Philip Chan (actor)

Since 1999 he started his penetration into the entertainment market of Mainland China in the fields of television production (the starting up of the Lucky Paid TV Channel in Shanghai), film production (for Emperor Films in the movie "Home Run" and its subsequent distribution. He acted as a consultant for the Canadian independent horror film “Walking the Dead” which was shot on location in Heibei, Northern China in 2009.

Chan is the CEO of Endless Idea Management (Hong Kong) Limited and Endless Idea Management (International) Limited, companies which he founded in the 1990s. The two companies engage in the work of artists agent, variety event production, event management and film production consultancy. He is also the CEO of Grand Olympia Films (Hong Kong) Limited. He heads the development of several films to be jointly produced by Mainland China and Hong Kong film companies. One of these films, The Tiger and I, is under pre-production and is due for principal photography in October 2014.

In 1976, he was invited by actress Josephine Siu (Siu Fong Fong) and director Pochi Leung to write a police screenplay involving heroin trafficking between Amsterdam and Hong Kong, "Jumping Ash". The upbeat detective movie hit an instant box-office success in 1976, grossing one million dollars in three days and caused the young policeman to consider pursuing his greatest love of his life, films and music. . He resigned from public service to head the film production department and marketing department for Bang Bang Group, which was then the most successful jeans company in Hong Kong. He also took the helm in producing two popular youth programs on Hong Kong Television Broadcasting Limited and the then Rediffusion Television respectively to promote Bang Bang Fashion. He went on to become a renowned actor, script-writer, director and producer, with 14 films under his direction from 1976 to 1990. He is the Honorable Lifetime Chairman of the Hong Kong Film Director's Guild and an Honorable committee member of the Hong Kong Performing Artistes Guild. He was also one of the principal emcees in Hong Kong's leading television station, Hong Kong Television Broadcasting Limited (TVB) for over 15 years.

He worked as a Royal Hong Kong Police Force police inspector before entering the entertainment industry. His most memorable moment as a police inspector was during a press conference he held with members of Hong Kong's press at the scene of the 1974 Po Sang Bank robbery, which was one of the biggest bank robbery cases up until then in Hong Kong history. He resigned as a Superintendent of Police in 1976 to join Bang Bang Films as a Producer and simultaneously headed its Advertising Department, marketing the then very popular jeans and apparel brand-name in Hong Kong.

Chan first made his popularity in the then British Colony of Hong Kong by being the lead vocalist for the first all-Chinese college pop group, "The Astro-Notes" (taken after the Astronauts representing the US and the Sputniks representing the USSR during the space race in the early 60s. He became a household name when he joined the Royal Hong Kong Police in 1965 by displaying courage and leadership in solving several sensational, major crime cases in the British Colony, including the first ever armed bank robbery in 1974 in which 11 hostages were held at ransom. He was nicknamed the "Singing Inspector" when he wrote the lyrics and went on TV to promote road safety for school children. His success in police work earned him a quick promotion to Superintendent of Police in 1975.

Philip Chan Yan-kin (born 25 January 1945) is a Hong Kong actor, film director, producer, screenwriter and music composer of Taishan area origin.