Top 10 Facts about Stephen Chow

Hong Kong Actor and Film maker, Stephen Chow. Photo by Galaxy Studio. Wikimedia Commons.

Top 10 Facts about Stephen Chow

Stephen Chow is a film director, screenwriter, and actor from Hong Kong. He is best known for his famous creations; Shaolin Soccer and Kung Fu Hustle. He has however featured in other numerous films over the years.

He has also won a series of awards, both locally in Hong Kong and internationally. Some of these include the Golden Globe Award for the best foreign-language film for Kung Fu Hustle, the BAFTA Awards, Golden Horse Awards, Blue Ribbon Awards, and Hong Kong Film Awards, among others.

Most of his works are comedic and action-inspired. He has been praised for his contribution to comedy in the film industry. Brooklyn Academy of Music has described Chow as the King of Comedy’. Here are the top 10 facts about Stephen Chow you might want to know!

1. He was born in Kowloon, Hong Kong

Kowloon, Hong Kong. Photo by Rutger van der Maar. Wikimedia Commons.

Chow was born to Chinese parents on 22 June 1962. He has two sisters; Chiau Man-Kei and Chiau Sing-ha. As an only boy, he spent most of his childhood with his sisters in Shanghai, China.

His parents divorced when he was only 7 years old. After that, his mother raised him. He attended a missionary school for his primary education in China. It was attached to the Hong Kong Council of the Church of Christ. Chow later attended San Marion Secondary School.

2. His Chinese name is Chiau Sing Chi

Yes! He is known as Stephen Chow professionally but his birth-given name is Chiau Sing Chi. ‘Sing- Chi’ derives from Chinese poet Wang Bo’s essay; ‘Preface to the Prince of Teng’s Pavilion’. His father’s name is Chiau Yik-Sheung, hence his first name Chiau.

3. Stephen Chow began his career as an extra on a Hong Kong TV Station

Main Block, TVB city. Photo by Tim Wu. Wikimedia Commons.

The station was Rediffusion Television (RTV). It was the first in Hong Kong. In 1983, Chow joined its competitor, Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB). He had just graduated from high school in 1982. He  auditioned for a slot in an acting school run by the station but was rejected.

However, his friend helped him out and he took night classes. A year later, TVB hired him. He worked there as a host for a children’s program called 430 Space Shuttle. This is where he started becoming popular in China.

Although he wasn’t particularly fond of children, he developed a great rapport with the show’s co-stars and the audience loved it! The show ran for 5 years.

4. He made his debut film in 1988; Final Justice

This was a Hong Kong crime film, starring film stars Danny Lee and Stephen Chow. Chow acts as a boy innocently involved in a robbery and murder case.

Danny Lee stars as a District Sergeant, who believes that the boy (Chow) is innocent. He has to find evidence to disprove the false allegations.

Stephen Chow did good justice to his role (no pun intended). This won him the Golden Horse Award for Best supporting actor.

5. His films; Kung Fu Hustle, and Shaolin Soccer, shot him into international stardom

Kung Fu Hustle is an action comedy film, filmed in Shanghai, China. Stephen co-wrote, directed, and produced it. He also stars in it. It is a 2004 film, which was a co-production between Hong Kong and Mainland Chinese Companies.

Chow’s 2001 film, Shaolin Soccer had garnered considerable commercial success. In 2003, Hollywood bought distribution rights and released it internationally.  

Kung Fu Hustle came right after it and managed to attain international release. In 2005, it was released in the United States, where it received positive and incredible reviews.

It also ranked 10^th on the list of highest-grossing foreign films in the US. The film won several awards, including 6 Hong Kong Film Awards and 5 Golden Horse Awards. It was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the BAFTA Awards in 2005.

6. Stephen Chow grew up as a Bruce Lee fan

Photo of Bruce Lee from the film Fists of Fury (aka The Big Boss). Photo by National General Pictures. Wikimedia Commons.

Bruce Lee is undoubtedly one of the most famous icons in martial arts. Chow grew up watching Bruce Lee’s films, such as The Big Boss. Fascinated by Lee’s talent, he developed a great interest in martial arts.

He wanted to become a martial arts star like Bruce Lee. He started training in the style of ‘Wing Chun’, one of Lee’s specialties. The skills he gained came in handy when he began producing films.

He incorporates martial arts in most, if not all, of his action films. The Shaolin Soccer film, for example, combined both sports and Kung Fu.

7. He is known for combining action and comedy in his films

Stephen Chow never lacks a sense of humor in his works, which is probably one of the most striking features of his productions. He has incredible comedic talent, which features in his works.

For instance, Bill Murray, an American comedian, described Kung Fu Hustle as the ‘supreme achievement of the modern age in terms of comedy.’ The Brooklyn Academy of Music has also described Chow as the ‘King of Comedy’.

8. Some of his films have become the highest-grossing films of all time

Shaolin Soccer, released in 2001, was the highest-grossing film in Hong Kong at the time, grossing about 46 million dollars in Asia. Kung Fu Hustle grossed over 106 million US dollars worldwide in 2004, ranking 10^th on the list.

His 2013 film, Journey to the West; Conquering the Demons was the highest-grossing Chinese film of all time. In 2016, Stephen Chow became the 9^th top-grossing Hollywood Director.

9. Stephen Chow has won numerous awards for his works

Golden Horse Awards trophy sample in Taipei Cinema park. Photo by Solomon203. Wikimedia Commons.

These are both locally (Hong Kong) and internationally. Most of these are for Shaolin Soccer and Kung Fu Hustle films.

They include the Silver Scream Award for Kung Fu Hustle, Best Foreign Language Film for Shaolin Soccer at the Blue Ribbon Awards, Best Picture, Director and Actor for Shaolin Soccer at the 2002 Hong Kong Film Awards, Golden Horse Awards for Best Supporting Actor for Final Justice, and Best Picture for Kung Fu Hustle.

This  list is not exhaustive. Chow has won numerous awards, proving his talent and skill in production, directing, and acting in films.

10. He has recently shifted to creating content for online streaming platforms

In 2021, Chow announced an online film deal with China’s Tencent Video. He has also committed to producing an animated Monkey King feature for Netflix.

While some may see this as a strategic comeback from a silent career in recent years, Stephen Chow remains  a comedic icon of all time in the film industry.