribution Workshop