There are few if any Hong Kong actors as accomplished as Chow Yun-fat. From small screen star through his role in TVB classicThe Bund (1980), Chow went on to become a cinematic icon courtesy of his portrayal of Mark, a cool-as-ice gangster, in John Woo’s seminal action flick A Better Tomorrow (1984). And he is still going strong 35 years later.

In 2018, he starred in Project Gutenberg and earned a nomination for Best Actor at the 2019 Hong Kong Film Awards. 

Chow is famously modest and down to earth despite his status – he still takes the MTR sometimes and was seen helping to clean up debris after Typhoon Hato in 2017.

As he celebrates his birthday on May 18, we look back on his most iconic scenes from some of his best movies.