Bogey, Clint, Bronson...Fat?
Meet the Hottest Action Hero You've Never Heard Of -
by Veronica Mixon 1998
After 70-plus films and more than a decade as one of Asia's premier action stars, Chow Yun-Fat
knows he's ready for Hollywood. But is Hollywood ready for the stylish, sleek and sophisticated
Chow? A John Woo protégé, Yun-Fat combines Bogart's focused cool, Eastwood's quiet intensity and
Bronson's potent smoldering to create a new kind of movie hero. In The Replacement Killers, he
plays an assassin with a conscience, a hired killer who's not afraid to show his depth--or unleash his
blazing handguns. Oscar winner Mira Sorvino lends an experienced hand, but it's Hong Kong native
Chow who carries the load in his American film debut, just as he's done in Woo classics like Hard
Boiled and The Killer. Of course, he had to take a three-month crash course in English this time out,
but it doesn't seem to have slowed him down. Offscreen, the 42-year-old Chow is the classic movie
star in many respects: tall, dark, handsome, charismatic. But he also retains the humble traits he
acquired while growing up in a small fishing village. (How many other Hollywood action heroes would
actually say good morning to all the crew members before beginning each day's shoot?) Happily
married, Yun-Fat still makes his home in Hong Kong. He'll be appearing soon in Corruption, a cop
thriller with Mark Walberg, and plans to make King's Ransom, another Woo film. He might even tackle
a stage production of The King and I. Hey, like we said, Chow's not your typical Hollywood action
hero.
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