Chow Yun Fat asked Andy Lau, who does he think he is

Hong Kong — Being humble is a trait Andy Lau was known for but he was never really down-to-earth. A video clip is circulating online from the talk show A Date with Luyu where the Heavenly King recalls the time he was reprimanded by Chow Yun Fat for having the wrong mindset for a newbie. It happened in 1982 when Lau was still a rookie and he was offered a meaty role on the Ann Hui-directed movie Boat People. 

Chow Yun Fat was supposed to play the role and he turned it down which puzzled Lau, so he asked why. Chow was already a huge star across Asia and he told Lau that he did not take on the role as he was afraid of being blacklisted in Taiwan. During that period, due to political reasons, Hong Kong actors who worked in China were banned from working in Taiwan and Boat People was to be filmed in Hainan, according to 8days.sg.

Upon hearing Chow’s explanation, Lau reacted by saying, “But I’m important too!” Lau thought that his career was just as important as Chow’s and that he should be concerned about getting blacklisted in Taiwan too. Lau said that Chow was so upset at his outburst that he responded: “Who do you think you are? You’re so new to the industry, you should be grabbing such a good opportunity!”

In the end, Lau took the role and it was a decision that paid off as the role is said to have launched Lau’s movie career. Not only was he nominated for Best New Performer at the 1983 Hong Kong Film Awards, it helped him clinch his first lead movie role in On The Wrong Track.

Born on May 18, 1955, Chow Yun Fat is a Hong Kong actor known for his collaborations with filmmaker John Woo in the action movies A Better Tomorrow, The Killer, and Hard Boiled, and in the West for his roles as Li Mu-bai in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Sao Feng in Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End. He mainly stars in drama films and has won three Hong Kong Film Awards for Best Actor and two Golden Horse Awards for Best Actor in Taiwan./TISG