Damian Lau

Damian Lau Chung-yan (born 14 October 1949) is a Hong Kong film and television actor, executive producer and film director. Lau has starred in many television drama series of various genres, produced by Hong Kong's TVB and ATV.

Damian Lau
Damian in 2015.
Born (1949-10-14) 14 October 1949
Hong Kong
OccupationActor, executive producer, Film director
Years active1971 – present
AwardsTVB Anniversary AwardsAll-Time Most Memorable Male Leading Roles
1999 Luk Siu Fung

Chinese name
Traditional Chinese劉松仁
Simplified Chinese刘松仁
Musical career
Also known asChung-tsai (松仔)
Websitelauchungyan.com

Biography

Early career

Lau enrolled into the actors' training class of RTV (now ATV) in 1971, where he started his early acting career. In 1976, he joined TVB on a contract and began to gain recognition for acting in television drama series produced by the TV station. In 1976, Lau rose to fame for his portrayal of the titular character in Luk Siu-fung, an adaptation of Wuxia writer Gu Long's novel series of the same title. His performance in Yesterday's Glitter also made him famous.

Partnership with Michelle Yim

Lau returned to ATV in 1980. He worked with Michelle Yim, as the male and female leading actor/actress respectively, in a number of TV series in the 1980s, including Fatherland, Chronicles of the Shadow Swordsman and Rise of the Great Wall. Since then, both of them were called "Best Onscreen Couple/Lovebirds". Lau and Yim worked together again in The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber (2000), playing Cheung Mo-kei's parents.

Film career

Following the rise in popularity of Hong Kong cinema in the 1980s and 1990s, Lau also started working on films in addition to television series. He was often cast as a typical silent, handsome, heroic swordsman in many Wuxia films of the 1980s and 1990s.[1] One of his first major roles was in John Woo's Last Hurrah for Chivalry (1979), in which he played an assassin. In Duel to the Death, Lau's character faced Norman Chui‘s character in a final duel, said to be one of the best sword duels ever in Wuxia film history.

In 2006, Lau starred in The Tokyo Trial, a highly controversial film that was nominated at the Cannes Film Festival and won the 2007 Golden Rooster Awards for Best Screenplay. In the film, Lau played the historic judge Mei Ju-ao, who was able to convince ten other national judges to prosecute Japanese war criminals for their crimes against peace and humanity. The film also saw Lau delivering most of his lines in English for the first time in his acting career.

When interviewed about his role as Mei Ju-ao, Lau said,

"Mei Ju-ao is a person with a strong sense of ethics and national pride. He represented his country at a significant international affair. He had to shoulder great responsibility as well as a lot of pressure. If he did not harbor strong emotions and a patriotic heart within his bosom, he could hardly successfully overcome the many difficulties before him and fulfill the mission given by the country. He was cool-headed and witty throughout the trial. I tried to master his inner world through these aspects. I really respect him."[2]

Return to TVB

Lau returned to TVB in 1992 and achieved success for his performance in The Greed of Man, in which he played an honest and cultured leader of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, who was later murdered by his childhood friend, Ting Hai (played by Adam Cheng), over a love rivalry.

In 2003, Lau starred as Chow Ming-hin in the family drama Point of No Return.[3] The following year, Lau worked on Hard Fate, a controversial TV series that received many complaints from viewers for its suicide scenes. In the series, Lau played Leung Pak-yin, an originally morally upright and ambitious company boss who became a desperate, deranged and almost insane man after experiencing many fateful incidents.[4] In 2007, Lau played a family patriarch in The Drive of Life, a 60 episodes grand production by TVB and mainland China's CCTV.

Personal life

In the 1990s, Lau married a flight attendant from Cathay Pacific, whom he met earlier on a flight to Canada. Lau is also a devout Catholic.

Filmography

Film
Year Title Role Notes
1979Last Hurrah for ChivalryTsing Yi / Greeno
1980The Enigmatic CaseLo Tin-kwan
Beidou Xingdirector and actor
1983Zu - Warriors from the Magic MountainAbbot Hsiao-yu
Duel to the DeathChing-wan
1984Profile in AngerWong Kin-hang
1986The Brave and the Cowarddirector
1988School on FireWan
1990The Story of My SonLi Tzu-liang
1991Inspector Pink DragonTeng Kuo-chiao
1992The Thief of Time
Shanghai Heroic StoryNgai Ting-yim
She Starts the Firecameo
Royal TrampChan Kan-nam
Royal Tramp 2Chan Kan-nam
1993MurderYau Lung
Holy WeaponMo Kake "Heaven's Sword"
The Magic CraneYat Yeung-tze
ExecutionersInspector Lau
The Heroic TrioInspector Lau
1994Tian DiTai Chai-man
What Price Survival / One Armed SwordsmanWu An-kuo
The New Legend of ShaolinChan Kan-nam
Urban Copexecutive producer
1995My Father Is a HeroYat-wah's boss
Sea EaglesLiu Qingzong
1996Best of the BestCalvin Chan Lik-yeung
First OptionInspector Lau
Ah KamLawyer
1997LifelineCheng Fu-shing
Till Death Do Us Part
2005New Born Living StrongProfessor Vincent Yu
2006The Tokyo TrialMei Ju-aoNominated – Golden Rooster Awards for Best Actor
2008Three Kingdoms: Resurrection of the DragonCao Caocameo
201014 BladesZhao Shenyanguest star
Television
Year Title Role Notes
1976Luk Siu-fung I: Mystery of the Golden BirdLuk Siu-fung
Luk Siu-fung II: Before and After the DuelLuk Siu-fung
Luk Siu-fung III: The Battle of WudangLuk Siu-fung
Bansheng YuanCheung Yue-kan
1977The Butterfly LoversLeung San-bak
1978Da HengChu Lok-man
1979Princess Cheung PingChow Sai-hin
God of SabreDing Pang
1980This Land is Mine
Yesterday's GlitterKam Jan-sai
1983Swordsman Li BaiLi Bai
1984Dadi Enqing Zhi Gudu JingleiChow Kai-wah
1985Chronicles of the Shadow SwordsmanZhang Dan-fung
1986Hero of the TimeYuen Tsang-lok
Rise of the Great WallKing Or
Condor in SeptemberYip Hoi
1987Return the Pearl to TheeChun Tin-bo
1988August ScentWu Suet-yim
Lay and OrderAi Bok-man
1989Spring Comes and GoesCheung Loi-fuk
安乐茶饭 Anle Tea
1990Lovers at the End of an EraTung Sing-fan
1991Bihai QingtianTin Yang
Jianghu ZaijianChow Sing-lung
1992The Thief of Time
The Greed of ManFong Chun-sun
1994The Great GeneralDik Ching
ICAC Investigators 1994Lee Tin
The ChevaliersZhan Zhao
1995The UnexpectedCheung Wai-chung
1996Women's StoryKwan King-sang
The SwordsmanYin Buk-fei / Yin Ku-hung
King of GamblersLi Yik
1997InterpolWong Ho-sui
1998Wen Yi DuoWen Yiduo
1999Silver Rat
Bond of FriendshipZhuang Xueren
2000ICAC Investigators 2000Lee Tin
Monk at ThirtyLin Chong
The Immortal FugitiveRong Renjie
The Heaven Sword and Dragon SaberCheung Tsui-san
Ups and DownsHong Dalong
2001The Awakening StorySuen Hok-kei
Dare to StrikeLi DechaoMediaCorp, Singapore
To Where He BelongsKo Hou-wan
2003Scent of LoveJin Zhizhong
Point of No ReturnChow Ming-hinWon – Astro Award for My Favourite On-screen Father
Nominated – Astro Award for Best Actor (Top 10)
Nominated – Astro Award for My Favourite Character (Top 20)
Find the LightChan Do-yeung
True LoveFok Wai-pong
2004Only YouWang Haoran
Hard FateLeung Pak-yin
2005The Royal SwordsmenTiedan Shenhou
2006The ConquestKing Goujian of YueMing Pao Magazine Best Actor award for TV series (2007)
Men in PainHong Tin-yamNominated – TVB Award for Best Actor
Nominated – TVB Award for My Favourite Male Character
Nominated – Astro Award for My Favourite On-screen Look (Top 5)
Eight HeroesGuan Yulou
2007The Drive of LifeWah Man-honNominated – TVB Award for Best Actor
Nominated – TVB Award for My Favourite Male Character
Nominated – Astro Award for Best Actor (Top 5)
Nominated – Astro Award for My Favourite Character (Top 20)
2008Catch Me NowKo Chit, JackNominated – TVB Award for Best Actor
Rose Martial WorldJun Wuji
2009In the Chamber of BlissChoi OckNominated – TVB Award for Best Actor
2010Growing Through LifeHai LiangNominated – TVB Award for Best Actor
A Weaver on the HorizonFeng Jiujin
2011The Rippling BlossomMoyung Ching
Lives of OmissionKung Ka-puiNominated – My AOD Favourite Award for Best Supporting Actor (Top 5)
Nominated - TVB Anniversary Award for Best Supporting Actor
Scarlet HeartKangxi Emperor
2012Silver Spoon, Sterling ShacklesArthur Chung Cheuk-manNominated – TVB Anniversary Award for Best Actor (Top 5)
Nominated – My AOD Favourite Award for Best Actor (Top 12)
Nominated – My AOD Favourite Award for Top 15 Character
2015Limelight YearsBen Law
2017WuXin: The Monster Killer Season 2Mr Su - Su Tao's fatherGuest Star
2018Infernal AffairsHu Guan YouGuest Star

MediaCorp TV Channel 8 series

YearDramaRoleNotes
2015The Dream Makers IIZheng Shouyi
  • Supporting Role

Major Achievements

List of achievements
Year Achievement Representative work Notes
1999All-Time Most Memorable Male Leading Roles, 1999 TVB Anniversary AwardsLuk Siu-fung
2007Best Actor, Ming Pao MagazineThe Conquest
Best Actor nomination, 2007 Golden Rooster AwardsThe Tokyo Trial
Best Actor nomination, 29th Hundred Flowers AwardTokyo Trial

References

Awards and achievements
Power Academy Awards
Preceded by
Roger Kwok
for Life Made Simple
Outstanding Actor in Television
2007
for The Conquest
Succeeded by
Ha Yu
for Moonlight Resonance
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