Sean Lau Ching-wan (born 16 February 1964) is a Hong Kong actor who has acted in both films and television series. He won Best Actor in the 2007 and 2015 Hong Kong Film Awards and in the 2000 and 2007 Golden Bauhinia Awards.
Career
Lau was born in Hong Kong in 1964. He joined the
TVB
Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB) is a television broadcasting company based in Hong Kong SAR. The Company operates five free-to-air terrestrial television channels in Hong Kong, with TVB Jade as its main Cantonese language service, and ...
acting classes in 1983 and made his first appearance on television in the following year in the drama ''Draw Out the Rainbow''. Dark-skinned with no matinee-idol look, he struggled with minor roles until the immensely popular
stock market
A stock market, equity market, or share market is the aggregation of buyers and sellers of stocks (also called shares), which represent ownership claims on businesses; these may include ''securities'' listed on a public stock exchange, as ...
drama ''
The Greed of Man
''The Greed of Man'' is a Hong Kong television series first broadcast on TVB Jade in 1992.Dianying.com.Dianying.com" ''The Greed of Man.'' Retrieved on 2009-08-11. The story, spanning three decades from the 1970s to the 1990s in Hong Kong and Ta ...
'' (1992), where he first achieved his
leading man
A leading actor, leading actress, or simply lead (), plays the role of the protagonist of a film, television show or play. The word ''lead'' may also refer to the largest role in the piece, and ''leading actor'' may refer to a person who typica ...
status, and acted opposite
Adam Cheng
Adam Cheng Siu-chow (born 24 February 1947) is a Hong Kong TVB actor and Cantopop singer.
Career
Cheng started his career in the 1970s, where he gained a reputation for playing the lead roles in TVB ''Wuxia'' drama series based on the works of ...
. His wife,
Amy Kwok
Amy Kwok (born September 26, 1967) is a former Miss Hong Kong (1991) winner and actress based in Hong Kong.
Education
Kwok earned a degree in Electrical Engineering from California State University. Kwok earned a master's degree in Mechanical ...
, who won the
Miss Hong Kong Pageant
The Miss Hong Kong Pageant (), or Miss HK () for short, is an annual beauty pageant organised by local Hong Kong television station, TVB. The pageant was established in 1946, and acquired by TVB in 1973.
The current Miss Hong Kong is Denice Lam ...
in 1991, is also a well-known former television actress and co-starred with him on ''The Greed of Man''. Lau starred in two series with
ATV in 1991 and again in 2000.
Lau made his film debut in 1986 and since then has been cast in numerous roles. His critically acclaimed roles include acting opposite
Anita Yuen
Anita Yuen Wing Yee (born 4 September 1971) is a Hong Kong film and television actress.
Pageant career
At the age of 18, Yuen entered the Miss Hong Kong 1990 pageant. She was a heavy favorite to win the crown from the semifinal to final. During t ...
as a down-and-out musician in ''
C'est la vie, mon chéri
''C'est la vie, mon chéri'' () is a 1993 Hong Kong romance film directed by Derek Yee and starring Lau Ching-wan, Anita Yuen and Carina Lau. It won six awards, including Best Film, during the 13th Hong Kong Film Awards.
Title
The movie is so ...
'' (1993) and in a number of cop thrillers, such as ''Big Bullet'' (1996), ''
Full Alert'' (1997), ''
The Longest Nite
''The Longest Nite'' (, Literal Title: ''Dark Flowers'') is a 1998 Hong Kong crime thriller film directed by Patrick Yau and Johnnie To, starring Lau Ching-wan and Tony Leung Chiu-wai. The film was produced by To and Wai Ka-fai along with their ...
'' (1998), ''
Running out of Time'' (1999), ''
Running Out of Time 2
''Running Out of Time 2'' (, literal title:''Hidden War 2'') is a 2001 Hong Kong crime caper film co-directed by Johnnie To and Law Wing-cheung. It is a sequel to To's 1999 film '' Running Out of Time'', with Lau Ching-wan returning as Inspec ...
'' (2001) and ''
Mad Detective
''Mad Detective'' () is a 2007 Hong Kong action film produced and directed by Johnnie To and Wai Ka-Fai. ''Mad Detective'' was first screened at the 64th Venice International Film Festival, and later premiered at the 2007 Toronto International ...
'' (2007).
Lau is known for his versatility as an actor, having acted in a variety of genres.
Lau joined
Milkyway Image
Milkyway Image (Hong Kong) Ltd. () is a production company based in Kwun Tong, Kowloon, Hong Kong. The company was established in 1996 by prolific director Johnnie To in joint partnership with frequent collaborator Wai Ka-Fai. The company is ...
production house in the mid-1990s.
Personal life
Lau is married to
Miss Hong Kong
The Miss Hong Kong Pageant (), or Miss HK () for short, is an annual beauty pageant organised by local Hong Kong television station, TVB. The pageant was established in 1946, and acquired by TVB in 1973.
The current Miss Hong Kong is Denice Lam ...
1991,
Amy Kwok Oi Ming.
Filmography
Television series
Film
Dubbing
Lau has also done
voiceover
Voice-over (also known as off-camera or off-stage commentary) is a production technique where a voice—that is not part of the narrative (non-diegetic)—is used in a radio, television production, filmmaking, theatre, or other presentations. ...
work for films:
Host
Sean Lau at chinesemov.com
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Awards and nominations
Lau has won Best Actor Awards at the Hong Kong Film Critics Society Award
The Hong Kong Film Critics Society Awards () are the annual awards given by the Hong Kong Film Critics Society The Hong Kong Film Critics Society (HKFCS; Traditional Chinese: 香港電影評論學會), founded in 1995, is the peak organization of ...
s in 1997, 2001, 2011, 2014 and the Golden Bauhinia Awards
Golden Bauhinia Awards () is a Hong Kong film award organised by the Hong Kong Film Critics Association. Its first award presentation ceremony took place in 1996.
The award attracted controversy in 2007, when ten nominations were given to Pang ...
in 1999 and 2007. He also won his first Best Actor award at the Hong Kong Film Award
The Hong Kong Film Awards (HKFA; ), founded in 1982, is an annual film awards ceremony in Hong Kong. The ceremonies are typically in April. The awards recognise achievement in various aspects of filmmaking, such as directing, screenwriting, act ...
s in 2007 for his performance in the film, '' My Name is Fame''. He won his first Golden Horse Award in 2012 for his performance in ''Life Without Principle
"Life Without Principle" is an essay by Henry David Thoreau that offers his program for a righteous livelihood. It was published in 1863.
Overview
In his essay, Thoreau questions whether working is the most important part of one's life, argu ...
''.
References
External links
*
HK cinemagic entry
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lau, Sean Ching Wan
1964 births
Living people
Hong Kong male film actors
Hong Kong male television actors
People from Sanshui District
TVB actors
20th-century Hong Kong male actors
21st-century Hong Kong male actors