5 reasons why Louis Koo is Hong Kong’s GOAT: the city’s highest grossing actor made US$1.3 billion at the box office and got an Oscar nod for The Mitchells vs. The Machines

Feb 18 , 2022

Why is Louis Koo the GOAT of the Hong Kong film industry? Photo: @louiskoozai/Instagram

As the lead in all five films in the Storm thriller series, Koo became the first actor in Hong Kong to earn a cumulative box office figure of US$1.3 billion – thanks to sales in China

He started his career in TVB, was recognised by the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts alongside Jacky Cheung, and once splurged US$6.4 million on flat with good feng shui

From defining their signature film genres to influencing Hong Kong’s film industry, several local actors have created legacies with their work over the years – spreading beyond the city to other Chinese-speaking communities across the world.

Louis Koo Tin-lok is one of them. Not only is he an actor with a career spanning almost three decades, he is also a singer, producer and philanthropist. He began as a humble actor for TVB and has gone on to achieve many milestones over the years, uplifting colleagues who work alongside him on both sides of the camera, too. He is, in short, a fine contender to be named Hong Kong’s Greatest of All Time – or GOAT.

While his career has left him as one of Asia’s biggest film stars, his popularity was no fluke; he worked hard to earn all his successes. Let’s take a look at some of Koo’s biggest moments as one of Hong Kong’s most successful actors.

He recently became Hong Kong’s highest grossing actor … after 29 years

Louis Koo has been on target at the box office. Photo: @louiskoozai/Instagram

One of Koo’s biggest hits in recent years has been the five-part crime thriller series consisting of Z Storm, S Storm, L Storm, P Storm and G Storm. With the release of the fifth film on December 31 last year – six days before Hong Kong cinemas closed because of the pandemic – the film initially earned a box office of HK$6 million (around US$770,000), according to On. CC. However, when it was released in China, the film grossed around HK$730 million.

Louis Koo Tin-lok in a still from G Storm. Photo: Mandarin Motion Pictures

With Koo being part of all five films of the series, he became the first actor in Hong Kong to earn a cumulative box office figure of HK$10 billion. Fellow celebrities such as Chilam Cheung congratulated Koo on his achievement, saying that, “Koo is one of the actors I’ve worked with the most and I’ve seen his journey, and it was not easy”, according to Jayne Stars.

He gained a honorary fellowship for his contributions to Hong Kong’s film industry

Louis Koo receives his honorary fellowship from Hong Kong’s Academy for Performing Arts. Photo: hkapa.edu

Koo’s extensive film career started in the mid-90s and he’s become one of the most popular Hong Kong actors – not only with regular viewers, but also within academia!

He was awarded an honorary fellowship by the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts alongside other Hong Kong actors like Jacky Cheung. The academy praised Koo for his work for Hong Kong’s film industry, whether through promoting the films it has to offer or giving opportunities to new directors and budding actors.

Not only that, but the Hong Kong Arts Center even opened a cinema room named after Koo in 2018 to promote his outstanding work over the years.

5 reasons why Louis Koo is Hong Kong’s GOAT: the city’s highest grossing actor made US$1.3 billion at the box office and got an Oscar nod for The Mitchells vs. The Machines

He recently became Hong Kong’s highest grossing actor … after 29 years

He gained a honorary fellowship for his contributions to Hong Kong’s film industry

He’s an Oscar nominated film producer