18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
3 Andy Lau action roles that show his talent beyond dramas, as a cop, monk and hit man
Hong Kong superstar Andy Lau Tak-wah's matinee idol looks were a good fit for romances and dramas early in his career, although his frequent roles playing 'sensitive' triad gangsters were complemented by action scenes.
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In the early 2000s,
Lau tried his hand at bona fide action and proved exceptionally good at it in spite of his slight figure.
We recall the actor-singer's portrayal of three very different action heroes on screen.
1. Shaolin (2011)
Lau's stature in the Chinese film industry was put to good use in
Benny Chan Muk-sing 's Shaolin Temple drama, which was inspired by
Jet Li 's 1982
Shaolin Temple – the Chinese title translates as New Shaolin Temple.
The actor brings some much-needed gravitas to the role of a ruthless warlord who takes shelter in the fabled Shaolin Temple after he is deposed by one of his juniors in a murderous coup.
His character sees the error of his violent ways and converts to Buddhism, although this does not stop him using his new-found Shaolin kung fu techniques to fight his enemies.
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Lau plays the role with the intensity of a Method actor – which he is not – and is especially convincing as a villainous general who will even kill his best friend to safeguard his power.
