Stephen Chow
Stephen Chow | |||||||||||||||||
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周星馳 | |||||||||||||||||
Chow in 2008 | |||||||||||||||||
Born | Stephen Chow Sing-chi 22 June 1962 | ||||||||||||||||
Occupation(s) | Director, actor, comedian, screenwriter, producer | ||||||||||||||||
Years active | As a director: 1994–present As an actor: 1988–2008 | ||||||||||||||||
Chinese name | |||||||||||||||||
Traditional Chinese | 周星馳 | ||||||||||||||||
Simplified Chinese | 周星驰 | ||||||||||||||||
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Stephen Chow Sing-chi[1] (Chinese: 周星馳; born 22 June 1962) is a Hong Kong filmmaker,[2] former actor and comedian,[3] known for Shaolin Soccer and Kung Fu Hustle.
Early life and education
[edit]Stephen Chow was born in Hong Kong on 22 June 1962 to Ling Po-yee (凌寶兒), an alumna of Guangzhou Normal University, and Chow Yik-sheung (周驛尚), an immigrant from Ningbo, Zhejiang.[4] Chow has an elder sister named Chow Man-kei (周文姬) and a younger sister named Chow Sing-ha (周星霞).[5] Chow's given name "Sing-chi" (星馳) derives from Tang dynasty (618–907) Chinese poet Wang Bo's essay Preface to the Prince of Teng's Pavilion.[6] After his parents divorced when he was seven, Chow was raised by his mother.[6] Chow attended Heep Woh Primary School, a missionary school attached to the Hong Kong Council of the Church of Christ in China in Prince Edward Road, Kowloon Peninsula.[7] When he was nine, he saw Bruce Lee's film The Big Boss, which inspired him to become a martial arts star.[8] Chow entered San Marino Secondary School, where he studied alongside Lee Kin-yan.[8] After graduation, he joined the TVB's acting classes.[9]
Career
[edit]Chow began his career as an extra for Rediffusion Television. He later joined TVB in 1982. He captured the attention of the public as host of the TVB Jade children's program 430 Space Shuttle.[10][11]
Chow made his film debut in the 1988 film Final Justice, which won him the Golden Horse Award for Best Supporting Actor at the Golden Horse Awards.
Chow shot to stardom in The Final Combat (1989).[12] The following decade, he appeared in more than 40 films.[13] Fight Back to School (1991) became Hong Kong's top-grossing film of all time. In 1994, he began directing films, starting with From Beijing with Love.
In the latter half of the 1990s, Chow became very famous in mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Tibet, and Taiwan, leading to the Stephen Chow Phenomenon (周星驰现象).[14][15][16][17]
2001–2010: International stardom
[edit]In 2001, his film Shaolin Soccer grossed over US$50 million worldwide.[18][19][20][21] Chow won Best Director and Best Actor at the 2002 Hong Kong Film Awards, and the film went on to garner additional awards including a Blue Ribbon Awards for Best Foreign Language Film and the Golden Bauhinia Award for Best Picture and Best Director.[22] It was the highest-grossing Chinese film in Hong Kong at the time, grossing $46 million in the Asia region.[10]
In 2004, his film Kung Fu Hustle grossed over US$106 million worldwide. Chow also won Best Director at the Taiwan Golden Horse Awards and Best Picture of Imagine Film Festival as well as over twenty international awards.[23][24] Comedian Bill Murray said that the film was "the supreme achievement of the modern age in terms of comedy" .[25]
His final role film CJ7 began filming in July 2006 in the eastern Chinese port of Ningbo.[26] In August 2007, the film was given the title CJ7, a play on China's successful Shenzhou crewed space missions—Shenzhou 5 and Shenzhou 6.[27]
For his work in comedy, he has received praise from notable institutions such as the Brooklyn Academy of Music, which has called him the King of Comedy.[28]
2010–present: Focus on directing
[edit]In 2010, he became the executive director and major shareholder of 比高集團(BingoGroup Limited).[29]
In 2013, his film Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons was the highest-grossing Chinese film of all time.[30][31]
In 2016, his film The Mermaid broke numerous box office records,[32] and became the highest-grossing film of 2016 in China.[33] The Mermaid was released in Vietnam on 10 February 2016. On 14 March, it became the third-highest-grossing film of all time in Vietnam. It has now grossed over US$553.81 million worldwide.[34] Chow became the ninth-top-grossing Hollywood Director in 2016.[35]
Personal life
[edit]Chow dated Karen Mok, who has starred alongside him in several films.[36] Chow had a ten-year relationship with Yu Wenfeng until 2010.[37]
Political views
[edit]In 2013, Stephen Chow was elected a member of the 11th Guangdong Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).[38] According to media exposure, Chow often arrives late and leaves early at the conference, and has not put forward any proposals.[39]
Filmography
[edit]As director
[edit]Year | English title | Director | Writer | Producer | Chinese title | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1994 | From Beijing with Love | Yes | Yes | No | 國產凌凌漆 | Co-directed with Lee Lik-chi |
1996 | Forbidden City Cop | Yes | Yes | No | 大內密探零零發 | Co-directed with Vincent Kok |
The God of Cookery | Yes | Yes | No | 食神 | Co-directed with Lee Lik-chi | |
1999 | King of Comedy | Yes | Yes | No | 喜劇之王 | |
2001 | Shaolin Soccer[40] | Yes | Yes | No | 少林足球[41] | |
2004 | Kung Fu Hustle | Yes | Yes | Yes | 功夫 | |
2008 | CJ7 | Yes | Yes | Yes | 長江七號 | |
2013 | Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons | Yes | Yes | Yes | 西遊·降魔篇 | Co-directed with Derek Kwok |
2016 | The Mermaid[42] | Yes | Yes | Yes | 美人魚 | |
2019 | The New King of Comedy | Yes | Yes | Yes | 新喜劇之王 |
As actor
[edit]As producer only
[edit]Year | English title | Chinese title |
---|---|---|
2008 | Shaolin Girl | 少林少女 |
2009 | Jump | 跳出去 |
Dragonball Evolution | 七龍珠 | |
2010 | CJ7: The Cartoon | 長江7號愛地球 |
2017 | Journey to the West: The Demons Strike Back | 西遊伏妖篇 |
2019 | Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons TV | 劇版西遊降魔篇 |
The Mermaid TV | 劇版美人魚[44] |
Awards
[edit]Awards won |
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Amsterdam Fantastic Film Festival
|
Asia Pacific Film Festival
|
Blue Ribbon Awards
|
Boston Society of Film Critics Awards
|
Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards
|
Florida Film Critics Circle Awards
|
Golden Bauhinia Awards
|
Golden Horse Awards
|
Hong Kong Film Awards
|
Hong Kong Film Critics Society Awards
|
Hong Kong Film Directors' Guild Awards
|
Hundred Flowers Awards
|
Las Vegas Film Critics Society Awards
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Southeastern Film Critics Association Awards
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Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Awards
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Utah Film Critics Association Awards
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Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards
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BAFTA Awards
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Golden Globe Award
|
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Judgment". legalref.judiciary.hk. Archived from the original on 3 June 2021. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
- ^ Stephen Chow the NO.1 star of China Archived 12 March 2019 at the Wayback Machine, PEOPLE; accessed 10 October 2018.
- ^ Stephen Chow earn US$420 million Archived 27 January 2020 at the Wayback Machine, PEOPLE
- ^ Hua (2016), p. 4-5.
- ^ Hua (2016), p. 5-6.
- ^ a b Hua (2016), p. 5.
- ^ Hua (2016), p. 11.
- ^ a b Hua (2016), p. 15-19.
- ^ Hua (2016), p. 69-73.
- ^ a b Walsh, Brian (28 April 2003). "Stephen Chow | The star of Shaolin Soccer doesn't mind if the joke is on him". Time. Archived from the original on 4 February 2004. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
- ^ Mok, Laramie (22 June 2019). "5 Stephen Chow movies that made him Hong Kong's comedy king". South China Morning Post. Archived from the original on 14 January 2021. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
- ^ Over 2 million people watched The Final Combat and Hong Kong only 5.18 million people in that time
- ^ Hale, Mike (5 October 2014). "Lightning Fast With His Feet and His Jokes". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 28 March 2020. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
- ^ Chinese watched Stephen Chow's films and grew up. So they knew Stephen Chow's words and use them customarily. Archived 1 January 2019 at the Wayback Machine, PEOPLE
- ^ "What is Stephen Chow Phenomenon". Archived from the original on 3 June 2016. Retrieved 4 May 2016.
- ^ Tencent: WeChat's icon is made of Stephen Chow's action, xinhua
- ^ "SINA:2001年5月2日晚,周星驰到访北京大学,在百周年纪念讲堂直接面对北大的学生与网友。近5、6年来由各著名高校的学生倡导形成的"周星驰热"也终于达到了一个高潮。周星驰和他的电影的影响已经远远超出了大屏幕的范围,渗透到了当今中国的文化甚至是日常生活中。". Archived from the original on 22 May 2021. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
- ^ "《少林足球》风靡意大利 意甲球星为电影配音_2006德国世界杯". 2006.163.com. Archived from the original on 16 March 2018. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
- ^ 2006 FIFA World Cup
- ^ "奥地利热播 周星驰粤语小调德语配音-搜狐体育". sports.sohu.com. Archived from the original on 7 April 2014. Retrieved 14 June 2017.
- ^ "Shaolin soccer kicks an international goal". asiaarts.ucla.edu. 1 August 2003. Archived from the original on 21 July 2012.
- ^ "Siu lam juk kau awards (2001)". imdb.com. 1 January 2009. Archived from the original on 15 February 2017. Retrieved 29 June 2018.
- ^ Chow, Vivienne (7 March 2005). "Kung Fu Hustle wins Stephen Chow top award". Archived from the original on 2 June 2021. Retrieved 30 May 2021.
- ^ "Kung Fu (2004) – Awards". imdb.com. 1 January 2009. Archived from the original on 8 April 2017. Retrieved 29 June 2018.
- ^ Fierman, Dan (19 July 2010). "Bill Murray Is Ready To See You Now". GQ. Archived from the original on 4 September 2011. Retrieved 2 October 2011.
- ^ "Stephen Chow's Sci-fi/Comedy will give 'A Hope' to audiences". twitchfilm.net. 29 September 2006. Archived from the original on 12 October 2008. Retrieved 19 September 2008.
- ^ "Stephen Chow's Movie 'A Hope' Changes Title". Asian Popcorn. 17 August 2007. Archived from the original on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 31 August 2007.
- ^ Hale, Mike (5 October 2014). "Lightning Fast With His Feet and His Jokes". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 28 March 2020. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
- ^ Yan, Pei (28 May 2010). "Movie star Stephen Chow takes control of Emcom". China.org.cn. Archived from the original on 27 June 2012. Retrieved 28 May 2010.
- ^ The Hollywood Reporter (7 December 2016). "Stephen Chow's last two films set all-time China box-office records at the time of their release". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 8 December 2016. Retrieved 7 December 2016.
- ^ "Stephen Chow: A Guide for the Perplexed". 25 February 2016. Archived from the original on 2 June 2021. Retrieved 30 May 2021.
- ^ "Stephen Chow in China=Star War in American". Archived from the original on 30 July 2018. Retrieved 10 August 2016.
- ^ "NO.1 star in China – Stephen Chow". Archived from the original on 12 March 2019. Retrieved 21 February 2016.
- ^ "Stephen Chow Movie: The Mermaid Worldwide Box Office: US$553.81 million". Forbes.
- ^ Forbes (31 December 2016). "Top-Grossing Hollywood Directors". Forbes. Archived from the original on 3 May 2019. Retrieved 31 March 2017.
- ^ Koh, Lydia (27 July 2019). "Is Stephen Chow secretly married? Ex-girlfriend Karen Mok comments". The Independent Singapore. Archived from the original on 28 November 2021. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
- ^ "Stephen Chow and Yu WenFeng Split After 10 Years Together". JayneStars.com. Archived from the original on 22 June 2020. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
- ^ "Stephen Chow elected political advisor – China.org.cn". www.china.org.cn. Archived from the original on 3 February 2013. Retrieved 8 June 2023.
- ^ "广州媒体:周星驰做政协委员四年无一提案,不是迟到就是早退". The Paper (in Chinese (China)). 24 January 2016. Archived from the original on 13 February 2017. Retrieved 13 November 2020.
- ^ "Shaolin Soccer the NO.1 DVD Sale of 2002 in JAPAN". watch.impress.co.jp. 11 July 2019. Archived from the original on 22 September 2020. Retrieved 11 July 2019.
- ^ a b "Shaolin Soccer grossed over 3.5 Billion in JAPAN". watch.impress.co.jp. 11 July 2019. Archived from the original on 10 March 2021. Retrieved 11 July 2019.
- ^ "Stephen Chow casting his new Mermaid movie with a public talent search". Filmdivider.com. Archived from the original on 20 December 2015. Retrieved 10 August 2016.
- ^ "Shaolin Soccer the NO.1 DVD Sale of 2002 in JAPAN". watch.impress.co.jp. 11 July 2019. Archived from the original on 22 September 2020. Retrieved 11 July 2019.
- ^ "掘金星爷:爱奇艺为剧版《美人鱼》和《西游降魔篇》花了7.08亿". Archived from the original on 14 August 2017. Retrieved 11 June 2017.
Bibliography
[edit]- Hua, Cheng (2016). 《周星驰:做人如果没有梦想,跟咸鱼有什么分别》 [Stephen Chow: Without Dream, What's the Difference between Men And Salted Fish] (in Chinese). Xicheng District, Beijing: Sino-Culture Press. ISBN 978-7-5075-4635-4.
External links
[edit]- 1962 births
- Living people
- Male actors from Zhejiang
- Members of the Election Committee of Hong Kong, 2012–2017
- 20th-century Hong Kong male actors
- 21st-century Hong Kong male actors
- Hong Kong film directors
- Hong Kong film producers
- Hong Kong screenwriters
- Hong Kong male film actors
- Hong Kong male television actors
- Hong Kong male comedians
- Hong Kong martial artists
- Hong Kong philanthropists
- Hong Kong television presenters
- Hong Kong idols
- TVB veteran actors