Chow Yun-fat
A magnetic Hong Kong film star whose effortless cool in gangster epics and heartfelt dramas defined an era of cinema.
Born 1955 (age 71)·Hong Kong actor·Birthday: May 18·Baby Boomers
Biography
Born on Lamma Island to a farming family, Chow Yun-fat’s early life was one of rural poverty. He entered television in the mid-1970s, his striking presence quickly making him a household name. His cinematic breakthrough came through a transformative collaboration with director John Woo, where his portrayal of noble, trenchcoat-clad killers in films like 'A Better Tomorrow' and 'The Killer' fused balletic violence with profound melancholy, creating a new archetype. Chow possessed a rare duality, shifting seamlessly from these hard-boiled roles to romantic comedies and poignant period pieces, winning top acting honors in Hong Kong and Taiwan. His later foray into Hollywood, including 'Anna and the King', introduced his grace to wider audiences, but his legacy remains cemented in the films that captured Hong Kong's anxious, glamorous spirit in the decades before its handover.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Chow was born in 1955, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Chow Was Born
The biggest hits of 1955
#1 Movie
Lady and the Tramp
Best Picture
Marty
#1 TV Show
The $64,000 Question
Chow's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1955Born
Rosa Parks refuses to give up her bus seat
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $9,550Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Rock Around the Clock" — Bill Haley & His CometsBest Picture: Marty
1960Started school
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1968Became a teenager
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1971Could drive
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1973Could vote
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1976Turned 21
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1985Turned 30
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1995Turned 40
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
2005Turned 50
Hurricane Katrina devastates New Orleans; YouTube launches
Gas: $2.30/galHome: $167,500Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"We Belong Together" — Mariah CareyBest Picture: Crash
2015Turned 60
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
2025Turned 70
AI agents go mainstream
Gas: $3.10/galHome: $385,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"APT." — Rose & Bruno Mars
2026Age 71 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won three Hong Kong Film Awards for Best Actor for his performances in 'Hong Kong 1941', 'A Better Tomorrow', and 'All About Ah-Long'.
- Received two Golden Horse Awards for Best Actor for his roles in 'An Autumn's Tale' and 'City on Fire'.
- Starred in John Woo's 'The Killer', a film that became a landmark in the heroic bloodshed genre and gained a massive international cult following.
- Appeared in over 100 films and television series across a career spanning more than four decades.
Did You Know?
He was famously known for donating his entire $70 million fortune to charity in 2018, stating he found happiness in simplicity.
Before his acting career took off, he worked as a bellboy at the luxurious Peninsula Hotel in Hong Kong.
He is an avid hiker and can often be spotted on Hong Kong's trails using public transportation.
He performed many of his own stunts in action films, including dangerous scenes with live ammunition in early movies.
““Money isn’t everything in life. You have to find something you like to do.””
