Aaron Kwok
Encyclopedia
Aaron Kwok Fu-shing is a Hong Kong
singer, dancer and actor. He has been active since the 1980s to the present. The media refer to him, Jacky Cheung
, Andy Lau
and Leon Lai
as the Cantopop Four Heavenly Kings (四大天王). Kwok's onstage dancing and displays is influenced by Michael Jackson
. While most of his songs are in the dance-pop
genre, he has experimented numerous times with rock and roll
, ballad
, rock
, R&B
, soul
, electronica
and traditional Chinese music.
business, his father would not have allowed him to join the entertainment industry.
, where his talent for dancing was immediately recognized. Kwok then performed in music videos and variety shows for other singers. In 1987 he was transferred to the acting department of the talent training course and became a TV actor, where he played minor parts in TVB dramas. In 1990 he did a TV commercial in Taiwan
for the Honda
motorcycle DJ-1RR
. The commercial gained him instant popularity with Taiwanese girls, and he immediately burst onto the music scene.
albums including the famous song "Loving You Forever" (對你愛不完) to accompany his dance moves. After his success in Taiwan, he returned to Hong Kong in 1991 to do Cantopop
. The next few years saw his popularity reach fever-pitch, and he was soon ranked as one of the "Four Heavenly Kings". Kwok became one of Hong Kong and Asia
's most prominent pop stars. He won his first major awards with the 1991 Jade Solid Gold Top 10 Awards
and 1991 RTHK Top 10 Gold Songs Awards
. He would then win a major award every year until 2001. As a solo performer, his sell-out concerts in Hong Kong, mainland China
, United States
, Canada
, Singapore
, Malaysia and other countries total over 200 to date. In 1999 he won his first "Asia Pacific most popular artist" award.
Aaron Kwok will begin his 2011 tour on 16 April and his first stop is in Shanghai.
. Later in his career, he is known to have won a prestigious "Top ten Hong Kong dance award" (十大舞蹈家年獎). Of all the performing arts at which Kwok excels, stage appearances remain his perennial favorite. His dance accomplishments are also matched with stage displays. On 17 February 2008, he held an "Aaron Kwok De Show Reel Extension Live" concert at the Hong Kong AsiaWorld Arena
with the largest revolving stage measured at 10m x 9.44m and created a new entry for the Guinness Book of World Records.
about the Taiping Rebellion
. One of his more noticeable role was for the 1996 TVB drama series Wars of Bribery where he plays an ICAC
special-agent with Athena Chu
.
He also starred in various movies. At the Taiwan's 42nd Golden Horse Awards
ceremony on 13 November 2005, Kwok was the surprise winner of Best Leading Actor award for his role in the film Divergence
. It was Kwok's first Golden Horse nomination and beat veteran Hong Kong star Tony Leung Ka-fai
to win the honour. He again won the Best Actor Award again at the 43rd Golden Horse Awards on 24 November 2006 for his role in the film After This Our Exile
. He became only the second actor in the history of the Golden Horse Awards to win the Best Actor Award consecutively. Jackie Chan
first accomplished this back in the 1992-3.
Along with Zhang Ziyi
, Kwok stars in an AIDS-themed film Love for Life, which premiered on 10 May 2011.
race at the Macau Grand Prix
, a Formula Campus charity race. Other notable participations include the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia, where he raced with a Porsche 911 GT3
.
He is known as a car fanatic and has a large collection of notable cars. Some of his collection include the Ferrari
F50
, F512M
, F355 GTS
, F360 Modena
, Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano
, Lamborghini Diablo SE30, Mercedes-Benz
SL600
, Mercedes CLK DTM
, Porsche 911 Turbo. Other cars include the Enzo Ferrari
, a Carbon version Pagani Zonda F, Lamborghini Reventon Roadster
, Lamborghini Murciélago
, Gallardo
, Porsche 996 GT3, Nissan GTR.
Hong Kong people
Hong Kong people refer to people who originate from Hong Kong. The term has no legal definition in Hong Kong. Rather, terms such as Hong Kong permanent resident and Hong Kong resident are used...
singer, dancer and actor. He has been active since the 1980s to the present. The media refer to him, Jacky Cheung
Jacky Cheung
Jacky Cheung is a Hong Kong singer-songwriter and actor. The Chinese language media refers to him, Aaron Kwok, Andy Lau and Leon Lai as the Cantopop Four Heavenly Kings , with more than 60 million records sold as of 2000....
, Andy Lau
Andy Lau
Andy Lau MH, JP is a Hong Kong Cantopop singer, actor, and film producer. Lau has been one of Hong Kong's most commercially successful film actors since the mid-1980s, performing in more than 160 films while maintaining a successful singing career at the same time...
and Leon Lai
Leon Lai
Leon Lai is a Hong Kong-based actor and Cantopop singer. The media refer to Aaron Kwok, Jacky Cheung, Andy Lau and Leon Lai as the Cantopop Four Heavenly Kings . He uses the stage name "Li Ming" or "Lai Ming" which literally means "dawn."-Biography:...
as the Cantopop Four Heavenly Kings (四大天王). Kwok's onstage dancing and displays is influenced by Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
. While most of his songs are in the dance-pop
Dance-pop
Dance-pop is dance-oriented pop music that originated in the early 1980s. Developing from post-disco, it is generally up-tempo music intended for clubs with the intention of being danceable or merely dancey...
genre, he has experimented numerous times with rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
, ballad
Ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of British and Irish popular poetry and song from the later medieval period until the 19th century and used extensively across Europe and later the Americas, Australia and North Africa. Many...
, rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
, R&B
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
, soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
, electronica
Electronica
Electronica includes a wide range of contemporary electronic music designed for a wide range of uses, including foreground listening, some forms of dancing, and background music for other activities; however, unlike electronic dance music, it is not specifically made for dancing...
and traditional Chinese music.
Biography
Kwok graduated from Joseph's College in Hong Kong. After graduating from secondary school, Kwok worked as a junior staff in King Fook Gold & Jewellery Co. Ltd. His father, who owns a small gold retail store, desired that he gain experience in the business with the view of eventually handing the family business over to him. If not for one of Kwok's brothers taking over the goldGold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
business, his father would not have allowed him to join the entertainment industry.
Early years
In 1984 at the age of 19, Kwok joined a dancer training course at TVBTelevision Broadcasts Limited
Television Broadcasts Limited, commonly known as TVB, is the second over-the-air commercial television station in Hong Kong. It commenced broadcasting on 19 November 1967...
, where his talent for dancing was immediately recognized. Kwok then performed in music videos and variety shows for other singers. In 1987 he was transferred to the acting department of the talent training course and became a TV actor, where he played minor parts in TVB dramas. In 1990 he did a TV commercial in Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
for the Honda
Honda
is a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than...
motorcycle DJ-1RR
Honda Elite
The Honda Elite is a series of scooters manufactured by Honda since 1983. Honda currently makes the 108cc 2010 Elite.-Elite 80:In 1984 Honda released its first 4-stroke modern scooter, the Elite 125. Later, Honda introduced the 4-stroke Elite 80 in 1985.Production was moved from Japan to Mexico in...
. The commercial gained him instant popularity with Taiwanese girls, and he immediately burst onto the music scene.
Music
Kwok then began his music career with three mandopopMandopop
Mandopop is a colloquial abbreviation for "Mandarin popular music." It is categorized as a subgenre of commercial Chinese-language music within C-pop. Mandopop was the first variety of popular music in Chinese to establish itself as a viable industry. As the name implies, Mandopop features songs...
albums including the famous song "Loving You Forever" (對你愛不完) to accompany his dance moves. After his success in Taiwan, he returned to Hong Kong in 1991 to do Cantopop
Cantopop
Cantopop is a colloquialism for "Cantonese popular music". It is sometimes referred to as HK-pop, short for "Hong Kong popular music". It is categorized as a subgenre of Chinese popular music within C-pop...
. The next few years saw his popularity reach fever-pitch, and he was soon ranked as one of the "Four Heavenly Kings". Kwok became one of Hong Kong and Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
's most prominent pop stars. He won his first major awards with the 1991 Jade Solid Gold Top 10 Awards
1991 Jade Solid Gold Top 10 Awards
The 1991 Jade Solid Gold Best Ten Music Awards Presentation was held on January 1992. It is part of the Jade Solid Gold Best Ten Music Awards Presentation series held in Hong Kong.-Top 10 song awards:...
and 1991 RTHK Top 10 Gold Songs Awards
1991 RTHK Top 10 Gold Songs Awards
The 1991 RTHK Top 10 Gold Songs Awards was held in 1991 for the 1990 music season.-Top 10 song awards:The top 10 songs of 1991 are as follows.-Other awards:-References:*...
. He would then win a major award every year until 2001. As a solo performer, his sell-out concerts in Hong Kong, mainland China
Mainland China
Mainland China, the Chinese mainland or simply the mainland, is a geopolitical term that refers to the area under the jurisdiction of the People's Republic of China . According to the Taipei-based Mainland Affairs Council, the term excludes the PRC Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, Malaysia and other countries total over 200 to date. In 1999 he won his first "Asia Pacific most popular artist" award.
Aaron Kwok will begin his 2011 tour on 16 April and his first stop is in Shanghai.
Dancer
As soon as Kwok entered the music industry in 1991, he started a fast-dancing trend (勁歌熱舞). Kwok's onstage dancing and displays has been known to be influenced by Michael JacksonMichael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
. Later in his career, he is known to have won a prestigious "Top ten Hong Kong dance award" (十大舞蹈家年獎). Of all the performing arts at which Kwok excels, stage appearances remain his perennial favorite. His dance accomplishments are also matched with stage displays. On 17 February 2008, he held an "Aaron Kwok De Show Reel Extension Live" concert at the Hong Kong AsiaWorld Arena
AsiaWorld Arena
AsiaWorld-Arena is the largest indoor seated performance venue in Hong Kong. It has a total floor area of 10,880 square metres, a maximum capacity of 14,000seats /16,000standing+seats and high ceiling clearance of 19 metres. It is located next to the Hong Kong International Airport. It plays host...
with the largest revolving stage measured at 10m x 9.44m and created a new entry for the Guinness Book of World Records.
Acting
Over the years, Kwok has also indulged in other mediums such as TV commercials and acting. He began his acting career with the TVB series Rise of Genghis Khan, and the 1988 series Twilight of a NationTwilight of a Nation
Twilight of a Nation is a Hong Kong television series based on the events of the Taiping Rebellion and the rise and fall of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom during the late Qing Dynasty of Chinese history. The 45 episodes long series was produced by Siu Sang and was first aired on TVB in Hong Kong in...
about the Taiping Rebellion
Taiping Rebellion
The Taiping Rebellion was a widespread civil war in southern China from 1850 to 1864, led by heterodox Christian convert Hong Xiuquan, who, having received visions, maintained that he was the younger brother of Jesus Christ, against the ruling Manchu-led Qing Dynasty...
. One of his more noticeable role was for the 1996 TVB drama series Wars of Bribery where he plays an ICAC
Independent Commission Against Corruption (Hong Kong)
The Independent Commission Against Corruption of Hong Kong was established by Governor Murray MacLehose on 15 February 1974, when Hong Kong was under British rule. Its main aim was to clean up endemic corruption in the many departments of the Hong Kong Government through law enforcement,...
special-agent with Athena Chu
Athena Chu
Athena Chu is a Hong Kong actress and singer.-Biography:Chu attended The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts from 1990 to 1992, during which time she hosted children's shows on the television station TVB. After graduating in 1992, she started working on films. Her roles with Chow kick-started...
.
He also starred in various movies. At the Taiwan's 42nd Golden Horse Awards
Golden Horse Film Festival and Awards
The Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival and Awards is a film festival and awards ceremony held annually in Taiwan. It was founded in 1962, by Government Information Office, Republic of China...
ceremony on 13 November 2005, Kwok was the surprise winner of Best Leading Actor award for his role in the film Divergence
Divergence (film)
Divergence is a 2005 Hong Kong action-crime film produced and directed by Benny Chan, from a screenplay by Ivy Ho. The film stars Ekin Cheng, Aaron Kwok and Daniel Wu.-Plot:...
. It was Kwok's first Golden Horse nomination and beat veteran Hong Kong star Tony Leung Ka-fai
Tony Leung Ka-Fai
Tony Leung Ka-fai is a three-time Hong Kong Film Award-winning Chinese film actor.Because he is often confused with actor Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, Tony Leung Ka-fai is known as "Big Tony", while Tony Leung Chiu-Wai is known as "Little Tony", nicknames which correspond to the actors' respective...
to win the honour. He again won the Best Actor Award again at the 43rd Golden Horse Awards on 24 November 2006 for his role in the film After This Our Exile
After This Our Exile
After This Our Exile is a 2006 Hong Kong film directed by Patrick Tam.-Plot:In hopeless pursuit of happiness, Shing is a man who desperately attempts to hold on to the dwindling threads of his family. Once a man who had a dream, Shing has become a deadbeat gambler whose marriage is failing with...
. He became only the second actor in the history of the Golden Horse Awards to win the Best Actor Award consecutively. Jackie Chan
Jackie Chan
Jackie Chan, SBS, MBE is a Hong Kong actor, action choreographer, comedian, director, producer, martial artist, screenwriter, entrepreneur, singer and stunt performer. In his movies, he is known for his acrobatic fighting style, comic timing, use of improvised weapons, and innovative stunts...
first accomplished this back in the 1992-3.
Along with Zhang Ziyi
Zhang Ziyi
Zhang Ziyi is a Chinese film actress. Zhang is coined by the media as one of the Four Young Dan actresses in the Film Industry in China, along with Zhao Wei, Xu Jinglei, and Zhou Xun...
, Kwok stars in an AIDS-themed film Love for Life, which premiered on 10 May 2011.
Style promoter
Among the four heavenly kings in the 1990s, Kwok was generally known to have the best image. He was famous for popularizing a new type of "center-split hair style" that became a crazed trend. Throughout his career he did change his hair style numerous times including styles such as the five-five split or the four-six split.Community service
Kwok has also taken part in charitable work. Most notable he received the "Ten Most Outstanding Young Persons Award" in 2003.Car promoter, collector, amateur racer
Kwok has been known as a collector of sports cars as well as an amateur of motor racing. He participated in a Ferrari F355Ferrari F355
The Ferrari F355 is a sports car built by Ferrari from May 1994 to 1999. It is an evolution of the Ferrari 348 and was replaced by the Ferrari 360. It is a mid-engined, rear wheel drive V8-powered 2-seat coupe...
race at the Macau Grand Prix
Macau Grand Prix
The Macau Grand Prix is a motor-racing event held annually in Macau, one of China's Special Administrative Regions. It is known for being the only street circuit racing event in which both car and motorcycle races are held...
, a Formula Campus charity race. Other notable participations include the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia, where he raced with a Porsche 911 GT3
Porsche 911 GT3
The Porsche 911 GT3 is a higher performance version of the Porsche 911 sports car. It is the latest in a line of high performance models, beginning with the 1973 911 RS...
.
He is known as a car fanatic and has a large collection of notable cars. Some of his collection include the Ferrari
Ferrari
Ferrari S.p.A. is an Italian sports car manufacturer based in Maranello, Italy. Founded by Enzo Ferrari in 1929, as Scuderia Ferrari, the company sponsored drivers and manufactured race cars before moving into production of street-legal vehicles as Ferrari S.p.A. in 1947...
F50
Ferrari F50
The Ferrari F50 is a mid-engined range-topping sports car made by Ferrari. The F50 was introduced in 1995 to celebrate the company's 50th anniversary. The car is a two door, two seat convertible with a removable hardtop...
, F512M
Ferrari Testarossa
The Ferrari Testarossa is a 12-cylinder mid-engine sports car manufactured by Ferrari, which went into production in 1984 as the successor to the Ferrari Berlinetta Boxer...
, F355 GTS
Ferrari F355
The Ferrari F355 is a sports car built by Ferrari from May 1994 to 1999. It is an evolution of the Ferrari 348 and was replaced by the Ferrari 360. It is a mid-engined, rear wheel drive V8-powered 2-seat coupe...
, F360 Modena
Ferrari 360
The Ferrari 360 is a mid-engine midsize two-seater sports car produced from late 1999 until 2005. The 360 replaced the Ferrari F355 and was itself replaced by the fairly similar Ferrari F430...
, Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano
Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano
The 599 GTB Fiorano is an Italian gran turismo produced by Ferrari. It is the brand's two-seat flagship, replacing the 575 M Maranello in 2006 as a 2007 model....
, Lamborghini Diablo SE30, Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz is a German manufacturer of automobiles, buses, coaches, and trucks. Mercedes-Benz is a division of its parent company, Daimler AG...
SL600
Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
The Mercedes-Benz SL is a grand tourer manufactured by Mercedes since 1954. The designation SL derives from the German Sport Leicht, or Sport Lightweight — and was first applied to the 300SL 'Gullwing' named also after its gullwing or upward-opening doors.The term SL-Class refers to the...
, Mercedes CLK DTM
Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
The Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class is a mid-size rear-wheel drive coupé/convertible . While it was based on the W202 and W203 platforms of the C-Class, its styling cues, engine, and price range are closer to that of the E-Class, with Mercedes-Benz slotting the CLK as a coupé version of the W210 and W211...
, Porsche 911 Turbo. Other cars include the Enzo Ferrari
Enzo Ferrari (car)
The Enzo Ferrari is a 12 cylinder mid-engine berlinetta named after the company's founder, Enzo Ferrari. It was built in 2002 using Formula One technology, such as a carbon-fibre body, F1-style electrohydraulic shift transmission, and Carbon fibre-reinforced Silicon Carbide ceramic composite...
, a Carbon version Pagani Zonda F, Lamborghini Reventon Roadster
Lamborghini Reventón
The Lamborghini Reventón is a mid-engine sports car that debuted at the 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show. It is the most expensive Lamborghini road car to date, costing one million euros . Its top recorded speed was recorded in Dubai, UAE at...
, Lamborghini Murciélago
Lamborghini Murciélago
The Lamborghini Murciélago is a two-door, two-seat sports car produced by Italian automaker Lamborghini between 2001 and 2010. Successor to the Diablo and flagship of the automaker's lineup, the Murciélago was introduced as a coupé in 2001. The automaker's first new design in eleven years, the car...
, Gallardo
Lamborghini Gallardo
The Lamborghini Gallardo is a sports car built by Lamborghini. The Gallardo is Lamborghini's most-produced model to date, with over 10,000 built in its first seven years of production...
, Porsche 996 GT3, Nissan GTR.