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Stephen Chow

Stephen Chow

Actor, producer, writer and director, also composer · Born June 22, 1962 (64) · Hong Kong, British Crown Colony [now China]

Stephen Chow Sing-Chi (Chinese: 周星馳) is a Hong Kong filmmaker, actor, and producer. Stephen Chow was born in Hong Kong on 22 June 1962 to Ling Po Yee, an alumna of Guangzhou Normal University, and Chow Yik Sheung, an immigrant from Ningbo, Zhejiang. Chow has an elder sister named Chow Man Kei and a younger sister named Chow Sing Ha. Chow's given name "Sing-chi" derives from Tang dynasty Chinese poet Wang Bo's essay Preface to the Prince of Teng's Pavilion.After his parents divorced when he was seven, Chow was raised by his mother. Chow attended Heep Woh Primary School, a missionary school attached to the Hong Kong Council of the Church of Christ in China in Prince Edward Road, Kowloon Peninsula. When he was nine, he saw Bruce Lee's film The Big Boss, which inspired him to become a martial arts star. Chow entered San Marino Secondary School, where he studied alongside Lee Kin-yan. After graduation, he was accepted to TVB's acting classes. Chow began his career as an extra for Rediffusion Television. He later joined TVB in 1981. He was drawn to attention hosting the TVB Jade children's program 430 Space Shuttle. Chow made his film Final Justice in 1988, which won him the Golden Horse Award for Best Supporting Actor at the 25th Golden Globe Awards. Chow shot to stardom in The Final Combat. The following decade, he appeared in more than 40 films. Fight Back to School became Hong Kong's top-grossing film of all time. In 1994, he began directing films, starting with From Beijing with Love. In the latter half of the 1990s, Chow becomes very famous in China, he became a legend and the Stephen Chow Phenomenon. In 2001, his film Shaolin Soccer grossed over US$50 million worldwide. Chow won Best Director and Best Actor at the 2002 Hong Kong Film Awards, and the film went on to garner additional awards including a Blue Ribbon Awards for Best Foreign Language Film and the Golden Bauhinia Award for Best Picture and Best Director. It was the highest-grossing Chinese film in Hong Kong at the time, grossing $46 million in the Asia region. In 2004, his film Kung Fu Hustle grossed over US$106 million worldwide. Chow also won Best Director at the Taiwan Golden Horse Awards and Best Picture of Imagine Film Festival as well as over twenty international awards. Critics as well as film stars such as comedian Bill Murray said that the film was the supreme achievement of modern comedy that had outshone any preexisting form of American comedy, including Murray's directorial work. His film CJ7 began filming in July 2006 in the eastern Chinese port of Ningbo. In August 2007, the film was given the title CJ7, a play on China's successful Shenzhou manned space missions—Shenzhou 5 and Shenzhou 6. CJ7 became the highest-grossing film of all time in Malaysia. For his work in comedy, he has received praise from notable institutions such as the Brooklyn Academy of Music, who called him the King of Comedy. Stephen Chow has directed multiple classic films since the 1990s. In 2013, his film Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons became the highest-grossing Chinese film of all time. In 2016, his film The Mermaid broke numerous box office records, and became the highest-grossing film of all time in China.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
June 22, 1962 (64)
From
Hong Kong, British Crown Colony [now China]
Works as
Actor, producer, writer and director, also composer
Titles
58 on MovieCove · 97 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 65 days to Oct 28Down 6% in 30 days

What are Stephen Chow's films like?

Across their 55 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Morality.

Genres

Action32 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 72nd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Action movies
Comedy19 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 55th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies
Adventure2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 46th percentile
: browse their Adventure movies
Animation2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 39th percentile
: browse their Animation movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
34%
Morality
29%
Self
25%
Power
4%
Survival
3%
Society
3%
Ideas
1%
Romantic love16 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception11 titles, browse their movies with this themeLoyalty11 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption11 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds10 titles, browse their movies with this themeAmbition9 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice7 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose7 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 55 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Wry: How sincerely it treats its story and characters, from ironic to earnest. Browse their wry movies.
Tone · Sincerity
ironicearnest

A split, not a type: Ironic 12 · Wry 10 · Earnest 29

Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 46 · Serious 7 · Dark 2

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 10 · Stylized 16 · Heightened 29

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 10 · Charged 33 · Intense 12

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 11 · Shifting 28 · Whiplash 16

Funny: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their funny movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 2 · Some laughs 10 · Funny 43

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 5 · Even-paced 35 · Relentless 15

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 40 · Engaged 15 · Full focus 0

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 53 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

48 analyzed roles

Usually the Hero: 37 of 48 analyzed roles.

Hero
37 of 48
Trickster
6 of 48
Ally
2 of 48
Shadow
2 of 48
Mentor
1 of 48
Show the 48 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Absurd
31
Joyful
32
Thrilling
20
Tense
10
Warm
12
Other
38

How their films linger

Fun41 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good36 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful13 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteWistful5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 3 with a twist

  • Happy39
  • Bittersweet13
  • Tragic1
  • Ambiguous1
  • Cyclical1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Stephen Chow's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 11 of their 58 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (5).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Stephen Chow's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

97 credits, 58 with a MovieCove page; 5 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Kung Fu Soccer(2026)

    Director · Action Director · Original Story · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • Hong Kong Hustle: The Chinese Cinema Odyssey Of Stephen Chow (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2024)

    as Archival Footage

  • A Chinese Odyssey - Odyssey (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2024)

    Show 24 episodes · Creator · Presenter

  • The King of Stand-up Comedy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2024)

    Show 5 episodes · as 节目发起人

  • Take Me Home (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2024)

    Show 12 episodes · Producer

  • The Monkey King(2023)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • The New King of Comedy(2019)

    Director · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • The 40th Anniversary of Chinese Film Since China's Reform and Opening-Up (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Journey to the West: The Demons Strike Back(2017)

    Producer · Writer · as Theater Employee (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films

  • The Mermaid(2016)

    Director · Executive Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • CJ7: Super Q Team (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    Producer

  • Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons(2013)

    Director · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • CJ7: The Cartoon(2010)

    Producer · Writer · Actor

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • Jump(2009)

    Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films

  • Dragonball: Evolution(2009)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 1st percentile of all films

  • Shaolin Girl (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    Producer

  • 食神 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    Show 24 episodes · Script

  • CJ7(2008)

    Director · Producer · Writer · as Ti Chow

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Kung Fu Hustle(2004)

    Director · Composer · Producer · Writer · as Sing

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • 1:99 Shorts (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Director

  • Shaolin Soccer(2001)

    Director · Presenter · Producer · Screenplay · as Mighty Steel Leg / Sing

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • The Tricky Master(1999)

    as Master Wong

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • Gorgeous(1999)

    as Policeman with Dog

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • King of Comedy(1999)

    Director · Writer · as Wan Tin Sau

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • The Lucky Guy(1998)

    as Ho Kam Sui

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • Lawyer Lawyer(1997)

    as Chan Mon Gut

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • All's Well, Ends Well 1997(1997)

    as Lo Kung

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • The God of Cookery(1996)

    Director · Producer · Writer · as Stephen Chow

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • Forbidden City Cop(1996)

    Director · Writer · as Ling Ling Fat

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • Sixty Million Dollar Man(1995)

    as Lee Chak-Sing

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • Out of the Dark(1995)

    as Leon

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • A Chinese Odyssey: Part 2 - Cinderella(1995)

    as Joker / Monkey King

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • A Chinese Odyssey: Part One - Pandora's Box(1995)

    as Joker / Monkey King

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • From Beijing with Love(1994)

    Director · Writer · as Ling Ling Chat

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Hail the Judge(1994)

    as Pao Lung Sing

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Love on Delivery(1994)

    as Ho Kam An

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • The Mad Monk(1993)

    as Dragon Fighter Lo Han

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Flirting Scholar(1993)

    Co-Director · as Tang Pak Fu / Wah On

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • Fight Back to School III(1993)

    as Chow Sing Sing / Million Wong

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • King of Beggars(1992)

    as So Chan Ha Yee Chan

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • Royal Tramp II(1992)

    as Wai Siu Bo

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Royal Tramp(1992)

    as Wai Siu Bo

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Justice, My Foot!(1992)

    as Sung Sai-Kit

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • Screen Play (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Show 13 episodes · Actor

  • Fight Back to School II(1992)

    as Chow Sing Sing

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • All's Well, Ends Well(1992)

    as Shang Foon

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Fist of Fury 1991 II(1992)

    as Lau Ching

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • The Thief of Time (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    as Dyun Siu Fei

  • The Banquet(1991)

    as Stephen Chow

    Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all films

  • The Magnificent Scoundrels(1991)

    as Valentino

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • God of Gamblers Part III: Back to Shanghai(1991)

    as Sing

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Fight Back to School(1991)

    as Chow Sing Sing

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • Crazy Safari(1991)

    as [Narrator]

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • Fist of Fury(1991)

    as Lau Ching

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • Legend of the Dragon(1991)

    as Chow Siu-Lung

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • The Top Bet(1991)

    as Sing

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films

  • Tricky Brains(1991)

    as Koo Jing / Che Man Jing

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • God of Gamblers II(1990)

    as Sing

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • Triad Story (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    as Sing

  • When Fortune Smiles(1990)

    as Vincent Hing

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films

  • All for the Winner(1990)

    as Sing

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • Look Out, Officer!(1990)

    as Hsing

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • It Runs in the Family (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    Show 15 episodes · Actor

  • Sleazy Dizzy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    as Sing

  • Curry and Pepper(1990)

    as Pepper

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all films

  • The Unmatchable Match(1990)

    as Cheung Lon

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • Lung Fung Restaurant(1990)

    as Rubbish Pool

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • My Hero(1990)

    as Sing

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • Love Is Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    as Sam Shek Kam Shui

  • Thunder Cops II (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    as Sui Yien

  • The Justice of Life (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    Show 30 episodes · as 何鑫淼（阿水）

  • Just Heroes(1989)

    as Jacky

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • Dragon Fight(1989)

    as Andy Yau

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • File Noir (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    Show 20 episodes · Actor

  • The Final Combat (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    Show 30 episodes · as Duen Fei

  • Faithfully Yours(1988)

    as Puddin Lai

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • The Tribulation of Life (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    Show 20 episodes · Actor

  • My Father's Son (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    Show 20 episodes · Actor

  • Final Justice(1988)

    as Boy

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • He Who Chases After the Wind (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    as Ah Sing

  • Behind Silk Curtains (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    Show 5 episodes · Actor

  • On the Brink (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    Actor

  • The Last Conflict (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    as Lau Ting Kin

  • The Price Of Growing Up (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    Show 59 episodes · Actor

  • Back To The Beyond (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    as Lau Ching

  • Brother’s Girlfriend (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    Actor

  • The Nuts (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    Show 22 episodes · Creator · as Zombie Star

  • Angels And Devils (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    Show 20 episodes · Actor

  • Woman on the Beat (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    Show 20 episodes · Actor

  • Beyond the Rose Garden (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    Show 20 episodes · Actor

  • 再見十九歲(數碼修復版) (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    Show 20 episodes · as 绑匪

  • The Legend of the Condor Heroes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    Show 19 episodes · as 宋兵甲

  • Crossroads-Pocket Money (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    Actor

  • Love & Passion (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Show 30 episodes · Actor

  • Soldier of Fortune (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Show 30 episodes · Actor

  • I.Q. 100 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    Show 20 episodes · as 学生会会长

  • 西游驱魔前传 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Show 1 episode · Executive Producer

Career shape

Star power in the 99th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 97 titles, 96 of them dated from 1981 to 2026; peak year 1991.

Biggest box office

The Mermaid (2016)

$554M worldwide

Highest rated

Kung Fu Hustle (2004)

Midcredits 97th

Most popular right now

Shaolin Soccer (2001)

Film career

19812026

Peak 1991 · fewer prominent film roles lately. Top draw in 18 MovieCove titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting83 of 97: 72 only acting, 11 with another role · typical Midcredits score63rdDirecting13 of 97: 1 only directing, 12 with another role · typical Midcredits score84thWriting14 of 97: 1 only writing, 13 with another role · typical Midcredits score68thProducing14 of 97: 6 only producing, 8 with another role · typical Midcredits score50thMusic1 of 97: 0 only music, 1 with another roleOther crew5 of 97: 2 only other crew, 3 with another role

97 titles, 15 with more than one role — acting and producing overlap on 4 of them.

By decade

1980s27 · 27 acting · 1 crew1990s48 · 48 acting · 5 crew2000s8 · 3 acting · 8 crew2010s7 · 3 acting · 6 crew2020s6 · 2 acting · 4 crew

Billing

usually 1st · top billed in 73% of 45 roles
889398

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

How do Stephen Chow's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 59th percentile, the median of all 58; across their 55 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 63rd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

63rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 55

Approval · how many liked their films

58thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 55

Reach · how many have seen their films

77thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 55

Midcredits score across 58 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up21
  • 50th to 74th18
  • 25th to 49th17
  • Below 25th2

Shape of the crowd

28 of their 58 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved5
  • Cult Classic2
  • Crowd Pleaser28
  • Broadly Agreed13
  • Mixed10

Most divisive · director, writer, producer

Kung Fu Soccer (2026)

86th percentile spread · 27% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor, director, writer, producer, composer

Kung Fu Hustle (2004)

Midcredits 97th · 86% liked

Reviewers score the acting 69/100 in their films, across 49 reviewed titles; fans 76, detractors 46. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Stephen Chow's work okay for kids?

Across up to 7 MovieCove titles with content scores, 2 of the 5 categories sit near the median of all films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore5 titles35–66 · median 48 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity7 titles7–38 · median 28 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity4 titlesmedian 35 · mildMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs4 titlesmedian 34 · mildMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense4 titlesmedian 41 · moderateMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Stephen Chow work with?

People who share at least 2 of Stephen Chow's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Man-Tat Ng shares the most, 21.

Directors

Writers

Actors

  • Man-Tat Ng21 titles    See newest 12 of 21 shared titles with Man-Tat Ng
  • Sharla Cheung12 titles    See all 12 shared titles with Sharla Cheung
  • Shing Fui-On9 titles    See all 9 shared titles with Shing Fui-On
  • Yat-Fei Wong8 titles    See all 8 shared titles with Yat-Fei Wong

Composers and cinematographers

  • Lowell Lo10 titles    See all 10 shared titles with Lowell Lo
  • Wai Lap Wu9 titles    See all 9 shared titles with Wai Lap Wu
  • Ying-Wah Wong8 titles    See all 8 shared titles with Ying-Wah Wong
  • David Chung7 titles    See all 7 shared titles with David Chung

Producers