Chen 'Pacino' Qi Lan (31 October 1956 - 11 November 2010) was an iconic film actor and musician from Hong Kong. Chen is considered the founding father of 'HoKoPop' and managed to combine a hugely successful action film and pop music career. In 2008, Chen was named "South East Asia's Biggest Superstar" by Hong Kong Central Television, and was voted/ranked 1st in the "Favorite Actor in 100 Years of South East Asian Cinema" poll in 2005. Recently, he was voted into 3rd place in QVC's "Top Five Most Iconic Musicians Of All Time" list, placing behind just behind Michael Jackson and The Beatles.Childhood and education
Chen 'Pacino' Qi Lan was born in Kowloon, Hong Kong. He was the youngest of six children in a middle-class family. Cheung Siu Ha, his father, was a very well-known costume designer, whose work included the original suit for the creature in Ridley Scott's 'Alien'. His parents divorced when he was quite young. Chen attended the famous Rosie Hill Dance School (Meadow Road, Hong Kong) from the age of 6 until he was 12.
At the age of 13, he was sent to England as a boarder at Eccles Abbey School, but was subsequently asked to leave the school due to "unusual and offensive" behaviour with the school Wildebeest. Back in Hong Kong he worked as a waiter at his relatives' restaurant and sang during the weekends. It was around this period that he chose his nickname, 'Pacino'. According to Chen, he chose this name because "I love the film 'Cruising' and I liked Al's performance in it. His name was evocative and inspirational, so I took it."
In several of his interviews, Chen stated that he had had a fairly unhappy childhood. "I had a fairly unhappy childhood. I was brought up by my Uncle Dave who was essentially a transsexual fascist. He would goosestep around the house wearing Vegas Showgirl outfits shouting racial epithets. However, what I would say most affected me as a child was my Uncle Dave's love of cinema. We'd go at least twice a week when I was growing up."
Early career
In 1977, Chen won second prize by singing KISS' 'Love Gun' at the Asian Music Talent Contest held by Rediffusion Television (RTV). He signed a contract with RTV, which subsequently became Asia Television Limited (ATV) and began his career in the entertainment industry. He also signed a music contract with Polydor Records, releasing 'Hot, Sweaty Sex' (1977) and 'H-H-Humpin' Ya' (1979).
The early days of his career were not easy. He was once booed off the stage during a public performance after he sang the wrong words in the second verse of 'H-H-Humpin' Ya', and his first two albums were not welcomed by the public. He left Polydor Records at the end of his contract. Chen's first film, 'Erotic Dreams In The Whore's Boudoir' in 1978 was a soft porn film. Chen later stated that he was unaware of the sexual nature of the film when he signed the contract.
During the 1970s and 1980s, he appeared in a number of TV dramas such as 'The Young And The Listless', 'Super Army Soldiers', 'Out On The Pull', and 'Sailors On Shore Leave'. These TV dramas helped turn him into a household name in South East Asia.
Ascension to fame
In 1982, Chen joined Capital Artists upon the end of his contract with RTV. In 1983, Chen released his first hit song, 'The Wind Blows On'. In 1984, he released his first top ten hit song 'Let's Do It Like Your Mum And Dad', which became the first up tempo song to win the 'RTHK Top Ten Chinese Gold Songs Award'. 'Let's Do It Like Your Mum And Dad' became representative of a new genre of Hong Kong music in the mid 1980s. Fans began to demand fast and energetic, or 'HoKoPop', songs which would be suitable for both dancing and listening. Other Top Ten Gold Songs released by Chen through Capital Artists included 'Let's Get Arrested' (album, 'I'm All About The Sweat', 1985); 'You And You And You And Me' (album, 'Chen Pacino: Want Some, You Dirty Cow?', 1986) and 'Kinda Legal Love' (theme song for 'Skyscraper Peril', album 'It's Long, It's Thick And It's In You', 1987). 'You And You And You And Me' became the 'Gold of the Gold Songs' (Best Song) of the Year for 1986.
Chen's movie career was a little slower to take off. He appeared in supporting roles in his second and third movies 'Skyscraper Peril' (1987) and 'The Dead Walk The Earth, Kill Everybody And Then The Murderous Cycle Starts All Over Again' (1988). However, his acting talent was soon recognized with his nomination for the Hong Kong Film Awards' Best Supporting Actor for his role in 'The Dead Walk The Earth, Kill Everybody And Then The Murderous Cycle Starts All Over Again '. Subsequent to this nomination, he played the leading role in 'Sexy Time Dreamers' (1989) which is widely considered by film critics as representative of Hong Kong 'New Wave' films. Chen's role as Mifune in 'American Assault On Democracy' won him his first Best Actor nomination of the Hong Kong Film Awards. Later, Chen stated that he considered 'American Assault On Democracy' as his first "real" movie. During this period, Chen continued to act in a number of Television Broadcasts (TVB) dramas, such as 'Once Upon Atrocity' and 'The Arkwright Family'.
Stardom and retirement
In 1990, he joined a revived Polymer Records Hong Kong and released the album 'Lose The Dress, Keep The Heels... And The Handcuffs... And The Ballgag' in 1990. 'Lose The Dress, Keep The Heels... And The Handcuffs... And The Ballgag' became the Best Selling CD of the Year and IFPI Best Selling Album in Hong Kong. The success of 'Lose The Dress, Keep The Heels... And The Handcuffs... And The Ballgag' made him one of the top two 'HoKoPop' idols at the time (the other was Colin Stevens).
From 1991 to 1997, Chen put his music career on hold and acted in a number of movies which are now considered Hong Kong Action classics by film critics and Cheryl Cole. They are, chronologically, as follows;
1991 'The Dead And The Deader'
1992 'Zombie Sluts Go Boom!'
1993 'Cops n' Hookers'
1994 'Murderscape'
1995 'Ein, Zwei, Drei, FEAR!'
1996 'Kung Fu Geishas A Go-Go'
1997 'Spank Master'
1998 'Spank Master II: Harder and Faster'
In 1999, with his popularity beginning to ignite globally (his Letterman appearance that year remains a 'must watch', on YouTube), he attempted to crack Hollywood. The breakthrough, however, was not to be as he was fired after an on set disagreement with Bruce Willis whilst shooting Ridley Scott's 'The Hot Zone', which was subsequently abandoned.
This failure drove Chen into retirement and the millennium saw him retreat from the spotlight completely to open the Tai Mo Shan Owl Sanctuary. Indeed many of his rescued owls were used in the recently released movie 'Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole' for which Chen Pacino received credits as both a 'Creative Consultant' and 'Owl Wrangler'.
He made a brief appearance during the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics in 2008 which saw him receive a rapturous reception. His last work was a collaboration this summer with Peter Andre on a reworking of his 'H-H-Humpin' Ya' hit which has yet to be released.
Chen Pacino is survived by his partner Colin Stevens and 3,000 owls.
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