American-born Chinese actor Andy On has risen from the ranks from playing Black Mask to shocking the Hong Kong entertainment world when he won the 2004 Hong Kong Award for Best New Actor for his role as a martial arts fighter in STAR RUNNER. Today, with his team-ups with Jackie Chan Stunt Team leader Nicky Li, Andy is perhaps one of the most underrated new action stars today.

Andy On was born to Taiwanese parents in Providence, Rhode Island on May 11, 1977. As a young kid, Andy always enjoyed Jackie Chan movies and would spend time in his backyard practicing flips and kicks to emulate his on-screen hero. When Andy was working as a bartender, someone told him that he should be in films because he had good looks. Andy decided to quit his job and make the journey to Hong Kong to start a career in acting.

At the time Andy arrived to Hong Kong, producer Tsui Hark was looking for a new actor to play the titled character in the sequel BLACK MASK 2: CITY OF MASKS. He would get the role of the film and sign a deal with Chinastar Entertainment Ltd. His first film would go on to be LOOKING FOR MR. PERFECT, a spy comedy co-starring Shu Qi. The film would not be released until 2003, but bombed at the box office due to the dreaded SARS epidemic.

BLACK MASK 2 was to be Andy’s launching pad and on December 31, 2002, the film went straight to video in the United States. The film co-starred Andrew Bryniarski, who would play Leatherface in the 2003 remake of THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE; former WWE wrestler-actor Rob Van Dam, and the SAW series’ Jigsaw, Tobin Bell as well as martial arts wunderkind Scott Adkins. Disappointed at the final cut, Chinastar re-dubbed the film with top stars like Andy Lau, Cecilia Cheung, and Louis Koo into a comedy. The film was released in January 2003 in Hong Kong.

Andy would go on to learn muay thai under Chin Kar-Lok and Billy Chow in preparation for his next role, that of fighter Tank Wong in STAR RUNNER, which would launch American-born Taiwanese singer Vanness Wu into stardom. Andy would go on to win the 2004 Hong Kong Film Award for Best New Actor for his role in the film, beating the favorite Vanness Wu by one-tenth of a point.

Andy tried his hand at comedy next, starring the hilarious romantic comedy ITCHY HEART alongside Lau Ching-Wan, Carina Lau, and Cherrie Ying. On showed that he had potential as a comedic actor, having some memorable funny scenes with Lau himself. Lau even met On’s mother on the set and called her son “too handsome”.

That same year, On would take on his on-screen hero Jackie Chan as Tin Tin in NEW POLICE STORY. Under training from Jackie Chan Stunt Team leader Nicky Li, On proved he truly had the potential to be an action star. Despite an injury on set and being doubled at times by JC Stunt Team member Park Hyun-Jin for the more complex moves, Andy held his own and was given praise for his role. This would come to use again as he would work again with Li on two films, FATAL CONTACT and INVISIBLE TARGET, both which co-starred Wu Jing. Recently, Andy showed a more dramatic side with the Johnnie To thrillers ELECTION 2 and MAD DETECTIVE.

With his short time in Hong Kong, Andy On has proven he can act and perform action scenes. However, what some may not know is that he can sing too. In 2003, Andy sang the theme song of the film Why Me, Sweetie with Jolin Tsai. Perhaps one day, Andy may release an album when he is not busy with his film career. Only time well tell. Meanwhile, he is definitely an action star to look out for.

SELECT FILMOGRAPHY
2008 – Three Kingdoms: Resurrection of the Dragon
2007 – Mad Detective
2007 – Invisible Target
2006 – Naked Avengers
2006 – Fatal Contact
2006 – Election 2
2005 – Dragon Squad
2004 – New Police Story
2004 – White Dragon, The
2004 – Itchy Heart
2003 – Looking for Mr. Perfect
2003 – Star Runner
2001 – Black Mask 2: City of Masks