Who is Andy Lau? Everything You Need to Know

Lau was born in Tai Po, in the New Territories of Hong-Kong, on September 27, 1961. He was named as Lau Fook-Wing at the time of his birth but later got it changed to Andy Lau Tak-Wah.

He lived in the slums of Diamond Hills with his family, where his father worked as a fireman. Lau had to struggle even for the basic needs like water, for which he had to walk several kilometres.

With all these daily life hardships and financial crisis, Lau still managed to attend school. He graduated from 'Ho Lap College' in San Po Kong, Hong Kong. This is a grant-aided school for children belonging to the lower financial class.

Lau practiced Chinese calligraphy during his school days. He later went to 'Lingyan Mountain Temple' in Taiwan and embraced Buddhism.

He gave up his academics only to become an actor when he was just 19. Lau then entered the acting academy of TVB, which is one of the most popular Hong Kong television channels, in 1980. After that, he appeared in some small roles in several TV series.

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Career

Lau got his first break in 1982 when he played the lead in the television series 'The Emissary’. The high ratings of the series worked well for the actor.

In the 1983 TV series ‘Return of the Condor Heroes’, Lau played the main character. The series recorded the highest television ratings and brought him into the limelight. The same year, Lau participated in the show ‘TVB All-star challenge’. His popularity on the show branded him as one of the ‘TVB's Five Tigers', of which Tony Leung, Michael Miu, Felix Wong and Kent Tong were the other four.

Despite his growing celebrity status, Lau experienced a dark phase in his career. In 1986, TVB channel wanted him to sign for another five years which Lau declined. As a result, TVB boycotted him from the television for months. This is when Lau shifted his focus towards cinema.

In 1983, Lau appeared in the film ‘On the Wrong Track’, in which he played the lead. Lau shot two films with the director Chow Yun-Fat. In 1987, he appeared in 'Rich & Famous' and 'Tragic Hero'.

In 1988, he resolved his legal issues with TVB but remained focused on cinema. In 1991, he founded his own production company 'Teamwork Production' and 'Saviour of the Soul' was the first film made under it.

Andy Lau, like every star in Hong-Kong, ended up being a singer. In 1985, he released his first album ‘Only Know that I Still Love You’, which didn't make a great success. He bounced back with his smash hit album ‘Would It Be Possible?’. It won the Platinum Disc Award, thrice.

In 1991, he was elected as one of the 'Four Heavenly Kings of Cantopop' along with Jacky Cheung Hok-Yau, Aaron Kwok Fu-Sing, and Leon Lai Ming. This brought him in the league of most popular stars.

Major Works As An Actor

The Emissary: This was his first television series where he played the lead. He was seen playing an aspiring police officer, Kong Tai-wai, but ended up becoming an undercover agent. The series aired its first episode on December 27, 1982.

Rich and Famous: This is an action thriller film which was released on February 20, 1987. The film released its sequel ‘Tragic Hero’ in the same year and in both the films Lau played the lead. He played the character of Lam Ting-Kwok, who always protected his brother from getting into wrong ways of earning money.

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Running Out of Time: Lau appeared as Cheung, a most wanted criminal, who is in his last stage of cancer. This action film released in 1999, and its released its sequel ‘Running Out of Time 2’ released in 2001.

A Fighter's Blues: Lau completed his century with this film. He produced the film and played the lead as Mong Fu. The film released on November 21, 2000, and was declared a hit.

As A Singer

Only Know that I Still Love You: This is Lau’s first solo album. It released in 1985, but failed to secure a position in any of the music charts.

Would It be Possible: Unaffected by the failure of his first album, Lau released this album in 1990 and left an impact on the music lovers. The album became a chartbuster which worked wonders for Lau's singing career.

I Hate Myself for Loving You: Lau sang the cover version of this song which was originally sung by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts.

Awards & Achievements

Hong Kong Film Awards (1988): Lau received his first award as 'Best Producer' for his directorial debut film ‘Made in Hong Kong’. This was also selected for the prestigious ‘71st Academy Awards’.

Golden Bauhinia Awards (2000): Lau won the ‘Best Actor’ award for the film ‘Running Out of Time’.

Golden Bauhinia Awards (2001): Lau was given the ‘Best Actor’ award for the film ‘A Fighter's Blues’.

Hong Kong Film Awards (2012): Lau received two awards under the categories of the ‘Best Actor’ and the ‘Best Producer’ for the film ‘A Simple Life.

Personal Life

Lau is married to his long-time girlfriend Carol Chu, who is of a Malaysian-Chinese origin. They got married in Las Vegas, after a courtship of 24 years.

The couple welcomed their first bundle of joy, a daughter, on May 9, 2012 and named her Hanna.

Trivia

Lau’s first directorial venture 'Made in Hong Kong' was made with the leftover reels to reduce the production cost.

Andy Lau Biography