Antony Lau

Biography

Antony Lau, born Lau Tin-kwok, was born in Hong Kong in 1951. His father was a seaman who had been the owner of a shipping company and the richest person in his region before moving to Hong Kong, while his mother was the well-known actress Lai Man. He grew up in a wooden housing area in Kowloon City and spent his childhood playing with the "Seven Little Fortunes" near the local film studios. He attended several primary schools and later Tang Ping-po School, where he was more interested in basketball and football than academics. He learned various martial arts and taught Japanese martial arts at his school. After graduating in 1968 at age seventeen, he worked as an assistant director and script supervisor with his mentor Law Wai. In 1970, he signed a six-year contract with Golden Harvest as a basic actor. He appeared in Bruce Lee's famous films such as The Big Boss and Way of the Dragon, and learned Jeet Kune Do from Bruce Lee. He was appointed head coach at a martial arts academy. In 1975, he met Fong Yik-wah at a midnight film screening, leading to his recruitment by Shaw Brothers. The following year, he played Emperor Qianlong in Emperor Qianlong's Adventure directed by Lee Han-hsiang and achieved great success. He joined Asia Television in 1984 and appeared in Empress Wu. In 1986, he played Qin Shi Huang in the TV series Qin Shi Huang and gained widespread fame. Due to his participation in Chinese films, he was labeled a "rebel actor" in Taiwan, and his works were banned there in the 1990s.