Chow Yun-Fat

Actor

Chow Yun-Fat is known to American audiences as the charismatic, matchstick-chewing hero of John Woo action films such as A Better Tomorrow (1987), The Killer (1989) and Hard Boiled (1992). The star of over 70 films, Chow gained international fame in both comedy and drama before being associated with what are often called "heroic bloodshed" movies. In 2000 he became an international movie star after appearing with Michelle Yeoh in Ang Lee's blockbuster hit Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Since then he has starred in Bulletproof Monk (2003), Curse of the Golden Flower (2006) and Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007, starring Johnny Depp).

Other Asian film stars include Bruce Lee, Gong Li and Jet Li.