According to the South China Morning PostCheung, Lau, Kwok, and Lai were dubbed the “Four Heavenly Kings” for their presence in Hong Kong’s entertainment scene during the 1980s and 1990s. Here is a look at what they have been up to in recent years.
Jacky Cheung
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Hong Kong star Jacky Cheung performs during his concert in Hong Kong, Jan. 28, 2019. Photo by AFP |
Cheung, now 64, remains a dominant force in the entertainment industry. His latest concert series, titled “Jacky Cheung 60+ Concert Tour,” began in Macau in 2023 and is expected to continue through 2025. The tour includes 259 shows across Hong Kong, Singapore, Taipei, Kuala Lumpur, Beijing, and several other cities in mainland China.
According to Travel + Leisure magazine, the tour is themed around the element of water, which Cheung chose to symbolize adaptability and resilience. He said he hopes to embrace his 60s with the grace of water—able to navigate and push through any obstacle.
Cheung is no stranger to extensive touring. His previous tour “A Classic Tour” ran from 2016 to 2019 with 233 shows and drew more than 4.5 million attendees, according to The Straits Times.
Speculation about Cheung facing financial difficulties surfaced earlier this year, following his decision to remain highly active in showbiz. Singaporean news outlet 8days reported that the singer addressed the rumors in February this year by stating plainly that he “really has enough money to use.”
“[Performing] makes me happy,” Cheung explained. “I wish for all those who love hearing me sing to be able to hear my voice.”
His latest music release was the 2024 song “A Far Off Place,” which was recorded in both Mandarin and Cantonese.
Cheung keeps a low profile when it comes to his personal life. He married 60-year-old Hong Kong actress May Lo—his co-star in the 1986 film “Devoted to You”—in London in 1996. The couple currently reside with their two daughters in an upscale apartment in Repulse Bay, Hong Kong, which is reportedly valued at US$55 million.
Cheung’s music career began with the release of his debut album “Smile” in 1985, which sold over 400,000 copies in Hong Kong. His success continued with numerous platinum-certified albums, including “The Goodbye Kiss” in 1993, which became one of the best-selling albums in Asia. He holds the distinction of being the only artist to have three albums each sell over one million copies in Taiwan.
His career has also earned him several prestigious honors, including the World Music Award for the World’s Best-Selling Asian Artist in 1996, the Billboard Music Award for Most Popular Asian Singer in 1994, and a Guinness World Record in 2012 for the largest combined audience for a live act in a single year, with more than 2 million concertgoers.
Andy Lau
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Hong Kong star Andy Lau performing during his concert. Photo from Lau’s Instagram |
At 64, Lau also remains an enduring force in the entertainment industry. His 72-show “Today… is the Day Tour,” which kicked off in July 2023, concluded in January this year with stops in Shanghai, Beijing, Macau, Kuala Lumpur, Taipei, and Hong Kong.
Alongside his music career, Lau continues to be active on the big screen. He appeared in four films released in 2024, and his project “A Gilded Game” premiered this year. His upcoming titles include “Angels of the Pandemic,” “Raging Havoc,” and “Sacred Seven.”
In his personal life, Lau is married to Malaysian model Carol Chu, whom he reportedly began dating in the 1980s.
Chu, 59, comes from a well-known family that owns a seafood restaurant. Since their marriage in 2008, Lau has fiercely protected his family’s privacy, with Chu and their daughter rarely appearing in public. He reportedly invested RM100 million (US$23.2 million) in a private jet for Chu’s annual visits to her hometown of Penang, and employed four bodyguards and three nannies to ensure the safety of his wife and daughter.
Lau began his career by enrolling in TVB’s actor training program in 1980 and signing a contract with the station the following year. Over the decades, he has garnered widespread acclaim, winning the Hong Kong Film Award for Best Actor three times and the Golden Horse Award for Best Leading Actor twice.
In 2000, he was recognized by the Guinness World Records for earning the “Most Awards Won by a Cantopop Male Artist,” having received 444 music awards by 2006.
Aaron Kwok
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Hong Kong star Aaron Kwok (sitting, L), his wife Moka Fang (sitting, R), and their two daughters. Photo from Kwok’s Instagram |
Although he is not currently on tour like Cheung and Lau, Kwok, 60, remains active in the entertainment industry, occasionally performing at events. In May, he made an appearance at Hong Kong’s TWGHs Leo Tung-hai Lee Primary School, where every student sang along word-for-word to his classic hit “Strong,” according to The Standard.
Kwok is also more open about his personal life than his fellow “Heavenly Kings,” frequently sharing moments with his 38-year-old wife Moka Fang on social media. In April, the couple celebrated their eighth wedding anniversary, and earlier this month, Kwok confirmed that Fang is expecting their third child.
Kwok began his acting career in the 1987 TVB television drama “Genghis Khan.” He rose to wider recognition with the 1991 film “Saviour of the Soul,” earning a nomination for Best Supporting Actor at the Hong Kong Film Awards.
Leon Marie Ideit
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Hong Kong star Leon Lai attends the launch ceremony of the 14th Entertainment Expo in Hong Kong, March 19, 2018. Photo by AFP |
Lai, 59, is scheduled to perform eight concerts in Macau, taking place every Saturday and Sunday beginning May 31. So far, little information has been released about additional tour dates.
His most recent music album “X U” came out in 2011, and his last acting role was in the 2019 film “Old Men.” Lai was last seen in public in March this year at his daughter’s primary school sports meet, where he was casually dressed in a white jacket, black pants, and a cap, standing on the sidelines and watching his seven-year-old daughter with pride and affection. The child is from his relationship with Chan Wing-yee, his former assistant and current partner.
This relationship followed Lai’s 2012 divorce from Hong Kong 45-year-old fashion model Gaile Lok, whom he had married in Las Vegas in 2008.
Before entering show business, Lai worked as a mobile phone salesperson. He rose to prominence after finishing as second runner-up in the 1986 “New Talent Singing Awards,” which led to vocal training under renowned music educator Dai Sicong. That same year, he signed with local record label Capital Artists, but did not release an album for four years. Eventually, Dai helped him secure a contract with Polygram, now known as Universal Music.
