Course:ASIA321/2022/Chow Yun-Fat

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Chow Yun-Fat "The Coolest Actor in the World"

Introduction

This page aims to introduce a Hong Kong celebrity Chow Yun-fat. As a celebrity, he took a big part in shaping Chinese celebrity and popular culture. The following sections include how he became a celebrity in China and in other cultures, his roles on and off screen, and his representation in the historical, economic and social contexts. There is also critical reviews and debates of literature related to Chow Yun-fat. This page is intended to serve those who are interested in Chinese celebrity culture as well as the actor Chow Yun-fat.

Biography

Chow Yun-Fat 周潤發

Chow Yun-fat (born May 18th, 1955) is a Hong Kong actor. Chow is best known for his work with director John Woo, with whom he made a series of action films that came to define the Hong Kong cinema in the 1980s and 1990s. During this time Chow, transitioned to Hollywood to become an international star.[1]

Early life and education

Chow was born in Hong Kong and grew up in a working-class family. As a child, he sold desserts his mother made on the streets. Chow entered the workforce at the age of 17 and worked in different odd jobs - from being a bellboy to a taxi driver.

Career

  1. 1976 - 1983 Early work and breakthrough: After college, Chow signed up for an acting program run by TVB, Hong Kong’s premier television station. After his matriculation, Chow signed a 3-year-contract with TVB. At the beginning of his career, Chow starred in TVB soap operas and was seen as a heartthrob by many viewers. He made his first breakthrough when he starred in the television series The Bund, a story depicting the trials and tribulations of a gangster in Shanghai in the 1930s. The show became an unprecedented hit, turning Chow into a star.[2]
  2. 1984-1997 Collaboration with John Woo and becoming a Hong Kong action hero: With newfound fame, Chow decided to move to the big screen. Although he struggled initially, Chow found success when he worked with John Woo on their first action drama, A Better Tomorrow in 1986, which catapulted Chow into super stardom. The two would go on to make a number of hit films together, including a sequel to A Better Tomorrow (1987), The Killer (1989) and Hardboiled (1992).[3] Chow and Woo would come to define Hong Kong cinema that decade. Their works would inspire a number of Hollywood directors, like Quentin Tarantino, and Hollywood action films, such as The Matrix (1999). Although Chow became famous for playing strong leads, he also dabbled in a number of comedies including the hit films Love in a Fallen City (1984) and An Autumn’s Tale (1987), which were both box office successes and critically acclaimed. Chow would go on to win a Golden Horse Award for Best Actor for An Autumn’s Tale. One of his most iconic roles was as a cunning gambler in comedy writer-director Wong Jing’s God Gamblers (1989), where he acted alongside another prominent Hong Kong superstar, Andy Lau.[4]
  3. 1998 - 2009 Entering Hollywood and worldwide recognition: Chow attempted to enter Hollywood in the late 1990s, although his initial attempts were considered unsuccessful. His first two Hollywood films were The Replacement Killers (1998) and The Corrupters (1999), where he played the roles that made him famous in Asia. However, both films were box office bombs. Chow would find success in Hollywood, ironically, in Ang Lee’s wuxia film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000), a surprise hit that prompted American interest in Chinese wuxia films during that time. Overall, Chow did not successfully transition into Hollywood, especially compared to Jackie Chan. Yet, both were not taken seriously as dramatic actors and cast primarily as martial artists and action heroes. One of Chow’s last films in Hollywood is Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End (2007) and Dragon Ball Evolution (2009).
  4. 2010-Presenting Returning to Asia, taking smaller roles: After his short stint in Hollywood, Chow returned to Asia cinema and began taking smaller roles, becoming increasingly private and less active in the film industry. From 2010 to present, Chow has been in fewer than 15 films. His last major role was in 2018’s Project Gutenberg.

Personal life

Chow, a prolific philanthropist, has donated more than $5.6 billion HKD of his wealth to charity. Chow is seen as an every man and is often spotted wearing modest clothes, eating street food and riding public transportation in Hong Kong. Chow’s personal life has been subject to media attention for the past four decades. The Hong Kong media frequently reported him about his love life and his family life. Chow has remained relatively reclusive and private. He married twice, first to actress Candice Yu in 1983. Their marriage lasted less than a year. Chow remarried in 1986 to Jasmine Tan. They had a daughter that was stillborn in 1991, 7 months into Tan’s pregnancy. To avoid the pain and unpredictability of childbirth again, the two decided to not be parents.

Screen roles

Chow has appeared in more than 95 featured films and over 25 different television series throughout his career. As a dramatic actor, Chow has primarily been casted as strong masculine characters, typically police officers and detectives during the golden age of Hong Kong cinema. Famously, his collaboration with John Woo cemented him as one of the most iconic Hong Kong action heroes of the 1980s and 1990s. His fame and appeal allowed him to successfully transition to Hollywood, being one of the first dramatic actors from Asia to star and lead a number of Hollywood pictures. Given the consistency of his roles, Chow is a beloved and revered celebrity in Hong Kong and is generally viewed by the mainstream public as an embodiment of those values that he has played on screen. In the industry, Chow is known as Fat-gor (a term that literally translates to older brother). In many ways, this is a term of respect and endearment that has only been bestowed to a select few of Hong Kong celebrities, one of them being Leslie Cheung (who is still referred to as gor gor).

Comparison of Chow Fun-fat On and Off Screen

Image of Ko Chun in God of Gamblers

No matter how many years in the past, the image of Ko Chun, a character played by Chow Yun-fat in God of Gamblers is an insurmountable classic in the hearts of movie fans. Moreover, the famous violent scenes involved gun shooting in the film makes Chow an action hero around the world. Surprisingly, however, Chow is not particularly fond of these sorts of violent action films. In an early interview, Chow said “I myself don’t like violence, I don’t like gunfire”.[5] Supporting this, Chow has remarked that his favorites of the films he has played are those “not popular in the West” like An Autumn’s Tale, which were romantic dramas rather than action flicks. “For me,” Chow continued, “I’m not fascinated about all the [kung fu] wire work or martial arts things, I’m more dedicated to the drama and the romance. I’d rather have a girl than a wire and two guns.”[5]

God of Gamblers (1989)

Comparison In the Film In Real Life
Role Chow plays a James Bond-like card player called Ko Chun who is very good at gambling. Chow personally does not like gambling, he once revealed that he hated gambling ever since he was a child because his father was a gambler and lost all of his money.[6]
Geographical

Setting

God of Gamblers is a gambling-genre film released in 1989, it is set in Hong Kong, where many people were dreaming of striking it rich by virtue of gambling.[7] With the successful role of master gambler created by Chow, the gambling genre became most popular in the early 1990s, it set off a gambling craze in Hong Kong. However, gambling in a land-based casino is not legal in Hong Kong.[5]
Plot God of Gamblers integrated the most popular elements of the time: kung fu, comedy, action, gangsters, etc. Moreover, the dazzling gambling skills such as shuffling skills, guessing points and throwing cups made the audience enthusiastic. In the film, Ko Chun becomes wealthy by virtue of his superb gambling skills, but he also has the tragic experience of falling into a trough, betraying his brother, and losing his lover.[8] Chow does not like violence and gunfire, he prefers romantic love. Despite his massive wealth, Chow and his wife leads a very simple and happy lifestyle, Chow is often opting to take public transit and shop at discounting clothing stores, reportedly spending just $800 HKD ($100 USD) a month on himself, moreover, he plans to donate most of his fortune to charity.[9]  

Chow Yun-fat's Contribution to Film Culture

Representative of Action Movies –– Action Hero

Acting in more than 70 movies since 1976, many classic roles ranging from assassins to gangsters, it’s undeniable that these images helped Chow Yun-fat become one of greatest icons of Hong Kong's action movies– standing all alongside the likes of Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan. Specially, his starring role "Mark" in John Woo's A Better Tomorrow rocketed Chow to superstar status in the East and established him as a gun-wielding action hero. Chow's action movies also has a long-lasting impact on young Asian males, nearly every young man in Hong Kong ran out and bought himself a "Mark Coat," as they became known--a long, heavy woollen coat worn by Chow in the movie.

Representation of Chinese Face in Western Film Industry

Poster of The Replacement Killers

The success of A Better Tomorrow popularized Chinese kung fu in American action movies and the image of super cool demeanour and skill with twin handguns helped open Western film market. Since then, many Hong Kong films have been shown in mainstream cinemas in the United States. In 2000, Chow's another action movie Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon received an Academy Award for best foreign-language film, thus Chow has been gaining more name recognition in Western countries. Chow believes "becoming more global" is a positive step for his career, so after spending two years honing his acting skills, Chow made his Hollywood debut in The Replacement Killers, which Chow acted as an emotionally disillusioned assassin who is forced to settle a violent vendetta for a ruthless crime boss. Chow's debut in Hollywood became a kind of acknowledgment of the Chinese actor’s status and skills, moreover it reveals that Chow represents Chinese and Asian face in Western film industry. To make a better impression on the Western audiences, Chow once in an interview said "I have to study and master the eyes and facial expressions and the demeanour of a would-be assassin, so to speak, so I can copy them, so I can look convincing to the audience."[10] The strict work attitude on how to act well in an action movie made Chow receive many praises from Western media coverages such as the Los Angeles Times described Chow as “the coolest actor in the world”, Gore Verbinski who is best known for directing The Ring, the Pirates of the Caribbean films, described Chow as a “living legend”[5]. Later in Chow's movie career, he frequently worked in Hollywood on films for global distribution. Despite hitting retirement age, it seems like Chow has no desire to stop acting.

Key Factors that Influenced Chow Yun-fat's Career

Historical Factor

Since 1932, Hong Kong film industry entered the sound era, many Cantonese film productions were influenced by traditional Chinese opera. Throughout the period from 1950s to early 1970s, Cantonese cinemas continued to develop and to be influenced by the theatre which singing and dancing formed two important elements of performance. During the same period, the post-war generation grew up to become a major group of film consumers. This young generation’s educational background, contact with Western media and a growing experience of urban Hong Kong, all meant that a distinct cultural identity attached to these local communities had begun to take place. Only singing and dancing performance in films could no longer satisfy audience’s expectations. Later, costume dramas and martial arts films became the two most popular genres in Hong Kong, a great number of films started to have an emphasis on actors’ physical competence and spectacular body movement. Therefore, the popularity of martial arts films has a huge influence on Chow's future career and it could be one main reason that he is an action icon in film industry.[11]

Economic Factor

In the 1970s, Hong Kong’s Cantonese cinema entered a period of stagnation, thus Hong Kong’s local government relaxed its censorship of nudity and violence in the local media. Many local film studios tried to attract audiences back to the cinema through sensual stimulation rather than seeking to improve script quality and character design. In this context, some of Chow’s early films during this period are adult-themed dramas .Chow often had to display his body in a film due to his image as a good-looking and physically charming young man, and the studio made Chow's sexual appealing body a selling point. Moreover, Chow's name often appeared at the top of the cast list in promotional materials and opening credits.[11] Disappointed by this situation in the film industry, Chow realized that the focus on his body and the lack of discourse concerning his portrayal of his character are not good for later career development as an actor, and the one-dimensional focus on actor's physical charms was not sufficient to attract local audiences to the cinema. Therefore, Chow decided to focus on his career in the local TV industry and did not make any films for nearly two years. The situation started to change towards the end of the 1970s, Chow returned to the film industry and his big-screen roles became more diverse. Hong Kong film industry began to focus on actors' complex emotions and social relationships, which were evident in many of Chow’s films produced in the early 1980s such as The Story of Woo Viet (1981).[11] In the film, the intensified emotions of Chow’s characters were an expression of the social mentality. The local film market began to divert attention from Chow's body to his portrayal of character's emotion. The richness of the characters’ emotion showed Chow’s talented acting skills, making Chow gain more name recognition in Hong Kong film industry.

Societal Factor

In the 1980s, after nearly two decades of industrial restructuring, Hong Kong reshaped its image from a regional manufacturing city to a global financial centre. Together with this shifting of the city’s image came the rise of consumer culture. An increasing number of local businesses began to seek high-profile endorsements to stimulate consumer desire in order to increase their profit. As glamorous celebrities with public appeal, film stars became the ideal candidates for such endorsement. Due to the popularity of the image of Mark in A Better Tomorrow, Chow Yun-fat became one of the most popular stars in Hong Kong, and one of the most sought-after celebrities for local businesses. A range of companies and charities invited Chow to endorse their products, which included menswear and accessories, jewellery, mobile phones, food and drinks, blood donation and even babies’ diapers.[11]

Reception of Chow Yun-Fat

Reception of Chow Yun-Fat During Important Historical Eras

Tiananmen Square Protest (1989)

Chow Yun-Fat is loved by many fans for his humble and generous character. He made his debut through a TV series in 1976[11] which was the year of Mao’s death. His period of activity overlaps with a few important moments in Chinese history including the Tiananmen Square protest and the Umbrella Movement in Hong Kong. The following information illustrates the reception of Chow Yun-Fat in Chinese societies during different historical eras.

Tiananmen Square Protest (1989)

In 1989, when the film The Killer starring Chow Yun-Fat was released[11], an important historical event took place at Tiananmen Square in Beijing. The Tiananmen Square protest is a student-let pro-democracy protest demanding for political freedom. This event left hundreds of civilian casualties but much of the information was censored by the government.[12] That year, students hosted Concerts for Democracy in China to raise money for the democracy movement.[13] Chow Yun-Fat featured in this concert by calling in to show his support for the movement.[13] As the film The Killer won a huge success, Chow Yun-Fat was a famous and influential star at that time, so his support helped raise money for the movement and encouraged the students to keep alive the movement and remind people of what happened in Tiananmen Square. His support was greatly appreciated by the protesters and he was able to establish a good image.[14]

Hong Kong Umbrella Movement (2014)

Umbrella Movement (2014)

The Umbrella Movement is the protest campaign started by Hong Kong people in 2014 to call for democracy.[15] This protest gained huge media attention and several celebrities took part in the protest. Chow Yun-fat was one of the minority of celebrities to express opinions on social and political affairs.[16] In his interview with the Apple Daily, a Cantonese newspaper, he expressed his respect towards the student protestors and also criticized on the police's use of tear gas on protestors.[17] The Chinese government took action and blacklisted forty-seven celebrities who supported the Umbrella Movement. These celebrities were banned from all activities on mass media.[16] In response to the Chinese government’s choice to ban them from mainland China, Chow Yun-fat said “I’ll just make less then.”[13] His support for the Hong Kong pro-democracy protest caused mixed reactions from the public. While many people praised him as god for bravely supporting this movement, some mainland fans and companies were offended and they shut him out for being disloyal to their country.[13] Chinese state-run news media published article on his disloyalty, framing him and many other celebrities as betrayers.[16]

Reception of Chow Yun-Fat in Different Cultures

Chow Yun-Fat's popularity is not restricted to mainland China. His popularity spreads across many different cultures. In the 1990s, film industries of many Asian countires had not yet prospered, so it was natural that audience in Asia relied on Hong Kong imports for most of their cinematic entertainment.[18] Also, at that time as Hong Kong films were the most vivid Asian Cinematic pieces, it was widely watched in the West too.[18] The following information is the reception of Chow Yun-Fat in non-Chinese societies, specifically focusing on South Korea and the United States.

Reception of Chow Yun-Fat in the United States

Between 1976 and 1995, Chow Yun-Fat appeared in more than seventy films in Hong Kong.[18] This is the time period where he gained his popularity in Asia and in the West. In 1995, Chow decides to try out for Hollywood.[18] In the beginning of this his Hollywood journey, everything seemed optimistic. He was called "the coolest actor in the world" by The Los Angeles Times even before appearing in any Hollywood films.[18] However, it was not long before he faced many historical misrepresentations of Asian American men.[18] In the West, there existed stereotypes of Asian men as either a gangster or a someone related to martial arts.[18] Furthermore, Hollywood represented Asian men as sexually unattractive and greedy.[18] Chow Yun-Fat experienced these misrepresentation through the roles he played. The film The Replacement Killer showed no romantic connections with the female character and in the blockbuster film Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End he played a sinister role.[18] Many of the misrepresentations of Asian American men were fixed when Chow Yun-Fat started working in the West. Some of the roles he played, allowed the expansion and transformation of the notion of Asian masculinity.[18] However, despite his efforts in the Hollywood, Western perception of Chinese actors remained at kung fu stars. Eventually, these misrepresentations and stereotypes put a break on his success in the Western film market. Americans saw Chow Yun-Fat as a good action star but since he lacked in martial skills compared to Jet Li and Jackie Chan, he was less popular then them in the West.[18] He then returned to Hong Kong in 2006.[18]

Chow Yun-Fat starred in Korean Beverage Advertisement

Reception of Chow Yun-Fat in South Korea

In 1980s, Koreans were obsessed with Hong Kong films. Especially noir films staring Chow Yun-Fat became a part of Korean popular culture. In South Korea, Chow Yun-Fat is often called "Yunbal-ee-hyeong" in a friendly way meaning Yun-fat brother or "da-ge" a Chinese word referring to brother. He was particularly popular among younger generations. With the increasing popularity of Hong Kong culture in South Korea, many wealthy people enjoyed flying to Hong Kong for a movie, bubble tea and good food.[19] The success of A Better Tomorrow caused Chow Yun-Fat syndrome in South Korea. This syndrome caused many Korean men to copy Chow's action and fashion in a wide variety of ways.[20] They wore sunglasses and chewed on match sticks to imitate Chow Yun-Fat in the film.

In 1987, when part of the advertising market was opened and foreign advertising companies were allowed to enter Korea, foreign stars were allowed to star in domestic advertisements.[19] As a result, in 1989, Chow Yun-Fat featured in a Korean beverage Milkis commercial. Chow Yun-Fat's appearance in the commercial was sensational since he was the first foreign model to be featured in a local commercial.[19] Thanks to this commercial, Milkis became a mega hit, accounting for 30 percent of the soft drink market. In the commercial, Chow Yun-Fat improvised the line "I love you, Milkis” which became so popular that it became a buzzword among the younger generations.[21] Since then, many Korean brands have casted Hong Kong actors such as Leslie Cheung and Andy Lau in their commercials.[19]

Stories about Chow Yun-Fat and People’s Reactions

Chow Yun-Fat is an actor that did not cause much scandals. Instead, there are many heart-warming stories related to him. Here are a few famous stories related to Chow Yun-Fat which shaped his image as a celebrity.

$700 million dollars donation

Chow Yun-Fat is known for donating large amounts of money to charity. Chow expressed that he is planning to donate around $700 million fortune to charity.[22] Chow Yun-Fat was born in a poor family and in an interview from a Korean TV show "True Story", he said that he was happy to simply be full when he was young.[22] To help his family, he started working when he was young. Even after his success, he continued to show a humble and frugal lifestyle, often seen taking the public transit and doing charity work.[22] While he says that he will give away $700 million dollars to charity, he himself spends less than $100 a month for himself. In several interviews, he has expressed that the fortune he possesses is not his and that he is just keeping it safe until it is spent on the right place and time.[22] He continuously stated that money is not the source of happiness and demonstrates this philosophy on money wholeheartedly.[22] His attitudes inspires many fans. For example, a women from Shanghai, who is a fan of Chow Yun-Fat, encouraged her mother to donate an apartment worth 10 million yuan to the government upon their deaths.[23]

A filial son

Chow Yun-Fat is now married to Jasmine Tan. But before their marriage, Chow had two other publicized relationships. Of the two, the first publicized relationship was with Idy Chan. Idy Chan is an Hong Kong actress well known for her role as Xiaolongnü.[24] She is known to be Chow Yun-fat's first love. They were in love with each other, but rumors say that because his mother disliked Idy Chan, they had to break up. This break up was too hard for Chow Yun-Fat, that he committed suicide by drinking household detergent.[24] This was a huge shock for the fans. Here, it is notable that he was a filial son. Chow Yun-Fat born as the third out of four children in his family, was naturally closer to his mother as his father was a sailor who was rarely home.[25] From when he was little, he was an obedient child that helped his mother and at home and also financially. After his success, he continued to take good care of his mother. He was often spotted with his mother in public. For this, the public sees him as a good filial son.[25]

Friendship with Ng Man-Tat

Ng Man-Tat is a well-known Hong Kong actor.[26] Chow Yun-Fat and Ng Man-Tat have been friends since they were classmates in actor training course.[27] Ng Man-Tat fame and fortune came before Chow Yun-Fat's success. Unfortunately Ng Man-Tat did not spend his fortune like Chow. Ng Man-Tat gambled and drank away his fortune. He eventually was broke and in debt. He reached out to Chow Yun-Fat for help, but Chow Yun-Fat refused to lend him money and told him to settle himself. This hurt Ng Man-Tat's feelings and soon after he went bankrupt. At that time, he was luckily casted in a movie which helped his financial situation. He worked hard and was able to pay off his debts in three years. Later he found out that it was Chow Yun-Fat who helped him get casted in movies. Man Tat said,

"If he had helped me, I would have continued to rely on him. He wanted me to learn how to pick myself up when I fall down."[27]

They eventually became good friends again. Their friendship story is well known and people are impressed by Chow Yun-Fat's method of helping him. Their story resembles friendship movies and intrigues the audience. Chow Yun-Fat is received as an ideal and true friend through this event. As a celebrity he is received as living out real-life dramas. His tale with his friend is a narrative that makes people fantasize about their friendship.

Critical Literature Review and Debates

Lin Feng - Star endorsement and Hong Kong cinema: The social mobility of Chow Yun-fat 1986-1995

In Lin Feng’s Journal Article Star endorsement and Hong Kong cinema: The social mobility of Chow Yun-fat 1986-1995, Feng uses Chow Yun-Fat as the subject to study how male celebrity image influences Hong Kong's consumer culture between 1986 and 1995.[11] Feng examines a variety of local advertisements featuring Chow Yun-Fat and investigates how Chow's cinematic persona relates to is star image in Hong Kong consumer culture.[11] The article argues that the interconnection between Chow's image on screen and his appearance in commercials create a medium for Hong Kong's new middle class citizens to recongnize their political and economic power and express themselves in society.[11] This article is relevant to establishing Chow Yun-Fat's biography in that it shows the reception of Chow Yun-Fat among Hong Kong's middle class citizens, allowing us to explore Chow Yun-Fat in a social context.

Chow Yun-Fat's working class image in his commercials is an indicator of how important middle-classes have become in the market sector within the mass consumer culture of 1980s. He was able to establish the working middle class male image through variety of his films in the 1980s by playing middle class man roles. The story of a man who crosses class boundaries attracts middle class audiences as it reflects the middle-class dream to climb up the social ladder. The diverse extent of Chow Yun-Fat's star image symbolizes the complexity of social mobility among the middle-class people in Hong Kong. This is a significant reason for Chow's popularity between 1986 and 1995 Hong Kong.

Yiu-Wai Chu - ‘Faces of Hong Kong’: My City? My Home?

In Yiu-Wai Chu’s ‘Faces of Hong Kong’: My city? My home?, Chu discusses Hong Kong's neoliberalism and the identity crisis by the integration with the mainland.[28] Chu examines ‘Faces of Hong Kong’, a campaign initiated by the BrandHK platform in 2010 in her article.[28] The advertisement campaign features Chow Yun-Fat and his story about Kowloon City.[28] Through research Chu argues that Kowloon City is lost its function as site for the writing success stories for young generation of Hong Kong.[28] This article adds to Chow Yun-Fat’s biography by showing how he was received in Hong Kong among the young generation during the time of unease and thus allows us to study Chow Yun-Fat in a political context.

From Chu's article, Chow Yun-Fat is seen as a hero in Hong Kong during the time of protest. He is described as a solution to mitigating the identity crisis. He sacrificed his career in mainland China for the public good and public virtue by supporting the umbrella movement. He was cut off by the Chinese government. Through sacrifice he gains the heroic image and this adds to his popularity as a 'good' celebrity and as a hero to the Hong Kong people. On the contrary, he establishes an antagonistic image in mainland China. His fame in both mainland China and Hong Kong can be categorized as achieved fame, which is being famous for his talent and skills.[29] His talent as an actor is the initial reason for his popularity. But as he gets involved in the political matters, he experiences hero-worship.

Floyd Cheung - Negative Attraction: The Politics of Interracial Romance in The Replacement Killers

In Floyd Cheung's Journal Article Negative Attraction: The Politics of Interracial Romance in The Replacement Killers, Cheung discusses stereotyping of Asian actors in American films through text and film analysis. Then the author argues that if Asians are not portrayed in a stereotypical role, then they are given no role at all. Moreover, the social consequences could be raised from detrimental portrayals of Asians in Hollywood, that is, the fictitious portrayals of Asian characters could have damaging effects once taken outside the realm of film[30].

From Cheung's article, it seems that Asians in Western film industry have been subjected to unfair stereotyping and underrepresentation, inserting an Asian actor into Hollywood film is no simple matter. To be more specific, inThe Replacement Killers, Hollywood tried to put interracial couples on screen. Chow Yun-fat who plays John Lee partners with a Euro-American woman Mira Sorvino who plays Meg Coburn[30]. The portrayal of Chow's East Asian image in The Replacement Killers has been a subject of controversy because the portrayal frequently reflected an assumed perception of East Asians rather than realistic and authentic depictions of East Asian cultures[31]. From Western assumed perception, Chow was portrayed as a typical Chinese action star who is armed with a gun in each hand, however, the realistic depiction of Chinese actors in a film could be various. Chow Yun-fat's case reveals that debates continue on stereotyping of Asian Actors in Western film.

Na Li - Behind Chow Yun Fat's $5.6 billion donation

Chow Yun-Fat has donated his entire fortune to the charity fund.[32] Recently, few media has reported and reprinted the news that Chow Yun Fat followed the example of Bill Gates and Warren Buffet that donate 99% about their property to charity after the death. Chen GuangBiao said in a recent interview that "Bill has the highest respect for Mr. Chow Yun Fat and hopes that entrepreneurs, movie stars and others will learn from him!”. [33]The Hong Kong media has asked him countless times why he doesn't want children, but after they lost their baby girl after the 7 months into Tan’s pregnancy. To avoid the pain and unpredictability of childbirth again, the two decided to not be parents because Chow YunFat doesn't want his wife to suffer the pain of childbirth again. His wife is from a wealthy business family, but after the marriage,  Jasmine does all the house work, laundry and cooking for him, also fully support the career of her husband. For us, we only see a woman who is not beautiful and did not give birth to a son or daughter, but did not see behind the loving couple, no regrets to give.[34]

Conclusion

This Wiki page discusses Chow Yun-fat in different dimensions. We have walked through the career and personal life of Chow. Through research it is understood that Chow contributed to forming celebrity culture in China. Through various films he has demonstrated himself as an action hero, as well as the face of China. We were able to see how his persona differs on and off the set. His roles are greatly influenced by historical events and the prosperity of the martial arts genre allowed him to gain huge popularity. He has also struggled with male and female gaze in his movies when his body was used only to make profit for the film industry during 1970s and he worked towards finding meaning in his work. We have also examined how Chow was received in different time periods and cultures. Chow serves as an important figure in Hong Kong as he symbolizes Hong Kong's identity. He expresses his opinions during important historical events such as the Tiananmen Square protest and the Umbrella Movement. In the United States, he struggles to fight the misrepresentations while in South Korea, he is loved and praised by many young people.

In the Critical Analysis, we examined a variety of literary articles that discusses Chow in different perspective. First, Feng talks about Chow as a representation of middle-class worker and his contribution to the formation of consumer culture. Second, Chu talks about Chow as a symbol for Hong Kong’s identity and what his actions mean to Hong Kong citizens during the time of integration with the mainland. Third, Cheung talks about Chow’s role in his film The Replacement Killers and his struggle with the stereotypes in American films. Lastly, Li discusses Chow as a husband and a donator and how he carries out his life off the screen.

Further research can be done by using Chow Yun-fat as a case study to understand the platformitivity during his period of activity. ==References==

  1. ↑ "Chow Yun-Fat". Biography.com. Archived from the original on 15 May 2018. Retrieved 15 May 2018.
  2. ↑ Feng, L. (2014). Translocal Imagination of Hong Kong Connections: The Shifting of Chow Yun-fat’s Star Image Since 1997. In East Asian Film Stars (pp. 113-127). Palgrave Macmillan, London.
  3. ↑ Sandell, J. (1996). Reinventing masculinity: The spectacle of male intimacy in the films of John Woo. Film Quarterly, 49(4), 23-34.
  4. ↑ Feng, L. (2011). Star endorsement and Hong Kong cinema: The social mobility of Chow Yun-fat 1986–1995. Journal of Chinese Cinemas, 5(3), 269-281.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Parkes, Douglas (May 16, 2020). "What makes Hong Kong's Chow Yun-fat 'the coolest actor in the world'? At 65, the Pirates of the Caribbean star is still up for action – and romance". STYLE.
  6. ↑ Hsia, Heidi (January 21, 2014). "Chow Yun Fat Hates Gambling". Cinema Online.
  7. ↑ Parkes, Douglas (December 14, 2020). "Chow Yun-fat's God of Gamblers 31 years on – and 5 other classic Hong Kong movies about gambling". STYLE.
  8. ↑ "Chow Yun-fat has not been a "god of gambling" for many years". March 28, 2022.
  9. ↑ Hsia, Heidi (January 30, 2014). "Chow Yun-fat is living a frugal life". Cinema Online.
  10. ↑ Chung, Sharon (August 9, 1997). "Chow Yun-Fat: America's next great action hero?". The Standard Times.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 11.5 11.6 11.7 11.8 Feng, Lin. "Star Endorsement and Hong Kong Cinema: The Social Mobility of Chow Yun-Fat 1986-1995". Journal of Chinese Cinemas, vol. 5, no. 3, 2011, pp. 269-281.
  12. ↑ "Tiananmen Square: What happened in the protests of 1989?". December 21, 2021. Retrieved March 20, 2022.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 From MICHAEL CHUGANI in Washington. "HK Entertainers to Star in Democracy Concerts." South China Morning Post (1946-), 1990, pp. 1.
  14. ↑ "民主歌聲獻中華". April 21, 2014. Retrieved March 20, 2022.
  15. ↑ Lee, Francis L. F., Joseph M. Chan, and UPSO eCollections (University Press Scholarship Online). "Media and Protest Logics in the Digital Era: The Umbrella Movement in Hong Kong". Oxford University Press, New York, NY, 2018, doi:10.1093/oso/9780190856779.001.0001.
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 Qin, Amy (October 24, 2014). "Stars Backing Hong Kong Protests Pay Price on Mainland". The New York Times. Retrieved March 20, 2022.
  17. ↑ Tharoor, Ishaan (October 27, 2014). "Why China might pull the plug on Hong Kong celebrities". The Washington Post. Retrieved March 20, 2022.
  18. ↑ 18.00 18.01 18.02 18.03 18.04 18.05 18.06 18.07 18.08 18.09 18.10 18.11 Soe, Valerie. "The Asian Wave: Three Asian Male Superstars in Hollywood." The Palgrave Handbook of Asian Cinema. Palgrave Macmillan UK, London, 2018.
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 19.3 김병희. "한국 텔레비전 방송광고 50년의 흐름과 특성." 한국언론학회 심포지움 및 세미나, vol. 2011, no. 8, 2011, pp. 175-212.
  20. ↑ 방, 호정 (March 16, 2022). "[방호정의 컬쳐 쇼크 & 조크] <55> 멋지게 나이 들기". kookje news. Retrieved March 23, 2022.
  21. ↑ "밀키스". March 20, 2022. Retrieved March 23, 2022.
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 22.2 22.3 22.4 MSG. (2018, December 19). [이거 실화냐?] 홍콩 대스타 주윤발, 8000억 전 재산 기부! - 실화탐사대 (12월19일 방송). YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7QBb1q-QJM
  23. ↑ Yan, Alice (August 12, 2021). "Hong Kong actor Chow Yun-fat's generous will inspires Chinese mother and daughter to leave assets to the public". South China Morning Post. Retrieved March 23, 2022.
  24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 ASIAONE (June 12, 2019). "Idy Chan reveals the reason behind her breakup with Chow Yun Fat". ASIAONE. Retrieved March 23, 2022.
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 K, Joyce (March 8, 2020). "Chow Yun Fat's Close Bond With His Mother". Jayne Stars. Retrieved March 23, 2022.
  26. ↑ Wikipedia contributors. "Ng Man-tat." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 27 Feb. 2022. Web. 28 Mar. 2022.
  27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 Fam, Jonathan (February 1, 2021). "Ng Man Tat Hated Chow Yun Fat For Not Lending Him Money To Clear His Debts Years Ago". today. Retrieved March 23, 2022.
  28. ↑ 28.0 28.1 28.2 28.3 Chu, Yiu-Wai. "‘Faces of Hong Kong’: My City? My Home?" International Journal of Cultural Studies, vol. 19, no. 3, 2016, pp. 307-322. ‘Faces of Hong Kong’: My city? My home?
  29. ↑ R. Yang, Celebrity Culture in Chinese Societies, January 12, 2022
  30. ↑ 30.0 30.1 Cheung, Floyd (2022). "Negative Attraction: The Politics of Interracial Romance in The Replacement Killers". Americana : The Journal of American Popular Culture, 1900 to Present;. 1.CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link)
  31. ↑ Paner, Isabel (2018). "The Marginalization and Stereotyping of Asians in American Film". Dominican University of California. 36: 1–19.
  32. ↑ https://www.zhihu.com/market/paid_magazine/1361294432915132417/section/1361294499767988224?origin_label=search
  33. ↑ http://news.sohu.com/20131108/n389831183.shtml
  34. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8N6z_XKNz0

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