Stephen Chow
Stephen Chow Sing-chi is Hong Kong’s comedic superstar, as well as internationally acclaimed as an actor, film director, and producer. Like plenty of boys, he was inspired by Bruce Lee to become a martial arts star after watching The Big Boss at age nine. After a few years on television with TVB, Chow debuted in films with Final Justice (1988), which garnered him attention and the Taiwan Golden Horse Award for Best Supporting Actor.
His claim to fame was undoubtedly The Final Combat (1989), a wuxia comedy TV series, in which Chow cemented his famous catchphrase, “Sit down, drink some tea, eat a bun,” (坐低飲啖茶食個包) into Hong Kong lexicon. He then starred in a veritable flood of comedies, firmly earning himself a place in Hong Kong cinematic history as the king of comedy with his particular brand of humour known in Cantonese as mo lei tau, which evokes a casual, mindless, and crass vibe that resonated very well with local audiences. Fight Back to School (1991) became Hong Kong’s top-grossing film of that age, also starring Ng Man-tat, who has partnered with Chow on many other comedies.
In 1994, Chow also began directing films starting with From Beijing with Love, a spoof of James Bond movies. His films Shaolin Soccer (2001), Kung Fu Hustle (2004), and CJ7 (2006)—all of which he directed and starred in—went on to win him various awards and enjoyed much popularity in the box office. His 2016 film The Mermaid broke numerous box office records, becoming the highest-grossing film of all time in China; Chow was then ranked the ninth top-grossing Hollywood director of 2016.
Must-watch work: Tricky Brains, also known as The Ultimate Trickster, starring Andy Lau, Ng Man-tat, and Rosamund Kwan. We think this is his funniest comedy, though many will argue for their favourites. The humour is very locally Hong Kong, so foreign viewers might find it difficult to get the quick-witted and punny jokes.