We’ve all heard about big Hollywood stars doing hospital visits or starting charities as their way of giving back to society.
But how many of them are willing to part with earnings from their entire life’s work?
Famous Hong Kong actor Chow Yun-Fat has revealed that he’ll be donating his entire fortune to charity after he dies.
And it’s not the first time he has displayed his selflessness. We look at the 10 things that make Chow Yun-Fat the most down-to-earth celebrity.
He left school at 17 to to help his family by doing odd jobs like bellboy, postman, camera salesman and taxi driver.
A few years later, he responded to a newspaper ad for an actor-trainee application.
Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB) in Hong Kong accepted his application and the rest, as they say, is history.
Chow took photos at the sets of the movies he was filming and put them in a photography book entitled Moving Pictures. Louis Vuitton published 1,000 copies of the book.
Sold at HK$1,288 (S$226) each, proceeds from the sale of the books were donated to Hong Kong Red Cross in aid of the Sichuan earthquake victims.
In Aug 2017, Typhoon Hato brought severe damage to Hong Kong, flooding the streets and uprooting trees.
A resident who was walking down a road in Kowloon on 23 Aug 2017 spotted someone removing a fallen tree that was blocking the road.
It was none other than Chow Yun-Fat, who had gotten out of his car to clear the road so other motorists could get home safely.
Everyone loves a celebrity who goes out of his way to help others and makes time for a selfie with a fan while he’s at it.
The movie star often explains that it’s faster to travel between two points by train since the roads in Hong Kong are always congested.
Taking public transportation to him is more practical, relaxing and comfortable than driving.
Since his wife Mdm Jasmine Tan is a Singaporean, he often makes trips here. We do not know if he takes public transportation here too.
But if he does, don’t be too surprised to see Chow Yun-Fat in your MRT carriage, the next time you look up from your devices.
Forget the atas restaurants like Din Tai Fung or Crystal Jade. Chow Yun-Fat prefers his regular street fare like most of us.
During his visit to Singapore in Dec 2015, Chow dropped by a Far East Square’s Ya Kun Kaya Toast outlet.
Just a week later, he was spotted at Maxwell Food Centre on a few separate occasions.
He patronised Tian Tian Chicken Rice for three days in a row and some other stalls at the food centre.
So don’t be too quick to dismiss the random uncle at the hawker centre.
Try taking a closer look and you might be rubbing shoulders with the man himself!
Ask any famous celebrity who they’re wearing, and they’ll probably name-drop a designer brand us regular folks can’t afford.
But not Mr Chow Yun-Fat.
He was once seen wearing a ¥98 (S$19.80) T-shirt and a ¥15 (S$3) pair of slippers.
At $3 for a pair of shoes — now that’s a man who knows how to thrift shop.
When asked on a talk show about what phone model he used, Chow proudly exclaimed that his was a first generation Nokia.
His wife later revealed that he used the Nokia phone for 17 years and only switched to a smartphone recently because the Nokia phone ran out of juice.
Meanwhile, many of us Singaporeans are always scrambling to get the latest phone the moment it’s released.
Chow is also reportedly able to live on only S$140 a month.
Taking public transportation, eating affordable food and buying long-lasting but affordable clothes could explain how he spends so little every month.
Perhaps we can all learn about spending wisely from Chow Yun-Fat.
Using a Nokia phone definitely hasn’t affected Chow’s selfie skills.
He’s described by his fans as a jovial character who’s always ready to have his photo taken.
We kinda understand why his adoring fans are so obsessed with his down-to-earth nature now.
What’s not to love about a celeb who dishes out great fan service?
After reading through the list, you’d wonder what else Chow Yun-Fat could do to prove that he’s humble despite his celebrity status.
He has told the world that he’ll be donating his entire fortune worth HK$5.6 billion (S$984 million) to charity.
Take your time to wrap your mind around how much money that is.
Chow and his wife don’t have any children together, so it makes sense for him to give his fortune to those in need.
Whether you’re a fan of Chow Yun-Fat or not, it’s undeniable that he’s a man of simple ways.
He may have acquired a vast fortune, but it’s his generosity that has captured the hearts of people.
His ability to look past the temptations of a material life and to live as simply as possible, makes him a role model we can all strive towards.
Featured image from Facebook.
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