Kris Law (actor)

Kris Law, born Chin Chiang (or KLCC) is an internationally and critically acclaimed film actor from Malaysia of Chinese and Thai descent. Law reached global prominence when he became the first ASEAN Actor to debut in India, starring with Academy Awards nominated Bollywood actor Aamir Khan in the Incredible India ad campaign. In Malaysia, Law was most known for the role of Christien, the first openly gay character on Malaysian media primetime TV drama series Ampang Medikal. Law has appeared in Malaysian, Singaporean, Bollywood and Hong Kong films including "Anak Mami Kembali", 1957: Hati Malaya and A House of Happiness, and has starred in over 20 international TV commercials with a total box-office of RM900 million to date.

In Kuala Lumpur, he started his career in the creative industry as a copywriter in Leo Burnett in 2000, working under film director Yasmin Ahmad. According to Yasmin, the reasons Law got the position were because of his auspicious full name initials KLCC, royalty bloodline and same birthday with Giorgio Armani and Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad.

Family Background

Law lost his father to a tragic car accident at the age of 3. He was denied of his inheritance because he was born out of wedlock.

Early career

In 2004, Law competed in the competitive reality TV show Malaysian Idol. He performed in Yellow Shorts when other contestants wore normal clothes got him onto the front page news of major newspapers. His iconic Yellow Shorts performance video was the first to have gone viral in the Internet, making him the world's first internet viral celebrity at a time when social media was not created yet. A University Malaya researcher dubbed his Yellow Shorts performance in a research paper as a form of contemporary dance which captures the zeitgeist of the time and bold social provocateur that defied the discriminatory governmental policies. The "sexy yellow shorts" reference entered into pop culture lexicon when it was widely quoted in the Malaysian politics, education and entertainment circles. In 2005, Law competed again in Malaysian Idol season 2. More offers to star in other reality TV shows followed due to highest TV viewers ratings success of his yellow shorts performance.

As an Actor, Law first acted on stage for the main role of Dick in "Dick Wellington and his Wonder Cat" for The International School of Penang (Uplands). During his tenure at TV3 Academy, he was selected to be the only non-Malay Jury for Anugerah Skrin. Since then, he has acted in many local films. His most controversial screen performance was as a communist in 1957: Hati Malaya (2007) directed by Shuhaimi Baba was censored due to its racial undertones.

Career Breakthrough

Kris Law is the first-ever Malaysian actor to play and portray a gay person character in the Malaysian media during prime time, on an episode of the TV drama serial Ampang Medikal which aired in 2008 – homosexuality was and still is illegal and punishable by law in Malaysia. Law's portrayal of the homosexual character was the first realistic, non-stereotypical and most identifiable to the average LGBT Malaysian.

Awards

Law's main starring role in the film Talent House (2012) was awarded Best Actor by BMW.

Law's most successful TV commercial was "KFC Black Pepper Chicken", which was aired during the peak of the World Cup 2010. Law's talent as a commercial actor has taken him around the world with his most recent and popular market commercial to date being produced for the Indian Ministry of Tourism's Incredible India! thematic ad campaign titled Atithi Devo Bhav with Aamir Khan in 2015 – making him the first ASEAN commercial actor to debut in the world's biggest market in cinema and TV advertising viewing audience where mobile Internet penetration is still low.

Law is also a model, having posed for a poster calendar which was shot in Bangkok, Thailand (2006). Law was later chosen by French photographer Françoise Huguier to model for her worldwide photo collection debut in New York, Paris, London and other major cities of the world under the Vertical/Horizontal series (2012–2013) which won the Paris Beaux-Arts Academy Photography Prize.

Law has spoken about his support for equal human rights for everyone, regardless of their race, sexuality, religion or background; and to give a voice to youth who are discontent over racial bias in their country.

Filmography

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Law, Kris
Living people
1978 births
Malaysian male actors
Malaysian people of Chinese descent
Malaysian people of Singaporean descent
Chinese male film actors
21st-century Chinese male actors
Actors from Penang
Malaysian Idol participants