This is the filmography of Hong Kong singer, actor and film producer Andy Lau.
Career summary Lau made his film acting debut in a supporting role the 1981 film, Once Upon a Rainbow and his television acting debut in an episode of the 1981 RTHK series, Til We Meet Again, in the leading role of "Dragon". The following year, Lau played a major role in director Ann Hui's Boat People, which earned him a Hong Kong Film Award for Best New Performer nomination, as well as starring in the TVB series, The Emissary, which shot him to stardom. In 1983, Lau starred as "Yeung Kuo" in The Return of the Condor Heroes, which was the top rated TV series of the year in Hong Kong, further boosting his popularity throughout Asia, and landed him the opportunity to star in his first leading film role in the action drama film, On the Wrong Track in the same year. Lau left TVB in 1985 to fully concentrate in his film career and starring in multiple box office hits before earning his first Hong Kong Film Award for Best Actor nomination for his role in the 1988 film, As Tears Go By, directed by Wong Kar-wai. In 1989 alone, Lau appeared in 16 films, including the top-grossing blockbuster of the year, God of Gamblers, as "Michael "Dagger" Chan", a role he would reprise in the sequel the following year.
In 1991, Lau established his own production company, Teamwork Motion Pictures, with its first production being the martial arts film, Saviour of the Soul, which Lau starred as a mercenary in the same year, being a critical and commercial success. Throughout the 1990s, Lau starred in over 50 films which include his signature role as "Wah Dee" in 1990's A Moment of Romance, the Lee Rock film series (1991) as real life corrupt officer Lui Lok, the 1992 wuxia film, Moon Warriors, the 1995 biker film, Full Throttle and the 1999 Johnnie To-directed action thriller film, Running Out of Time, which won him his first Hong Kong Film Award for Best Actor. In 1997, Lau also produced the Fruit Chan-directed drama film, Made in Hong Kong, which won the Hong Kong Film Award for Best Film.
In 2000, Lau starred as a Muay thai fighter in his 100th film, A Fighter's Blues, in which he also produced, and netted him the Golden Bauhinia Awards for Best Actor. In 2002, he starred as triad mole Lau Kin-ming in the highly acclaimed crime thriller, Infernal Affairs, a film considered to have "single-handedly revived the moribund Hong Kong film industry." Infernal Affairs grossed HK$55,057,176 at the Hong Kong box office, making it Lau's highest-grossing film in Hong Kong to date, and also earned Lau a Best Actor nomination both at the Hong Kong Film Awards and at the Golden Horse Awards. The following year, Lau starred in the sequel, Infernal Affairs III, which won him the Golden Horse Award for Best Leading Actor, and in the Buddhism-themed action thriller, Running on Karma, winning him his second Hong Kong Film Award for Best Actor. The same year, Lau directed and starred in his only directorial feature to date, the musical short Love Under the Sun to raise awareness about AIDS and dispel common misconceptions regarding its contagiousness. In 2004, Lau renamed his company, Teamwork Motion Pictures, to Focus Group Holdings Limited, with its first film production being the crime film, Jiang Hu, which he also produced and starred as a triad leader who is a target of an assassination hit. The same year, Lau also made his first venture in the Mainland Chinese film market, starring in the wuxia film, House of Flying Daggers, which premiered at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival, and the action drama A World without Thieves, with the two films being the second and third-highest-grossing films of the year at the Chinese box office respectively. In 2007, he played a drug lord in the crime drama film, Protégé, which won him the Hong Kong Film Award for Best Supporting Actor.
In 2010, Lau played Di Renjie in Tsui Hark's Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame, which was nominated for the Golden Lion at the 2010 Venice Film Festival. The following year, he starred in Ann Hui 's A Simple Life, which won four awards at the 68th Venice Film Festival, as well as earning his third Hong Kong Film Award for Best Actor and second Golden Horse Award for Best Leading Actor. In 2013, Lau produced and starred as morally-conflicted cop in the high-octane action film, Firestorm, which was also the first 3D film production he worked on. In 2016, Lau starred in his first Hollywood film, The Great Wall. In 2017, Lau produced and starred as a righteous bomb disposal officer in Shock Wave, which earned him another Best Actor nomination for at the 27th Hong Kong Film Awards. He returned in 2020 in the thematic sequel, Shock Wave 2, playing a different character greatly contrasting his role from its predecessor, and the film has grossed US$226.4 million worldwide, making it Lau's highest-grossing film at the global box office to date and was also the tenth-highest-grossing film of 2020.
Lau has received the "No.1 Box office Actor 1985–2005" award of Hong Kong in 2005, yielding a box office total of HK$1.7 billion for shooting 108 films in that period and was also awarded the "Nielsen Box Office Star of Asia" award by the Nielsen Company (ACNielsen) in 2007. Lau has been honored at different international film festivals for his achievements and contributions to the film industry, such as winning the "Asian Filmmaker of the Year" award at the 2006 Busan International Film Festival and receiving a Special Tribute award at 2023 Toronto International Film Festival where his satirical comedy film, The Movie Emperor, made its world premiere.
Film YearTitle Credited asRoleNotesActorProducer1982Once Upon a Rainbow TraineeCameo Boat People To Minh1983On the Wrong Track Paul ChanThe Home at Hong Kong Alan Wong1984Everlasting Love EricShanghai 13 Guan WeiCameo 1985The Unwritten Law Raymond LauTwinkle, Twinkle Lucky Stars Associate of Muscles Cameo1986The Magic Crystal Andy LoLucky Stars Go Places Lambo1987Rich and Famous Lam Ting-kwokSworn Brothers Lam Ting-yatTragic Hero Lam Ting-kwok1988As Tears Go By WahThe Crazy Companies Tsui Ting-kwaiThe Crazy Companies II Tsui Ting-kwaiThe Dragon Family Lung Ka-wahIn the Blood WahLai Shi, China's Last Eunuch Han MingCameo The Romancing Star II Lau PeiThree Against the World Charlie ChanThe Truth Raymond LauWalk on Fire Lam Kwok-wah1989Bloody Brotherhood Cheung Ka-wahCasino Raiders Crab ChanChina White Roast ChickenCity Kids 1989 SasCrocodile Hunter Happy ChiuThe First Time Is the Last Time YungGod of Gamblers Michael "Dagger" Chan / Little KnifeLittle Cop HimselfCameo Long Arm of the Law Part 3 Lee Cheung-kongNews Attack TurboPerfect Match Lok Ka-singProud and Confident Lee Kin-wahThe Romancing Star III Lau PeiRunaway Blues Lam KongStars and Roses Lau Kai-choThe Truth - Final Episode Raymond Lau1990Days of Being Wild TideDragon in Jail Henry LauThe Fortune Code Wah Ying-hungGangland Odyssey KitGod of Gamblers II Michael "Dagger" Chan / Little KnifeA Home Too Far Little Tu / Hua Chung-hsingIsland of Fire Iron BallKawashima Yoshiko Fook / CloudKung Fu VS Acrobatic Mo Tak-faiA Moment of Romance Wah DeeNo Risk, No Gain Big DeeReturn Engagement Wah1991The Banquet HimselfCameo Casino Raiders II Chicken FeetDances with Dragon Lung Ka-chunDon't Fool Me Hero WahHong Kong Godfather York KooThe Last Blood Big BLee Rock Lee RockLee Rock II Lee RockSaviour of the Soul ChingThe Tigers Lau Chi-mingTricky Brains Che Man-kitZodiac Killers Ben Lee1992Casino Tycoon Benny HoCasino Tycoon 2 Benny HoGameboy Kids Yip Sin-man / Wong Kau-tai Gun n' Rose AndyHandsome Siblings FishyMoon Warriors FeiThe Prince of Temple Street Prince Twelve / Lee Rock Saviour of the Soul II Ching YanThe Sting Simon TamWhat a Hero! Yuen Tak-wah1993Days of Tomorrow Fong Tak-singFuture Cops Ti ManCome Fly the Dragon Chow Chun-kitPerfect Exchange Mandy Chin1994Drunken Master II Chang Hsueh-liangCameo Drunken Master III Yeung KwanA Taste of Killing and Romance Ko SauThe Three Swordsmen Siu Sam-siuTian Di Cheung Yat-pang1995The Adventurers Wai Lok-yanFull Throttle JoePocahontas John Smith (voice)1996What a Wonderful World San Chung-wahA Moment of Romance III Lau Tin-waiShanghai Grand Ting LikThanks for Your Love Wah1997Armageddon Dr. Tak KenCause We Are So Young Man at outdoor cafeCameo Made in Hong Kong —Island of Greed Fong Kwok-fai1998A True Mob Story Wai Kat-cheung / Cheung DeeThe Conman KingThe Longest Summer —1999Fascination Amour Albert LaiPrince Charming Wah DeeThe Conmen in Vegas KingCentury of the Dragon Lung Yat-fei / Fei-lungRunning Out of Time Cheung Wah2000The Duel Yeh Cool SonNeeding You... Andy CheungA Fighter's Blues Mang Fu2001Love on a Diet FatsoFulltime Killer Lok Tok-wahDance of a Dream Namson Lau2002Fat Choi Spirit AndyThe Wesley's Mysterious File WesleyInfernal Affairs Lau Kin-mingGolden Chicken HimselfCameo Black Mask 2: City of Masks Prophet (voice) Narrator2003Love Under the Sun Bellhop captainShort film; also directorCat and Mouse Zhan ZhaoGive Them a Chance Himself Cameo Running on Karma BigInfernal Affairs III Lau Kin-mingGolden Chicken 2 HimselfCameo 2004Magic Kitchen Chuen Yao Guest appearanceJiang Hu Hung Yan-chauMcDull, Prince de la Bun McBing (voice)House of Flying Daggers Captain LeoYesterday Once More Mr. ThiefA World Without Thieves Wang Bo2005Wait 'Til You're Older Chan Chi-kwongThe Shoe Fairy Narrator (voice)All About Love Dr. Ko / Derek Hui 2006I'll Call You Muscle Guy / Warden 333CameoMy Mother is a Belly Dancer AdiliCameoA Battle of Wits Ge LiRain Dogs —Crazy Stone —2007Protégé Lam KwanBrothers Chief Inspector LauThe Warlords Zhao Erhu2008Three Kingdoms: Resurrection of the Dragon Zhao Zilong2009Look for a Star Sam ChingThe Founding of a Republic Yu JishiCameo 2010Future X-Cops Kidd ZhouDetective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame Di RenjieGallants —2011Shaolin Hou JieWhat Women Want Sun ZigangThe Founding of a Party Cai ECameo A Simple Life Roger Leung2012Cold War Philip LukCameo 2013Switch Xiao JinhanBlind Detective Johnston ChongSinging When We're Young —Firestorm Lui Ming-chit2014Golden Chicken 3 HimselfCameo 2015From Vegas to Macau II Michael "Dagger" Chan / Little KnifeMid-credits cameoLost and Love Lei ZekuanSaving Mr. Wu Mr. WuOur Times HimselfCameo 2016The Bodyguard Li Zheng-jiuFrom Vegas to Macau III Michael "Dagger" Chan / Little KnifeMission Milano Sampan HungThe Great Wall Strategist WangRailroad Tigers Little boy's fatherCameo 2017Shock Wave Cheung Choi-sanThe Adventurers Dan CheungChasing the Dragon Lee Rock2019The White Storm 2: Drug Lords Yu Shun-tinFagara Kwok Tin-yanCameo 2020Find Your Voice Joseph YimShock Wave 2 Poon Sing-fung2021Detective Chinatown 3 QCameo Endgame Zhou Quan2023The Wandering Earth 2 Tu Hengyu Red Line Hell's Cat ownerCameo The Movie Emperor Dany LauMoscow Mission VasilyI Did It My Way George Lam The Goldfinger Lau Kai-yuen2024Peg O' My Heart Dr. Vincent Ching Cameo Crisis Negotiators Chan Tai-loiCameoHigh Forces Gao HaojunCesium Fallout Simon Fan2025A Gilded Game Todd Cheung The Lychee Road Yang GuozhongCameoTBAMade In Yiwu Zhu AliangHong Kong Land Liu KinAngels of the Pandemic DoctorRaging Havoc Fong Wing-chau Sacred Seven Sun WukongShock Wave 3
Television series