His screen-writing portfolio is impressive as there is so much scope in terms of plot, historical setting and quality. Genre-wise, he's done comedy, drama, romance, action (including martial arts) and even erotica. His films are so popular that in the mid to late '90s, Wong's movies accounted for as much as thirty percent of the total box office take in Hong Kong. Some of his films have achieved groundbreaking success, artistically as well as financially.
Most of his films were among the biggest box office hits, partly due to possessing an amazing sense of what would play well. His directorial style, at best, manages to combine commercial appeal and artistic aspects. Wong Jing is one of Hong Kong's most prolific, talented and controversial filmmakers. A highly entertaining and gifted actor with dynamic on-screen presence, Chow continues to remain in strong demand in many film markets.
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His wide appeal can be seen in his "boy next door" type of personality and his ability to play such a broad spectrum of roles from a comedic buffoon to a lovestruck Romeo to a trigger-happy professional killer. Chow then returned to the Asian cinema circuit and starred in the critically lauded kung fu epic Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (aka "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon"). With the phenomenal global interest in the HK action genre, Chow was enticed to the United States and appeared in The Replacement Killers with Mira Sorvino, The Corruptor with Mark Wahlberg, and, for a change of pace, in the often-filmed romantic tale of Anna and the King. Further hard-edged roles in more John Woo crime films escalated Chow's popularity even higher, and fans all over the world flocked to see A Better Tomorrow II (aka "A Better Tomorrow 2"), The Killer (aka "The Killer"), and Hard Boiled (aka "Hard Boiled"). Nearly every young guy in Hong Kong ran out and bought himself a "Mark Coat," as they became known-a long, heavy woolen coat worn by Chow in the movie (although it is is actually very unsuited to Hong Kong's hot and humid climate). The film was an enormous commercial success, and Chow's influence on young Asian males was not dissimilar to the adulation given to previous Asian film sensations such as Bruce Lee or Jackie Chan.
With these accolades, Chow came to the attention of Woo, who cast Chow in the fast-paced gangster film A Better Tomorrow (aka "A Better Tomorrow"). In 1985, Chow started receiving acclaim for his work and scored the Golden Horse (Best Actor) Award in Taiwan and another Best Actor Award from the Asian Pacific Film Festival for his performance in Dang doi lai ming.
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However, his popularity increased with his appearance as white-suited gangster Hui Man-Keung in the highly popular drama TV series_The Bund (1983)_. With his good looks and easy-going style, Chow was originally a heartthrob actor in non-demanding TV and film roles. Born in 1955 on the quiet island of Lamma, part of the then British colony of Hong Kong near its famous Victoria Harbour, Chow's family moved to urban Hong Kong in 1965 and in early 1973, Chow attended a casting call for TVB, a division of Shaw Bros. Chow Yun Fat is a charismatic, athletically built and energetic Asian-born film star who first came to the attention of western audiences via his roles in the high-octane/blazing guns action films of maverick HK director John Woo.