Kevin Cheng Ka-wing (born 15 August 1969) is a
Hong Kong American actor and singer who is currently under the management of the Hong Kong television network
TVB
Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB; zh, t=電視廣播有限公司) is a television broadcasting company based in Hong Kong. The company operates five free-to-air terrestrial television channels in Hong Kong, with TVB Jade as its main Canton ...
. Cheng rose to fame in late 2004 after playing his first lead role in the TVB drama ''
Hard Fate''.
He is best known for his role as "Law L.A." in the 2011 TVB legal drama ''
Ghetto Justice
''Ghetto Justice'' (Traditional Chinese: 怒火街頭) is a TVB modern drama series about a former talented lawyer who fights injustice for the people of the Sham Shui Po district in Hong Kong, starring Kevin Cheng, Myolie Wu, Sharon Chan an ...
'', which earned him a
TVB Anniversary Award for Best Actor and
Asian Television Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role.
Early life
Cheng was born in
San Francisco
San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...
, California, but spent most of his childhood in
Hong Kong
Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...
. He attended Pun U Association Wah Yah Primary School,
Wah Yan College, the
Hong Kong International School
Hong Kong International School (HKIS) is a Mixed-sex education, co-educational Private school, private international school in Hong Kong with campuses in Tai Tam and Repulse Bay, serving students from All-through school, Reception 1 to Grade 1 ...
, and
Alhambra High School in the United States. During his school days, his mother sent him back to China, where he lived with his uncle for two years before returning to Hong Kong after his mother changed her mind about migrating to the United States. He completed his high school education in
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
. He pursued a
civil engineering
Civil engineering is a regulation and licensure in engineering, professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including public works such as roads ...
degree at the
California State University
The California State University (Cal State or CSU) is a Public university, public university system in California, and the List of largest universities and university networks by enrollment, largest public university system in the United States ...
in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
,
but did not finish his studies because his father died and he wanted to move back to Hong Kong to be with his mother.
Career
1993–2005
When Cheng was 16 years old, he participated in
a singing contest organised by the Hong Kong television network TVB but dropped out halfway because he felt that he was not ready to be a singer at that time. Later, after he moved back to Hong Kong in his early 20s, he decided to continue his pursuit of a singing career. He signed a contract with the record label
PolyGram in 1993 and released his first album in the same year to mixed reviews. He was seen as a newcomer with good potential and managed to win several Best New Artist awards in 1994. Cheng's manager later helped him launch his career in the
Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...
ese entertainment industry.
Cheng was noticed by Mediacorp after he portrayed the villain "Jiang Yulang" in the 1999 Taiwanese television series ''
The Legendary Siblings''. He returned to Hong Kong and signed a management contract with TVB in the following year and started playing minor roles in some television series produced by the network. In 2004, he played a leading role for the first time in the TVB drama ''
Hard Fate''.
2006–2010
Cheng soared to popularity after portraying "Alan Shum" in the 2006 romantic drama ''
Under the Canopy of Love'', for which he also won the
TVB Anniversary Award for Best Actor that year. His singing career also gradually improved after the Taiwanese musician
Liu Chia-chang composed a single, "Helpless" (無可奈何), for him. In the same year, he also released a Cantonese compilations album and held his very first mini concert.
Cheng had another critical breakthrough role in the 2007 crime drama ''
The Ultimate Crime Fighter'', in which he played the villain "Aaren Chong" and earned glowing reviews for his performance. In the 2008 thriller-suspense drama ''
Last One Standing'', his portrayal of the ex-convict "Sing Hei" earned him further critical acclaim and widespread praise from viewers. He was also one of the top five nominees for the TVB Anniversary Award for Best Actor in 2008, but the award went to the veteran TVB actor
Ha Yu.
2011-present
In 2011, Cheng clinched the "Best Actor" award for his role in the legal drama ''Ghetto Justice'' at the 16th
Asian Television Awards
The Asian Television Awards, founded in 1996, is an appreciation to recognize and reward programming and production excellence in the Asian television industry. Held every December, it comprises 56 categories across news, documentaries and curre ...
(ATA) as well as winning the Best Actor award at the 2011
TVB Anniversary Award.
In 2016, Cheng starred in the drama
Blue Veins, in which he played the role of undead human and vampire hunter, Ying Wut-zoek, who had been given super powered immortals during 500 years ago.
In 2021, Cheng starred in the medical drama Kid's Lives Matter, for which he is placed among the top 5 nominees for the Best Actor at the 2021
TVB Anniversary Award.
Personal life
On 12 August 2018, Cheng married his girlfriend of three years, actress and
Miss Hong Kong
Miss Hong Kong Pageant (), or Miss HK () for short, is an annual beauty pageant organised by local Hong Kong television station, TVB. The pageant was established in 1946, and acquired by TVB in 1973.
Regulations Recruitment
All participants ...
2013
Grace Chan, in
Bali
Bali (English:; Balinese language, Balinese: ) is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia and the westernmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands. East of Java and west of Lombok, the province includes the island of Bali and a few smaller o ...
,
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...
. The couple has three sons born in 2019, 2020 and 2023.
Filmography
Films
Television dramas
Kevin Cheng at chinesemov.com
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Discography
Albums
TVB drama songs
Others
Awards
TVB Anniversary Awards
; Won
;Nominated
Others
References
External links
*
Kevin Cheng Official TVB Profile
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! colspan="3" style="background: #DAA520;" , Asian Television Awards
The Asian Television Awards, founded in 1996, is an appreciation to recognize and reward programming and production excellence in the Asian television industry. Held every December, it comprises 56 categories across news, documentaries and curre ...
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! colspan="3" style="background: #DAA520;" , My AOD Favourites Awards
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cheng, Kevin
1969 births
Living people
Male actors from the San Francisco Bay Area
Alumni of Wah Yan
American emigrants to Hong Kong
American people of Hong Kong descent
Hong Kong male film actors
Hong Kong male singers
Hong Kong male television actors
Musicians from the San Francisco Bay Area
TVB veteran actors
20th-century American male actors
20th-century Hong Kong male actors
21st-century Hong Kong male actors
21st-century American male actors
Alhambra High School (Alhambra, California) alumni