Initial D co-stars Jay Chou and Edison Chen reunite in London, sparks nostalgia amongst fans
The Straits Times
July 6, 2025
Taiwanese singer Jay Chou bumped into his former co-star, Canadian actor Edison Chen, while both of them were in London recently. And their rare joint appearance together took fans down memory lane.
The two are best known for starring together in Hong Kong street racing film Initial D (2005). Chou, 46, played the lead Takumi Fujiwara, while Chen, 44, took on the role of Ryosuke Takahashi, leader of racing team Red Suns.
The film, based on the Japanese manga series of the same name, also starred Japanese actress Anne Suzuki, as well as Hong Kong actors Anthony Wong and Shawn Yue.
Edison Chen (left) and Jay Chou in Hong Kong street racing film Initial D (2005). PHOTO: SHAW ORGANISATION
On July 4, Chou posted on Instagram two photos of him and Chen in front of Japanese artist Yoshitomo Nara's pictures. They were attending an exhibition of Nara's artworks in London.
The Mandopop star also uploaded two movie stills of him and Chen in Initial D, and a fictional conversation between their two characters in the film.
Ryosuke Takahashi: Would you like to join my team?
Takumi Fujiwara: Sure!
Ryosuke Takahashi: You transfer 300 yuan via WeChat first!
Takumi Fujiwara: …………
"Transfer 300 yuan via Wechat" was a meme from a video clip which went viral online. A netizen claimed to have received a voice message request from Chen, which turned out to be a prank by someone else.
Chou's post attracted more than 296,000 "likes" and has been shared more than 226,000 times as at July 6 afternoon.
The singer completed the Hong Kong leg of his Carnival World Tour on June 29. He then headed to Britain to watch the ongoing 2025 Wimbledon Championships in London with his wife, Taiwanese-Australian model-actress Hannah Quinlivan.
Chen, who was also in London watching the tennis competition, was in Taipei in December 2024 to attend Chou's concert at the Taipei Dome.
Chou recently sparked speculation that he could have a role in Hong Kong director Stephen Chow's new movie Women's Soccer, after they posted on social media on July 2 a photo of them together.
Chou was seen in the picture with his foot on a soccer ball, with Chow mentioning his movie Shaolin Soccer (2001) in the post.
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