53 years old, Actor

Accomplished actor and photographer, and a Lamma-born Hongkonger of Hakka origin to boot, what isn’t there to love about Chow Yun-fat? The famed actor first rose to prominence as a Shanghai gangster in epic TVB series The Bund, before making it big in 1986 when John Woo cast him as legendary assassin ‘Mark Gor’ in the blockbuster hit A Better Tomorrow. The film caused a fashion sensation as hordes of men bought trench coats, Ray-Bans and toothpicks to mimic his iconic look. Since then, Chow’s roles have ranged from the God of Gamblers in Wong Jing’s iconic film series of the same title, to the badass captain in the latest Pirates of the Caribbean movie – winning over Hollywood whilst staying true to his Hong Kong roots.

He has equally proved his talents as a photographer. Earlier this year Chow launched Moving Pictures, a stunning photography book of his black and white, Ansel Adams-inspired, landscapes and portraits. Special editions of the book were sold to raise funds for Hong Kong Red Cross following the Sichuan Earthquake. Of his passion for taking pictures, Chow says “Photography to me is an impulse; I can’t help but shoot good things as soon as I find them… The audience can only watch the movie as on the big screen, but I can watch a movie from my personal angle in the studio. I record everything as a photographer.”  His love for the art began in 2000, whilst shooting Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. “Ang Lee took me to a very lovely and beautiful place called Jiu Long Ding. The mountains, waters and the forest of bamboos there fascinated me.” Sounds much like Lamma to us… Edmund Lee