Jay Chou born (January 18, 1979) is a Taiwanese musician and actor who portrayed Kato in the 2011 film adaptation of The Green Hornet. Chou was trained in classical music, and he combines Chinese and Western music styles to produce songs that fuse R&B, rock and pop genres, covering issues such as domestic violence, war, and urbanization. He has won the World Music Award four times.
Acting career[]
Chou formally entered the film industry in 2005 with the release of the movie Initial D (頭文字Ｄ). He has since acted in numerous films and television series. Chou said that he ventured into acting because he felt the need for a new challenge. As fans grew concerned that his acting career would come at the expense of his music, he reassured them that his acting was a source of inspiration for his music, rather than a distraction. At the same time, he realized the need to balance both careers and maintain his place in the music field to garner the continued support of fans.
Entry into acting was an unexpected move for Chou. Chou’s second film and most well-known to Western audiences was Curse of the Golden Flower (2006). As a supporting character, he drew much of the attention of Chinese reporters; Chou’s involvement in this movie was announced in its own press conference, separate from the meeting held for Chow Yun-fat, Gong Li, and the other actors. Chou portrayed Prince Jai, the ambitious second eldest prince and general of the Imperial army whose personality epitomizes Xiao (孝), the Chinese virtue of filial piety. In this internationally-released film, North American audiences saw Chou for the first time. According to Chinese movie critics, comments about his acting ranged from "lacks complexity" to "acceptable," but was critically praised by Western reviewers. His performance in Curse of the Golden Flower was nominated Best Supporting Actor in the Hong Kong Film Awards. In the 2008 film Kung Fu Dunk, Chou portrayed a kung fu student and dunking prodigy, and the film earned over ¥100 million (US$14.7 million). Chou was cast to portray Kato in The Green Hornet, directed by Michel Gondry and slated for release in January 2011, after Hong Kong actor Stephen Chow withdrew from the project.