Chapman To Man-chak, born Ng Cheuk-cheung on 8 June 1972 at Kwong Wah Hospital in Yau Ma Tei, where his father ran a fruit stall, is an actor, director and television host. Educated at Diocesan Preparatory School and Diocesan Boys' School, he took his stage name from the racehorse 'Chapman To' read backwards. In 1994, while working as a decorator, he was discovered and signed by ATV, appearing in many dramas before coming to notice in My Date with a Vampire (1998). His turn as 'Simple-minded Keung' in Infernal Affairs (2002) made his name and brought a Best Supporting Actor nomination at the Hong Kong Film Awards, and after finding fame as a comic he widened his range in titles such as Initial D (2005). After a difficult spell in the late 2000s he joined Emperor Motion Pictures in 2009. Vulgaria (2012) took over HK$30 million and, made on a low budget, was one of the year's biggest local hits; he won Best Comedy Actor at the American Fantastic Fest and a Best Actor nomination at the 49th Golden Horse Awards, and in 2013 he won Best Actor at the 19th Hong Kong Film Critics Society Awards for DIVA. Having supported Taiwan's Sunflower Movement in 2014, he was barred from the mainland market and his films were pulled; he later based himself in Southeast Asia and Taiwan, moving to Taipei in 2020 and gaining Taiwanese citizenship in 2022. He made his directing debut with Let's Eat (2016) and wrote, directed and starred in The Empty Hands (2017), and in 2018 founded the online platform To's Chat. He is married to the former TVB actress Kristal Tin.
Chapman To went from decorator to comic and character actor, and Vulgaria showed how a low-cost local comedy could still score in the co-production era. His later move to Taiwan stands as a sign of how political pressure has pushed Hong Kong film people abroad.
Achievements
- 1994 · A decorator by trade, discovered and signed by ATV
- 2002 · Rose to fame as 'Simple-minded Keung' in Infernal Affairs, earning a Best Supporting Actor nomination
- 2013 · Won Best Actor at the 19th Hong Kong Film Critics Society Awards for DIVA