9 Reasons Why We Still Adore Chow Yun Fat

At the Star Awards 2025 over the weekend, Chow Yun Fat once again proved why he's a fan favourite, with local celebs lining up to take selfies and wefies with the beloved Hong Kong icon. His popularity goes beyond his impressive film career. Despite his international fame, Chow Yun Fat remains remarkably down to earth and has shared that he finds joy in leading a simple existence without materialistic ambitions. Truly, what a legend. Here are nine reasons why we love this Hong Kong superstar:

1. He's an unabashed 'King of Selfies'

We all love a good selfie, and Chow has confessed to being the "King of Selfies". Indeed, he lived up to his nickname at the Star Awards 2025 and got snap-happy with Singapore celebs during his time on stage as an awards presenter.

At a 2016 press conference for his movie Cold War 2, the actor also once admitted to being “terrified” of people taking selfies of him, adding that "their angles are not good. I look ugly and fat. Firstly, their arms are not as long as mine. If you are too near, I don’t look good. Also, if it’s a wefie, I always try to be in the middle.”

We're taking notes.

2. He's Singapore’s 'favourite son-in-law'

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Who could forget Chow Yun Fat in Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, where his character, Captain Sao Feng introduced Singapore to the world? While it technically wasn't set in Singapore, he did give a memorable introduction to our city-state in the film.

That aside, Chow has a legit Singapore connection — his wife, Jasmine Tan, is Singaporean, which has earned him the affectionate title of "Singapore’s favourite son-in-law."

And when he's in town, you likely won't find him at a fancy restaurant. Chow Yun Fat prefers hitting up local hawker centres, so you might just spot him slurping soup at Founder’s Bak Kut Teh or making his rounds at hawker legends like Old Airport Road, Newton, Maxwell, and Lau Pa Sat. He’s pretty much one plate of char kway teow away from getting a pink IC.

3. He's not too bothered by fame

Surprisingly for such a huge superstar, Chow isn't particularly fazed by fame. In fact, he says he is rarely recognised. "Ninety percent of the people on the subway would be staring down at their phones. Who would even notice me? It's like stepping into an abandoned land!" And forget about limousines or luxury cars - Chow says he's happy to hop onto a crowded bus with the public while dressed in clothes purchased years ago.

4. He's thrifty

Don't we love it when megastars know the value of money even though they're rolling in it? Chow is the perfect example of frugality, sharing that it was his mother who drilled good money habits into him from the start. She reportedly taught him early on to save ten percent from every paycheck and calls thriftiness a virtue. It appears that he's taken that lesson to heart!

In 2018, NST Online reported that the multi-millionaire only spends HKD800 a month (approx S$114 then), and favours streetside stalls and taking public transport.

On the flip side, the actor has admitted to having a thing for luxury cars, having owned vintage rides like a second-hand Rolls-Royce, as well as Mercedes-Benz and BMW cars. But he didn't buy them as a status symbol.

 On Hong Kong host Carol Cheng’s YouTube show The Do Show, he revealed, “I wanted to understand how a V8 engine could power such a heavy car while still providing such a smooth ride. At the time, second-hand cars were very cheap, so after buying it, I opened the hood with a mechanic to study it together,” he explained, adding that “I didn’t buy the car to show off — I just love engines and machines.”

However, he's since sold them and now drives an “environmentally-friendly electric car”.

5. He lines up for tickets to see his own movies

Back in July 2016, Chow Yun Fat was spotted on a date night with his wife, Jasmine. So what did the superstar couple do? Catch his latest movie, of course! Fans couldn’t believe their eyes when they saw the pair queuing up at a Hong Kong cinema — just like the rest of us on a night out. When a few eagle-eyed moviegoers recognised him, Chow happily signed autographs, posed for selfies, and then strolled right in for the show. Superstar status? Yes. Diva behaviour? Never.

6. Chow Yun Fat is a romantic at heart

Chow Yun Fat and Jasmine Tan have been married since 1986. Not only do they make the effort to celebrate each other's birthday every year, Jasmine has revealed that her husband often expresses his love through thoughtful gestures — with his romantic qualities one of the reasons he won her over. (Source: 8days)

For one, he would always personally buy crabs for her as that's her favourite food. And for her birthday each year, he would prepare gifts in advance and hide them under her pillow or blanket as a surprise. Once, she'd even found her bed filled with flowers. Too sweet!

Jasmine shared that she had once found her bed filled with flowers under the blanket, and added that her husband’s romantic qualities was one of the reasons he won her over.

“Even before we started dating, he would not only call me every day, but would also always give me hand-made cards. However, I cannot really recall the details of the cards now as it was a long time ago” she said.

The couple remains childless after losing their daughter in 1991 due to a nuchal cord complication during pregnancy. They decided not to pursue further attempts to avoid additional health risks for Jasmine.

7. He's our fitness inspo

The 70-year-old, who went into show business when he was 18, once said he exercises daily by walking for half an hour, running for another 30 minutes, and working his muscles to avoid having to use crutches in future.

Even on his 70th birthday earlier in May, the star chose to spend it hiking with fellow Hong Kong actor Michael Miu, who posted a photo of them on a hilltop.

In fact, back in February this year, the film star impressively completed a half-marathon in under two and a half hours despite his age. “Looks like a triple deuce,” he joked, referring to the 2:22 finishing time on his watch for the 21km Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon — a cheeky nod to his iconic role in the God of Gamblers film series. According to official race records, he clocked a timing of 2 hours, 24 minutes, and 33 seconds — still an impressive feat.

8. He takes care of himself

Chow says he enjoys the freedom of being responsible for his own needs, especially when it comes to transportation. "If I hire a driver, I would feel bad because he would have to wait for me all day long. I would be anxious because I know that someone is waiting for me. It would be very frustrating!" says the actor. He also appreciates the chance to people-watch as he wanders around Hong Kong's many alleys and laneways.

9. He's just a damn good actor

Let’s be honest, Chow Yun Fat is a true cinematic legend known for his versatility, from 'God of Gamblers' to romantic leads and even comedic roles.

To date, he has starred in over 100 films and TV shows, and earned 12 Hong Kong Film Award nominations, winning three. He has also bagged two Golden Horse Awards for Best Actor. Beyond Asia, he’s one of the continent’s biggest stars internationally, receiving widespread acclaim for films like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End.

Most recently, he appeared in Project Gutenberg (2018) and One More Chance (2023) and Detective Chinatown 1900 (2025) as the domineering head of the Chinatown Association in the U.S.

A version of this article was originally published on Dec 19, 2016 and updated on July 8, 2025.