Stephen Chow Sing Chi (Chinese: 周星馳, born 22 June 1962) is a Hong Kong filmmaker, actor, producer, political adviser of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, and martial artist.
Chow was born in Hong Kong on 22 June 1962 to Ling Po Yee (凌寶兒), an alumnus of Guangzhou Normal University, and Chow Yik Sheung (周驛尚), an immigrant from Ningbo, Zhejiang. Chow has an elder sister named Chow Man Kei (周文姬) and a younger sister named Chow Sing Ha (周星霞). Chow's given name "Sing-chi" (星馳) derives from Tang dynasty (618–907) Chinese poet Wang Bo's essay Preface to the Prince of Teng's Pavilion. After his parents divorced when he was seven, Chow was raised by his mother. Chow attended Heep Woh Primary School, a missionary school attached to the Hong Kong Council of the Church of Christ in China in Prince Edward Road, Kowloon Peninsula. When he was nine, he saw Bruce Lee's film The Big Boss, which inspired him to become a martial arts star. Chow entered San Marino Secondary School, where he studied alongside Lee Kin-yan. After graduation, he was accepted to TVB's acting classes.