Adam Cheng Siu Chau

Biography

Adam Cheng Siu Chau was born on 24 February 1947 in Hong Kong, originally named Wong Ho Chung. He attended Tong Chi Secondary School in Hong Kong. At age 16, he enrolled in acting training classes at several studios, where he met his mentor Leung Ming, who taught him Stanislavsky's psychological acting method. After graduation, he joined a theatre troupe with Leung Ming as assistant director and actor. He won the Best Actor award in a Hong Kong-wide drama competition for "手足情深", which led to his discovery by a film company that signed him before he turned 20. He formally began his career in 1967 with the film "黑煞星", adopting his current stage name. He joined TVB in 1970. He was selected as one of the top ten television stars eight times by the Wah Kiu Yat Po newspaper, a record among male actors. He also was selected among the top ten singers multiple times. He gained widespread fame through "書劍恩仇錄" in 1976 and "楚留香" in 1979. He became known in mainland China through "戲說乾隆" in 1991. In 1992, his portrayal of "丁蟹" in "大時代" led to the "Ding Xia Effect" phenomenon linked to stock markets. He received the Golden Needle Award in 2006, Hong Kong's highest music honor, for his contributions to the music industry.