KOO Tin Lok
2019 Honorary Fellow
Citation
Mr Koo Tin Lok is a Hong Kong-born actor and singer. Starting his career at Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB) in 1993, Mr Koo soon gained popularity for his role in the wuxia drama The Condor Heroes 95. His status as a top actor in the Chinese-speaking world was further strengthened by his performances in Detective Investigation Files IV, At the Threshold of an Era II and A Step into the Past between 1999 and 2001, which earned him two Most Favourite Character Awards and two Most Popular Actor Awards at the TVB Anniversary Awards.
Riding on his success on television, Mr Koo switched to the silver screen, where he became a prominent figure in the local film industry, starring in over 100 Chinese-speaking movies of different genres. His exceptional performances made him a frequent nominee at international film awards and festivals, including the Cannes Film Festival, the Venice International Film Festival, the Tokyo International Film Festival, Taiwan’s Golden Horse Awards, the Hong Kong Film Awards, the Asian Film Awards, and the Macao International Movie Festival. He achieved a trifecta in 2018 when his performance in Paradox earned him Best Actor at the 12th Asian Film Awards, the 12th Hong Kong Film Directors’ Guild Awards and the 37th Hong Kong Film Awards. In the same year, he received the My Favourite Male Singer Award from Commercial Radio.
Driven by his belief that with “Great power comes great responsibility”, Mr Koo has been an active advocate of local movies. A five-time ambassador of the annual Hong Kong International Film Festival since 2014, he became a board member of the Fresh Wave International Short Film Festival in 2015 and the sponsor of Louis Koo Cinema at the Hong Kong Arts Centre in 2018. One of the winners at the 16th World Outstanding Chinese Awards in 2018, Mr Koo is President of the Federation of Hong Kong Filmmakers and the Hong Kong Performing Artistes Guild, with a commitment to supporting the development of the Hong Kong film industry and promoting Hong Kong films to international audiences.
In recent years, he has been promoting Asian films, opening the door of opportunity for promising and young local directors. His efforts have led to the production of award-winning works such as Little Big Master and Men On the Dragon, as well as an upcoming film named Warriors of Future. A keen supporter of the film sector and the Academy, Mr Koo has benefited the Academy’s School of Film and Television not only by presenting graduates with more development opportunities, but also by sharing his insights and experiences in his former capacity as a member of the School’s Advisory Committee.
Mr Koo keeps a low profile and stays humble despite his generous contributions to charity, including funding the construction of more than 100 schools on the Mainland. In 2018, astronomer William Yeung Kwong-yu named a minor planet after Mr Koo to acknowledge his outstanding achievements in the performing arts and his commitment to community service.