For Two Decades, Andy Lau Persevered, Advanced and Conquered
With over 100 albums and movies released, Andy Lau made himself one of the very few multi-talented artists of Hong Kong, and he does not stop here. Twenty-four years after he started, Andy continues to dominate Hong Kong music and film. Just how did the veteran fare in the beginning? After graduating from the TVB academy at age 17, Andy Lau had a difficult start. Although he was the lead actor in one of Hong Kong's most popular television series, "The Return of Condor Heroes", he was not well-known as a singer until 1990 when he was already an established actor and was named one of four "Heavenly Kings" of Cantopop. It's hard to say when were the golden years for Andy. During the 90s, he rose to heartthrob status as a singer and his hits were internationally recognized by MTV, Billboard and IFPI. Now, Andy is an award-winning actor in Hong Kong's most critically acclaimed films, such as "Infernal Affairs", "Running on Karma" and the most recent "Jiang Wu." During the Heavenly Kings era, it was inarguable that Jacky Cheung was "The King of Kings." Yet after all these years, Andy Lau is the only King to still soar at the top.

Andy's success did not come easily. He is known most by insiders for his hard work and drive. Catching some sleep in his car between the midst of recording an album and making a movie is not uncommon for the singer-actor. Yet, Andy managed to excel in both games. As an actor, Andy never settled for two-bit roles or stereotypical characters who only excelled in kung fu (Associated Press). As a singer, Andy never seemed to be satisfied with status quo. According to a review on YesAsia.com, Andy "displays a dark richness in his singing that propels his ballads into heart-breaking emotional territory". Through the two-plus decades that Andy gave to the entertainment world, he persevered, he advanced, and he conquered. In a race to be the best of everything, Andy is the only one crossing the finish line.

Career Highlights:
• Released 116 records from 1985-2003 and 118 movies from 1981-2003
• 1990 - The song, "Can I?" received 3 Platinum
• 1991 - Sold over 1.5 million records over SE Asia
• 1992 - IFPI awarded the song "Those were the days", this song was also ranked number one on the Ultimate Song Chart of Commercial Radio
• 1993 - People magazine voted him as Taiwan's top four artists
• 1994 - Andy received the Billboard and Channel V "Most Popular Artist in Asia"
• 1995 - Andy received the MTV channel "Asia most all-rounded artist award"
• 1996 - Andy again received the Billboard and Channel V "Most Popular Artist in Asia"
• 1999 - Won Best Actor Award at the Hong Kong Film Awards for "Running Out of Time"
• 2000 - Guinness Book of Records: Most Canto-pop Awards
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