Philip Chan | |||||||||||
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 Chan in 2021 | |||||||||||
| Born | 25 January 1945 Hong Kong | ||||||||||
| Chinese name | |||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 陳欣健 | ||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 陈欣健 | ||||||||||
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Philip Chan Yan-kin (born 25 January 1945) is a Hong Kong actor, film director, producer, screenwriter, and music composer of Taishan area origin.
He worked as a Royal Hong Kong Police Force police inspector before entering the entertainment industry. His most memorable moment as a police inspector was during a press conference with members of Hong Kong's press at the scene of the 1974 Po Sang Bank robbery, one of the biggest bank robbery cases up until then in Hong Kong history. He resigned as a Superintendent of Police in 1976 to join Bang Bang Films as a Producer. He simultaneously headed its Advertising Department, marketing the then very popular jeans and apparel brand name in Hong Kong.
Chan became popular in the then-British Colony of Hong Kong by being the lead vocalist for the first all-Chinese college pop group, "The Astro-Notes" (named for the astronauts of the 1960s). He became a household name when he joined the Royal Hong Kong Police in 1965. He displayed courage and leadership in solving several sensational, major crime cases in the British Colony, including the first-ever armed bank robbery in 1974 in which 11 hostages were held at ransom. He was nicknamed the "Singing Inspector" when he wrote the lyrics and went on TV to promote road safety for school children. His success in police work earned him a quick promotion to Superintendent of Police in 1975.
In 1976, he was invited by actress Josephine Siu (Siu Fong Fong) and director Pochi Leung to write a police screenplay involving heroin trafficking between Amsterdam and Hong Kong, "Jumping Ash". The upbeat detective movie hit an instant box-office success in 1976, grossing one million dollars in three days and causing the young policeman to consider pursuing his greatest love of life, films, and music. He resigned from public service to head the film production and marketing department for Bang Bang Group, the most successful jeans company in Hong Kong. He also took the helm in producing two popular youth programs on Hong Kong Television Broadcasting Limited and the then Rediffusion Television, respectively, to promote Bang Bang Fashion. He became a renowned actor, scriptwriter, director, and producer, with 14 films under his direction from 1976 to 1990. He is the Honorable Lifetime Chairman of the Hong Kong Film Director's Guild and an Honorable Committee Member of the Hong Kong Performing Artistes Guild. He was also one of the principal emcees in Hong Kong's leading television station, Hong Kong Television Broadcasting Limited (TVB) for over 15 years.
Intending to strengthen his skills in Management and Marketing, he spent less and less time in acting and producing and eventually became a fully-fledged executive working for several commercial conglomerates in Hong Kong:
Since 1999, he started his penetration into the entertainment market of mainland China in the fields of television production (the starting up of the Lucky Paid TV Channel in Shanghai), film production (for Emperor Films in the movie "Home Run" and its subsequent distribution. He acted as a consultant for the Canadian independent horror film "Walking the Dead," which was shot on location in Heibei, Northern China, in 2009.
For 32 years, he has been one of Hong Kong's top masters of ceremony and show host. His unique style results from his congenial style and personality, his energy and humour. His TV appearances include "The Return Of Hong Kong's Sovereignty to China"; the annual main Hong Kong beauty pageant "The Miss Hong Kong Pageant"; and the "Eastern China Flood Relief Charity Gala" at the People's Hall in Beijing to "Miss Playboy International".
He is the chairman and chief executive officer of Endless Idea Management (Hong Kong) Limited and Fantasia Entertainment Production Group (Macao) Company Limited. These companies engage in event planning and production for major Casinos and Hotels in Macao and mainland China. He has also formed a new film company, Good Earth Films, to consult and produce for overseas and Chinese film companies in mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan.
Chan is the CEO of Endless Idea Management (Hong Kong) Limited and Endless Idea Management (International) Limited, which he founded in the 1990s. The two companies engage in the work of artists agent, variety event production, event management and film production consultancy. He is also the CEO of Grand Olympia Films (Hong Kong) Limited. He heads developing several films to be jointly produced by mainland China and Hong Kong film companies. One of these films, The Tiger and I, is under pre-production and is due for principal photography in October 2014.
