Top 10 Remarkable Facts about Chow Yun-Fat  

Chow Yun Fat. Photo By Sliceof – Wikimedia Common

Top 10 Remarkable Facts about Chow Yun-Fat  

Chow Yun-fat, whose previous name was Donald Chow, is a famous Chinese actor who has graced our televisions for decades. Better known as “Big Brother” in Hong Kong by his fans, he has appeared in over 95 films and more than 25 television series.   

He was born on 18th May 1955 in Lamma, the third largest island in Hong Kong. His parents were Chow Yung-wan and Chan Lai-Fong. Chow is married with no biological children but has one goddaughter. 

Chow was 2014’s second-highest earning actor in Hong Kong. He loves photography and is also a screenwriter and musician. He speaks Cantonese, Mandarin, and English. 

He is 6ft tall, taller than the average Chinese man. Chow is a film legend not just in Hong Kong but throughout the world. 

Here are 10 interesting facts about Chow Yun-fat. 

1. He Dropped Out of School at 17 Years

Chow grew up in a farming community, in a house with no electricity. His parents were not wealthy, the father worked in an oil company while his mother was a farmer and a cleaning lady.  

Chow has always been very hardworking since he was a little boy. He would help his mother sell her wares on the streets, work in the fields and look for odd jobs to help his parents make ends meet.  

His school work suffered as a result of this and he dropped out of school when he was 17 years old. After this, he worked as a salesman, taxi driver, bell boy, and postman. 

2. He Started Acting in 1976

Chow Yun-Fat’s name on the Avenue of Stars, Hong Kong. Photo By dennis and aimee jonez – Wikimedia Commons

The family had now moved from Lamma to Kowloon which was an upgrade. The young man could now access newspapers. His luck began to change after he responded to a newspaper advertisement. 

Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB), a television broadcasting company based in Hong Kong, accepted his actor-trainee application and signed him up for a three-year contract. 

Chow started acting in 1976. He was casting in locally aired television soaps and comedies. He quickly became a romantic figure with the Hong Kong audience.  

One problem was that his acting career was progressing slowly. Hong Kong television series were not popular elsewhere but he broke the glass ceiling in 1986. 

3. He Has Won Many Awards Over The Years

Chow teamed up with director John Woo in the film ‘A Better Tomorrow’. The film was so good and well-received in Asia that he won the ‘Best Actor award at the Hong Kong Film Awards. 

That was his first award ever and the film had the highest income in Hong Kong history at the time. Since then, his acting career has been soaring to greater heights. He has been nominated for many awards and he has won several. 

4. Chow is Very Humble Despite Being Rich

Chow Yun Fat. Photo By alotofmillion – Wikimedia Commons

Chow goes to the nearest market every day to buy fresh fruits and vegetables before going to work. He has also been spotted using public transport from time to time and even lining up to watch his movies. 

He used a simple flip phone for 17 years, only switching to a smartphone when the flip phone got spoilt. The actor is well known for his simple lifestyle despite being a multi-millionaire.  

Chow Yun-fat’s reported net worth is HK$5.6 billion (US$714 million). He pledged to donate 99% of his fortune to help the needy by setting up a foundation. He has sponsored various charity events such as the “National Wildlife.” 

5. He Tried to Take His Life Due to Depression

Chow went into depression after a break-up with his first girlfriend Idy Chan. They broke up because his mother didn’t like her and never approved of their relationship. 

He was sad and miserable and he tried to commit suicide by taking a detergent bottle. Luckily, he was taken to the hospital where he survived. Idy reportedly nursed him back to health.   

6. His First Marriage Lasted 9 Months

After getting well and accepting his breakup with Idy, Chow met Candice. They dated shortly and got married to Candice Yu in 1983. However, their union did not last and they got divorced nine months later. 

Chow would later meet the love of his life, Jasmine Tan. They have been married since 1986. They have no biological children they sadly lost their daughter at birth in 1991. 

7. Chow Loves Photography 

An outdoor ad of famous actor Chow Yun Fat on Gloucester Road, Wan Chai, in Hong Kong. Photo By Wageeckhai – Wikimedia Commons

Chow loves photography. He released his first photo collection in Hong Kong, which contains pictures taken on the sets of his films.  

He donated the proceeds of the book sale to Sichuan earthquake victims. The books were published by Lui Vuitton and sold in his Paris and Hong Kong stores.     

He is a devout Buddhist, and very involved in charity in all aspects of his life. 

8. He’s Had Several Injuries on Set 

While filming, Chow narrowly escaped being blown up. The explosion behind the mansion door was more potent than expected. He was blasted forward with some of his hair singed. Additionally, while filming the explosive climax of Hard Boiled in 1992, chow was nearly incinerated.   

He was also injured on the forehead, where he was accidentally hit by a hairspray tossed by his fellow actor Kenny Wong. Despite being injured, he continued acting until he finished the scene and went to nurse the wound. He got five stitches at the hospital afterward.   

Interestingly, Chao performed his stunts in the movie “From Vegas to Macau 3” at 60 years old. 

9. Chow Supported the Umbrella Movement

Chow Yun Fat. Photo By Sliceof – Wikimedia Common

In one of the ‘Pirates of the Caribbean movies, Chow Yun- Fat’s part was omitted when the movie was aired in China. 

The Chinese government felt that Chow’s character as captain Sao Feng was bad and it humiliated the people of China.  

There were reports that Chow Yun-Fat was banned from working on film productions in mainland China by the socialist government in 2014. This was after he voiced support for students in the Umbrella Movement, a civil rights movement for universal suffrage in Hong Kong. 

10. He Turned Down a Role in the Matrix

Chow helped Andy Lau turn his career around. Lau had been blacklisted from Hong Kong Television for refusing to sign a TVB contract and his career was almost crashing. Chow came to his aide and together they made 4 movies and two TV series. 

Chow turned down the role of Morpheus in The Matrix. In 2022, People Magazine chose him as one of the 50 most beautiful people. He was named the star of the decade by CineAsia, an Asian Theatre Owners Convention.