Louis Koo

In this Hong Kong name, the surname is Koo. In accordance with Hong Kong custom, the Western-style name is Louis Koo and the Chinese-style name is Koo Tin-lok.

Louis Koo
古天樂
Koo in August 2017
Born	Koo Tin-lok (1970-10-21) 21 October 1970 (age 54) British Hong Kong
Occupations	Actor model singer film producer
Years active	1993–present
Awards	Hong Kong Film Awards – Best Actor 2018 'Paradox' Asian Film Awards – Best Actor 2018 'Paradox' TVB Anniversary Awards – Best Actor 1999 'Detective Investigation Files IV' 2001 'A Step into the Past'
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese	古天樂
Simplified Chinese	古天乐
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Gǔ Tiānlè Yue: Cantonese Jyutping Gu2 Tin1-Lok6
Website	www.kootinlok.com/blog

Louis Koo Tin-lok (Chinese: 古天樂; born 21 October 1970) is a Hong Kong actor, singer and film producer.^[1][2] He began his professional career as an actor in local television series, receiving recognition for his roles in The Condor Heroes 95 (1995), Detective Investigation Files IV (1999), and A Step into the Past (2001). After 2001, Koo shifted his focus to films and became one of the stalwarts of the Hong Kong film industry.^[3]

His notable film credits include Rob-B-Hood (2006), Run Papa Run (2008), Connected (2008), Overheard (2009), Drug War (2012), The White Storm (2013), Paradox (2017), and A Witness Out of the Blue (2019). For his performance in Paradox, Koo was awarded the Hong Kong Film Award for Best Actor, Asian Film Award for Best Actor and the Hong Kong Film Directors' Guild Award for Best Actor.

Early life

Koo Tin-lok was born in Hong Kong on 21 October 1970, and educated there. His father was an actor who later became a businessman. Koo is an alumnus of St. Teresa's School Kowloon and Carmel Secondary School.^[4]

Teenage life

Koo, along with his friends, were convicted by the court because of robbing in November 1990. Koo was sentenced to 22 months in the Correctional Services Lai King Training Centre.^[5] He neither mentioned nor acknowledged the event to the public after joining the entertainment industry, only after being exposed by the media in 1994.^[6]

Career

During 1992 to 1993, Koo was a modelling agent, sometimes he worked as a model for advertisements and karaoke videos.

Television actor

In 1993, Koo signed as a contract artist with TVB (Television Broadcasts Limited).

Koo started gaining wide recognition in 1995 with his leading role in a costume drama The Condor Heroes 95, a popular series based on a classic wuxia novel. In 1997, Koo began sporting an extreme tan (for which he is well known), which apparently enabled him to take on more contemporary roles. In 1999, Koo received TVB's Most Popular Actor Award for Detective Investigation Files IV. In 2000, Koo received TVB's Most Favorite Character Award for At the Threshold of an Era ll. Koo took a different approach to his role in A Step Into the Past. This deviation from his usual cool aloof on-screen persona to a funnier, carefree and down-to-earth one resonated with the audience and widened his acting range. In 2001, Koo was given TVB's Most Popular Actor Award and Favorite Character Award Award once again for A Step into the Past. He then went on an indefinite hiatus from television and has since focused on his film career.

Due to the popularity of TVB dramas in the late 1990s, Koo amassed a sizeable fan base in Hong Kong, Taiwan, mainland China and South-east Asia.

Film actor

Since 1994, Koo began taking on roles in films, such as the paranormal Troublesome Night series and many action films including Wilson Yip's Bullets Over Summer (1999). Koo acted as a mute boy living on rural island in romantic literary film Sealed with a Kiss (1998).

During 2001 to 2004, Koo signed contract with China Star Entertainment Group and starred in many romantic comedies, such as La Brassiere and Naked Ambition.

In 2004, Koo took on the role of Sze-to Bo, a perpetually drunk and despondent former judo champion with hereditary eye disease, in Johnnie To’s Throw Down which was premiered at the 61st Venice International Film Festival. The movie was a marked departure from his usual commercial genres, and he also began his long-term collaboration with To and Milkyway Image.

Koo later received international acclaim^[7] for his chilling performance in Johnnie To's Election 2 (a.k.a. Triad Election), which was screened at the "Out of Competition" section at the 59th Cannes Film Festival (Election was competitive film at the 58th Cannes Film Festival). He won the award for Most Beloved Actor in the Hong Kong UA Film Awards 2006 through public voting for his role in Election 2.

In a female perspective romantic film Happy Birthday (2006) adapted by Sylvia Chang from 'Rene Liu's novella, Koo portrayed a sensitive man who continued to take care of his ex-girlfriend after his death.^[8]

Koo also took supporting roles in action movies, such as Jackie Chan's Robin B Hood (2006), Donnie Yen's Flash Point (2007).

His character as an unscrupulous drug addict in Derek Yee's Protégé (2007) differed from his previous performances, as he forwent his suave image for an emaciated look. The supporting role earned him positive critical feedback and Best Supporting Actor nominations at the Hong Kong Film Awards and the Golden Horse Awards.

In Sylvia Chang's female perspective gangster film Run Papa Run (2008), Koo played a reckless triad leader who tried to shield his daughter from his past misdemeanours. Koo earned Best Actor nominations in the Hong Kong Film Awards and Golden Horse Award for this role, which required him to portray a character from his late teens to his fifties.^[9] Since then Koo took more challenging father roles and middle-aged roles.

In the remake of Cellular, Connected (2008) directed by Benny Chan, he played an average Joe^[10] cast in a race against time to save a stranger.

In Soi Cheang's Accident (2009) which was a competitive film at the 66th Venice International Film Festival, Koo acted as a highly-strung killer-group leader who was good at disguising murders as accidents.

In Overheard (2009) directed by Alan Mak and Felix Chong, he put on 30 pounds’ weight to take the role of a middle-aged cop and father of four more convincingly,^[11] and earned Best Actor nominations in Hong Kong Film Critics Society Awards. This film was successful and was then made into a series with the same cast and directors but different stories.

In 2010 Koo signed pre-paid contracts with Pegasus Motion Pictures, then appeared in its All's well, ends well comedy series, and it's anti-corruption film series (Z Storm, S Storm).

In costume A Chinese Ghost Story (2011), Koo acted as a Chinese Taoist "Exorcist" who fell in love with a fox-fairy and sacrificed himself in the end. Koo made a return to his romantic comedy roots in Don't Go Breaking My Heart and sequel Don't Go Breaking My Heart 2 (2014) directed by Johnnie To and Wai Ka-Hui, acting as a dissolute stock broker.

In Drug War (2012) directed by Johnnie To, Koo took on the role of a ruthless and deliberate Hong Kong drug lord who dared to do anything to get away from mainland China's death penalty.

Koo received a Hong Kong Film Award for Best Actor nomination again for his undercover cop role in Benny Chan's 2013 film The White Storm.

In Out of Inferno (2013), Koo acted as a resigned firefighter who encountered a fire in a high-rise building.

In Overheard 3 (2014), he acted as a revenger with artificial limb.

In Soi Cheang's SPL II: A Time for Consequences (2015), Koo took the role of an ill and evil mastermind of a criminal organization. In Johnnie To's Three (2016), Koo acted as a cop leader at the edge of crime.

In Shed Skin Papa (2017), a competitive film at the 29th Tokyo International Film Festival, Koo acted as a frustrated director who came to understand his father after his mother's funeral and a series of fantastic incidents.

In Paradox (2017), Koo played a cop who was determined to avenge his daughter, and performed most of the film's action sequences without the use of a stunt double. For his performance in the film, Koo won Asian Film Award for Best Actor at the 12th Asian Film Awards as well the Hong Kong Film Directors' Guild Award for Best Actor at the 12th Hong Kong Film Directors' Guild Award in March 2018. Koo's performance also won him the Best Actor award at the 37th Hong Kong Film Awards held on 15 April 2018.

Film producer

Koo was captivated by Star Wars film series when he was a child. After a decades-long acting career in the film industry, he anticipated the rise of China's own Sci-fi films, so he purchased several Visual effects and Prosthetic make-up companies. In 2013, Koo founded "One Cool Group Limited". As of 2018, One Cool Group has produced 20 films. The sci-fi action film Warriors of Future, which Koo produced and stars in, was released on 25 August 2022.

One Cool Group was to set up an entertainment company with Media Asia in 2021, forming a new group named Cool Style. Investors included Hong Kong model and actress Angelababy Yang Ying, Angelababy's agent Kim Chou and Hong Kong film director Stephen Fung’s production company Film Magic Pictures. Cool Style's business scope includes artist management and related businesses aiming to cultivate new forces with abundant resources and platforms.^[12]

Koo was able to acquire the rights of the series A Step into the Past in 2015 and adapt it for the big screen - Back to the Past. Production for the film officially wrapped on 7 July 2019. Koo will also star in the film reprising his role from the series.^[13]

In 2021, Koo served as executive producer for two Hollywood animation films, The Mitchells vs. the Machines and Vivo, with the former being nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature at the 94th Academy Awards.^[14]

Koo also served as executive producer on The Garfield Movie, which was theatrically released on 24 May 2024.^[15]

Social work in film industry

Koo has been the ambassador of Hong Kong International Film Festival^[16] from 2014 to 2018.

In 2015, Koo joined the board of Fresh Wave International Short Film Festival^[17] held in Hong Kong.

In Jan 2018, Koo was elected as the president of Hong Kong Performing Artistes Guild.^[18]

Other works

Writer

Koo has published several books over the years including his photo albums Present (1999) and Cool (2001), as well as his autobiography Find Happiness (2002).^[19] He also released Toys Battle (2008), a book chronicling his love for comic book characters and movie superheroes, and donated all proceeds to UNICEF.^[20] Koo has been writing blogs everyday on his own website since December 2006.^[21]

Singer

Koo recorded several theme songs for the TVB dramas he had starred in and several TV advertisement songs he had endorsed. He had also cut four albums: Boyfriend and Popular Louis in 2000, optimism in 2001, Mr.Cool in 2003.^[22]

Designer

Koo was a designer of his own eyewear brand ZeroX, Level Nine, and Louis Koo. He also participated in designs of his own books, websites, company logos and some endorsed brands.

Brand spokesperson

With a career spanning two decades, Koo has endorsed a large number of brands in Hong Kong and Mainland China. Some of the major brand endorsements include, Pepsi,^[23] Brooks Brothers, Samsung Galaxy,^[24] Xbox 360 Kinect,^[25] Toyota Corolla, Yokohama Tire,^[26] Lay's, Lipton, Lotte chewing gum, Tropicana,^[27] Gillette, OSIM,^[28] Tag Heuer, Epson printer, Matisse, Johnnie Walker, Pentax camera, Clinique, Hugo Boss Perfume, Bally, Puma, DBS Black World MasterCard.

Charity

In July 2012, Chinese microblogs caught on to the news of Koo's low profile philanthropy in China, which became a trending topic, more and more people born in different remote rural areas found that local elementary schools were built with donation of Koo, and upload photos to the microblogs. Major Chinese dailies further reported that he had helped build 49 schools to help the underprivileged in remote areas in rural China for the past three years^[29] without any publicity. Koo was reluctant to comment on the issue but it was learnt that Koo set up his charity foundation after witnessing the devastation from the Sichuan earthquake in 2008.^[30] According to "Grace charity" website,^[31] Koo has helped build 97 elementary school buildings, 18 clinics and 751 small water supply projects in remote undeveloped areas of rural China through "Grace Charity Foundation Limited" and local government by 2017.

Koo is also a UNICEF (United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund) ambassador^[32] since 2007.

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1994	Organized Crime & Triad Bureau	Tung's underling
	Let's Go Slam Dunk	basketball player
1996	On Fire
	Man Wanted 2	Rung
	Street of Fury	Lung
1997	Troublesome Night	Ken Ng Chi-keung
	Troublesome Night 2	Sam
1998	Troublesome Night 3	Cheng Lik
	T.H.E. Professionals	Officer Kong
	God.com	Officer Chan
	The Suspect	Don Lee
	Troublesome Night 4	Wing
1999	Troublesome Night 5	Lam Chung-fat
	Troublesome Night 6	Inspector Wong
	Rules of the Game	David Chow
	Super Car Criminals
	Bullets Over Summer	Brian
	Century of the Dragon	Wong Chi-shing
	Sealed with a Kiss	Kam Sui
	The Masked Prosecutor	Tong Hiu-tai
	The Young Ones		Cameo
2000	For Bad Boys Only	Jack Shum
	Troublesome Night 7	Lok
	Conman in Tokyo	Cool
2001	Born Wild	Tan Ho
	The Legend of Zu	Red
	La Brassiere	Wayne
2002	The Lion Roars	Seasonal Chan
	Fat Choi Spirit	Louis
	Dry Wood Fierce Fire	Ryan Li
	Women From Mars	Servant of Hell	Cameo
	Mighty Baby	Wayne
2003	Love for All Seasons	Tiger Hung
	Why Me, Sweetie?!	Dong
	Good Times, Bed Times	Paul Ko Chi-keung
	Naked Ambition	Andy	Also producer
	Lost in Time	Ah Man	Special appearance
2004	Fantasia	Sam
	Love on the Rocks	Wong Kai-ming
	Throw Down	Sze-to Bo	premiered at 61st Venice International Film Festival
2005	Election	Jimmy Lee	competitive film at 58th Cannes Film Festival
2006	Election 2	Jimmy Lee	"Films out of Competition" at 59th Cannes Film Festival
	Rob-B-Hood	Octopus	premiered at 62nd Venice International Film Festival
	Happy Birthday	Nam
2007	Protégé	Jane's Husband	Nominated - 27th Hong Kong Film Award for Best Supporting Actor Nominated - 44th Golden Horse Award For Best Supporting Actor
	Triangle	Fai	"Films out of Competition" at 60th Cannes Film Festival
	Flash Point	Wilson
2008	Run Papa Run	Tiger Lee Tin-yun	Nominated - 28th Hong Kong Film Award for Best Actor Nominated - 45th Golden Horse Award For Best Actor
	Connected	Bob
2009	Accident	Brain	competitive film at 66th Venice International Film Festival
	All's Well, Ends Well 2009	Dick Cho
	On His Majesty's Secret Service	Royal Dog
	Poker King	Jack Chang
	Overheard	Gene Yeung	Nominated- 6th Hong Kong Film Critics Society Awards for Best Actor
2010	All's Well, Ends Well 2010	Emperor
	Triple Tap	Ken Kwan
2011	The Road Less Traveled	Hui Shing-leung
	All's Well, Ends Well 2011	Sammy Shum
	Mr. and Mrs. Incredible	Gazer Warrior
	Don't Go Breaking My Heart	Sean Cheung
	A Chinese Ghost Story	Yin Chek-ha
	Overheard 2	Jack Ho Chi-keung
	Magic to Win	Wood Magician	Cameo
2012	All's Well, Ends Well 2012	Peng Kin
	Romancing in Thin Air	Michael Lau
2013	Drug War	Timmy Choi Tim-ming
	Out of Inferno	Keung
	The White Storm	So Kin-chow	Nominated - 33rd Hong Kong Film Award for Best Actor premiered at 10th International Rome Film Festival
2014	Hello Babies		Cameo
	Golden Chickensss	Jiangmen Louis Koo	Cameo
	Naked Ambition 2	Naoki Nagasaki	Cameo Also producer
	Aberdeen	Cheng Wai-to
	Overheard 3	Lau Wing-jau
	Z Storm	William Luk
	Don't Go Breaking My Heart 2	Sean Cheung
2015	An Inspector Calls	Inspector Karl
	12 Golden Ducks	Rocky	Cameo
	Triumph in the Skies	Branson Cheung
	Little Big Master	Tse Wing-tung
	SPL II: A Time for Consequences	Mr. Hung	Special appearance
	Paris Holiday	Lam Chun-kit
	Wild City	T-Man
2016	Three	Ken Chan
	League of Gods	Shen Gongbao
	Line Walker	Shiu Chi-long
	Call of Heroes	Cho Siu-lun
	S Storm	William Luk
	Shed Skin Papa	Tin Lik-hang	competitive film at 29th Tokyo International Film Festival
2017	Dealer/Healer	Halley	Special appearance
	Meow	Ng Sau-lung
	Paradox	Lee Chung-chi	Won - 12th Asian Film Award for Best Actor[33] Won - 12th Hong Kong Film Directors' Guild Award for Best Actor[34] Won - 37th Hong Kong Film Awards for Best Actor
	Always Be With You	Sam
2018	L Storm	William Luk
	Kung Fu Monster	Feng Si-hai
2019	A Home with a View	Wong Siu-choi
	P Storm	William Luk
	Chasing the Dragon II: Wild Wild Bunch	Sky Ho
	The White Storm 2: Drug Lords	Jizo	Nominated - 39th Hong Kong Film Awards for Best Original Film Song
	Line Walker 2: Invisible Spy	Cheng Chun-yin
	A Witness Out of the Blue	Sean Wong	Nominated - 39th Hong Kong Film Awards for Best Actor
2021	Dynasty Warriors	Lü Bu
	Once Upon a Time in Hong Kong	Hank Chan
	All U Need Is Love	Captain of the Epidemic Prevention Operation Unit
	The Mitchells vs. the Machines		Executive producer only[35]
	Vivo		Executive producer only[36]
	Anita	Eddie Lau	Nominated - 40th Hong Kong Film Award for Best Supporting Actor
	G Storm	William Luk
2022	Warriors of Future	Tyler	Also producer
	Marmaduke		Executive producer only
	New Kung Fu Cult Master 1	Cheung Chui-shan
	New Kung Fu Cult Master 2	Cheung Chui-shan
2023	The White Storm 3: Heaven or Hell	Au Chi-yuen
	Death Notice	Wong Siu-ping
	Vital Sign
2024	The Garfield Movie		Executive producer only[15]
	Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In	Cyclone
TBD	Sons of the Neon Night	Ching Man-sing	Post-production
	Back to the Past	Hong Siu-lung	Post-production
	Beyond the Sin		Post-production
	The Trier of Fact	Car Che	Post-production
	Behind the Shadows		Post-production
	Storm Cloud 3D	Duen Long	Pre-production
	The Strangled Truth		Pre-production
	When It All Begins		Pre-production
	Un Coevr D'Artichaut		Pre-production
	Under Control		Pre-production
	Chasing the Dragon III: Chinatown		Pre-production

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1994	Knot to Treasure	Wah Ching-hou
	Class of Distinction	Luk Gin-choi
1995	Happy Harmony	Sung Gwai
	The Condor Heroes 95	Yeung Kuo
1996	Cold Blood Warm Heart	Yip Sing-hong
1997	The Hit Man Chronicles	Yan Hua
	War & Remembrance	4th Prince
	Against the Blade of Honour	Ding Pang
	I Can't Accept Corruption	Fong Cheuk-man / Lee Sing-man
	A Recipe for the Heart	Kiu Pak-ko	Nominated - 2nd TVB Anniversary Award for Best Actor
1998	Burning Flame	Lau Hoi-pak
1999	Man's Best Friend	Tai Jin Sek
	Detective Investigation Files IV	Tsui Fei	Won - 3rd TVB Anniversary Award for Best Actor
	At the Threshold of an Era	Nick Cheung Chi-lik
2000	At the Threshold of an Era II	Nick Cheung Chi-lik	Won - 4th TVB Anniversary Award for Top Favourite Television Characters
2001	A Step into the Past	Hong Siu-lung	Won - 5th TVB Anniversary Award for Best Actor Won - 5th TVB Anniversary Award for Top Favourite Television Characters

Honors

In 2018, 55382 Kootinlok, a main-belt asteroid discovered by Bill Yeung at the Desert Eagle Observatory in 2001, was named in honor of Koo.

On May 20, 2021, Weibo Starlight Awards 2020 ceremony was held online. The winners were all over the world, including Koo, Katy Perry, Taylor Swift, Takuya Kimura, etc.　Koo, was awarded the "Starlight of Fame (Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan)" and "Starlight Influential Actor of the Year".^[37]

In 2023, Koo was honoured by New York Asian Film Festival with Extraordinary Star Asia Award.^[38]

References

1. "Louis Koo". chinesemov.com. Retrieved March 24, 2010.
2. "TV". Louis Koo Tin-Lok Official Website. Retrieved 8 January 2013.
3. "2012福布斯 中国名人榜". Forbes China. Retrieved 11 January 2013.
4. "2004年週記". Louis Koo Tin-Lok Official Website. Retrieved 13 January 2013.
5. "留案底影響一生" [Criminal records bring lifelong impact]. The Sun. 19 October 2007. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
6. "曝古天乐涉黑经历：18岁曾因行劫服刑22个月" [Louis Koo's triad-linked past exposed: Sentenced to 22 months because of robbery at 18]. ent.qq.com. 2 April 2013. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
7. Kerr, Elizabeth. "Election 2". Hollywood Reporter.
8. Ho, Yi (19 January 2007). "A nostalgic romance". Taipei Times. Retrieved 11 January 2013.
9. Ho, Yi (25 April 2008). "When the going gets tough, the tough get soft". The Taipei Times.
10. Elley, Derek (3 October 2008). "Connected". Variety. Retrieved 9 January 2013.
11. Lee, Edmund. "Louis Koo interview". Time Out. Retrieved 8 January 2013.
12. "Media Asia joins hands with Louis Koo, Angelababy". The Standard. 2021-01-29
13. "《尋秦記》電影版預告曝光 古天樂林峯相隔廿年再對決". Sing Tao News. 2021-03-16
14. "Oscars 2022: 'The Mitchells vs. the Machines,' executive produced by Hong Kong actor Louis Koo, nominated for best animated feature". 9 February 2022.
15. "'The Garfield Movie' Trailer Teases New Era of Lasagna-Loving Cat Featuring Chris Pratt, Samuel L. Jackson". The Hollywood Reporter. 13 November 2023.
16. "HKIFF". www.hkiff.org.hk.
17. 鮮浪潮國際短片節
18. 香港演藝人協會
19. "Publication". Louis Koo Tin-Lok Official Website. Retrieved 8 January 2013.
20. Mak, Clara (15 March 2008). "Koo's comic book capers". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 8 January 2013.
21. "Louis Koo International Fansclub".
22. "Music". Louis Koo Tin-Lok Official Website. Retrieved 8 January 2013.
23. Chan, Candy. "PepsiCo's Thirst For China Continues". Marketing Magazine. Retrieved 9 January 2013.
24. Ng, Erica. "Samsung Eyes Apple's Dominance". Marketing Magazine. Retrieved 9 January 2013.
25. "News". Archived from the original on 21 February 2012. Retrieved 9 January 2013.
26. "Louis Koo is the brand ambassador for Yokohama Tire". Yokohama Tire. Retrieved 9 January 2013.
27. Watson, Mark (16 May 2012). "Tropicana Launches New Thematic TVC And Interactive Campaign". China Smack. Retrieved 11 January 2013.
28. "Advertisement". Louis Koo Tin-Lok Official Website.
29. "Louis Koo helped build 49 schools". The Star. Retrieved 8 January 2013.
30. "默默扶貧3年 古仔內地建49學校". Apple Daily Hong Kong. Retrieved 8 January 2013.
31. "慈恩基金会".
32. "Hong Kong UNICEF Ambassadors". Archived from the original on 5 July 2014. Retrieved 9 January 2013.
33. "Asian Film Awards: 'Youth' Wins Top Prize From 'Demon Cat'". Variety. March 17, 2018.
34. "Louis Koo wins another Best Actor award". Archived from the original on March 23, 2018.
35. Rooney, David. "'The Mitchells vs. the Machines': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter.
36. Massuda, Lauren (29 July 2021). "First 'Vivo' Trailer Offers Colorful Animation and Catchy Songs on Netflix". Collider.
37. "古仔捧獎不忘籲網民撐港片". SingTao news. 2021-05-22
38. "NYAFF 2023 Unveils Special Guests, Award Honorees and Second Wave of Films". NYAFF. 1 July 2023. Retrieved 8 July 2022.

External links

• Louis Koo at IMDb
• KooTinLok.com - Official Fans Club website for Louis Koo