Chow Yun-Fat

Hailed by The Los Angeles Times, as quite simply, "the coolest actor in the world," Chow Yun-Fat was a fixture of Hong Kong film and TV since his debut in the early 1970s. Most celebrated by American and British cultists as a hard-boiled action hero, Chow specialized in portrayals of honorable hitmen, gangsters, thieves and trigger-happy cops. A bona fide superstar in his native Asia, Chow's extensive credits spanned a variety of genres, including romances, dramas, slapstick comedies and supernatural thrillers. A favorite of both common folk and cinephiles alike, Chow segued effortlessly between commercial and artsy fare. Moreover, Chow came to define "cool" with his signature handling of cigarettes and firearms with equally devastating flair. Nevertheless, Chow was at his most convincing when playing good-humored "Joes" - generally a common, blue-collar sort characterized by a sense of self-sacrifice, loyalty and utter lack of self-consciousness.