Kevin Cheng (, born 15 August 1969) is a Hong Kong American actor and singer. Cheng rose to fame for his first lead role in the TVB drama Hard Fate (2004). His other notable works include Ghetto Justice (2011) and Scarlet Heart (2011).
Early life Cheng was born in San Francisco, California, but spent most of his childhood in Hong Kong. He attended Pun U Association Wah Yah Primary School, Wah Yan College, the Hong Kong International School, and Alhambra High School in the United States. During his school days, his mother sent him back to China, where he lived with his uncle for two years before returning to Hong Kong after his mother changed her mind about migrating to the United States. He completed his high school education in Canada. He pursued a civil engineering degree at the California State University in Los Angeles, but did not finish his studies because his father died and he wanted to move back to Hong Kong to be with his mother.
Career
1993–2005 When Cheng was 16 years old, he participated in a singing contest organised by the Hong Kong television network TVB but dropped out halfway because he felt that he was not ready to be a singer at that time. Later, after he moved back to Hong Kong in his early 20s, he decided to continue his pursuit of a singing career. He signed a contract with the record label PolyGram in 1993 and released his first album in the same year to mixed reviews. He was seen as a newcomer with good potential and managed to win several Best New Artist awards in 1994. Cheng's manager later helped him launch his career in the Taiwanese entertainment industry.
Cheng was noticed by Mediacorp after he portrayed the villain "Jiang Yulang" in the 1999 Taiwanese television series The Legendary Siblings. He returned to Hong Kong and signed a management contract with TVB in the following year and started playing minor roles in some television series produced by the network. In 2004, he played a leading role for the first time in the TVB drama Hard Fate.
2006–2010
Cheng soared to popularity after portraying "Alan Shum" in the 2006 romantic drama Under the Canopy of Love, for which he also won the TVB Anniversary Award for Best Actor that year. His singing career also gradually improved after the Taiwanese musician Liu Chia-chang composed a single, "Helpless" (無可奈何), for him. In the same year, he also released a Cantonese compilations album and held his very first mini concert.
Cheng had another critical breakthrough role in the 2007 crime drama The Ultimate Crime Fighter, in which he played the villain "Aaren Chong" and earned glowing reviews for his performance. In the 2008 thriller-suspense drama Last One Standing, his portrayal of the ex-convict "Sing Hei" earned him further critical acclaim and widespread praise from viewers. He was also one of the top five nominees for the TVB Anniversary Award for Best Actor in 2008, but the award went to the veteran TVB actor Ha Yu.
2011-present In 2011, Cheng clinched the "Best Actor" award for his role in the legal drama Ghetto Justice at the 16th Asian Television Awards (ATA) as well as winning the Best Actor award at the 2011 TVB Anniversary Award.
In 2016, Cheng starred in the drama Blue Veins, in which he played the role of undead human and vampire hunter, Ying Wut-zoek, who had been given super powered immortals during 500 years ago.
In 2021, Cheng starred in the medical drama Kid's Lives Matter, for which he is placed among the top 5 nominees for the Best Actor at the 2021 TVB Anniversary Award.
Personal life On 12 August 2018, Cheng married his girlfriend of three years, actress and Miss Hong Kong 2013 Grace Chan, in Bali, Indonesia. The couple have three sons born in 2019, 2020 and 2023.
Filmography
Films Year Title Role Notes 1993 The Tigers – The Legend of Canton廣東五虎之鐵拳無敵孫中山 Rickshaw Puller 1995 Hong Kong Graffiti香江花月夜 Kelvin Cheung 1996 Boy's?假男假女 Jaffee 2001 Fing's RaverFing頭K王之王 2003 Twilight Tubes Part III不可思議星期二(第三輯) 2004 Instant Marriage新婚告急 2007 Super Fans甜心粉絲王 Yee-cheng Wonder Women女人．本色 Dr Yim Hok-fung 2010 72 Tenants of Prosperity七十二家房客 Firefighter guest star 2011 The Woman Knight of Mirror Lake競雄女俠秋瑾 Wang Tingjun 2013 Ip Man: The Final Fight葉問-終極一戰 Ip Man (young) Badges of Fury不二神探 Lee Tin-chi cameo 2016 Poor Rich Dad 2018 Super App Lucid Dreams L Storm Ching Tak-ming Master Z: The Ip Man Legacy叶问外传：张天志 Tso Sai Kit 2019 P Storm Ching Tak-ming The Invincible Dragon Tso 2021 G Storm G風暴 Ching Tak-ming 2022 Burning 焚身
Television dramas Year Title Role Network Awards / nominations Notes 1994 Mind Your Own Business開心華之里 Lee Sheung-Jun TVB cameo 1999 The Legendary Siblings絕代雙驕 Jiang Yulang TTV 2000 Legend of Heaven and Earth: Mermaid 2001 Shaolin Seven Sets 2002 Network Love Story一網情深 Luk Nai-shing TVB / CCTV 2002 Burning Flame II烈火雄心II Mark Kei Hing-tin TVB 2002 Slim Chances我要Fit一Fit Sean Sze TVB 2003 The Threat of Love 2LovingYou我愛你2 Shek Man-kit, Yeung Chi-kwong, Ho Jai, Chung Jai, Cheung Ho-chu, Sam, Lui Bong, Ho Kam-tim TVB 2003 Better Halves金牌冰人 Yip Chi-chau TVB 2003 Not Just A Pretty Face美麗在望 Wilson Fok TVB 2003 Point of No Return西關大少 Chan Kai-tong TVB 2003 Life Begins at Forty花樣中年 Ken Ying TVB 2004 Hard Fate翡翠戀曲 Ken Leung Ka-ming TVB Astro Drama Awards for My Favourite CharacterNominated – TVB Anniversary Awards for My Favourite Male Character 2004 Split Second爭分奪秒 Vincent Wong Ka-fai TVB 2005 Yummy Yummy Chan Kar-lok TVB Astro Drama Awards for My Favourite Character 2006 Under the Canopy of Love天幕下的戀人 Alan Shum Long TVB TVB Anniversary Award for Best ActorAstro Drama Awards for My Favourite CharacterAstro Drama Awards for My Favourite Couple (shared with Niki Chow)Nominated – TVB Anniversary Award for My Favourite Male Character (Top 5)Nominated – TVB Anniversary Award for Most Improved Male Artiste (Top 5) 2006 Trimming Success飛短留長父子兵 Jason Fan Tin-long TVB Nominated – TVB Anniversary Award for Most Improved Male Artiste (Top 5) 2006 Placebo Cure心理心裏有個謎 Joe Cheung TVB 2004 warehoused drama 2007 Life Art寫意人生 Ryan Fong TVB 2007 Devil's Disciples強劍 King Lui TVB Nominated – TVB Anniversary Awards for Best Actor (Top 20) 2006 Warehoused drama 2007 The Ultimate Crime Fighter通天幹探 Aaron Chong Man-hei TVB Nominated – TVB Anniversary Awards for My Favourite Male Character (Top 24) 2008 The Seventh Day最美麗的第七天 Wayne Yau Chi-wing TVB 2008 Forensic Heroes II法證先鋒II Ivan Yeung Yat-sing TVB 2008 Last One Standing與敵同行 Cheung Sing-hei TVB Nominated – TVB Anniversary Award for Best Actor (Top 5)Nominated – TVB Anniversary Award for My Favourite Male Character (Top 10) 2009 Burning Flame III烈火雄心3 Rex Cheuk Pak-yu TVB Nominated – TVB Anniversary Award for Best Actor (Top 15) 2009 Beyond the Realm of Conscience宮心計 Ko Hin-yeung TVB Nominated – TVB Anniversary Award for My Favourite Male Character (Top 5) 2010 A Fistful of Stances鐵馬尋橋 Ku Kin-shing / Ku Yu-cheung TVB Nominated – TVB Anniversary Award for Best Actor (Top 15) 2010-2011 Home Troopers居家兵團 Joseph Chukot Ching TVB 2011 Only You只有您 Summer Ha Tin-sang TVB Ghetto Justice怒火街頭 LA Law Lik-ah (Law Ba) TVB Asian Television Award for Best Actor in a Leading RoleTVB Anniversary Award for Best ActorTVB Anniversary Award for My Favourite Male CharacterMy Astro on Demand Awards for Best ActorMy Astro on Demand Awards for My Top 15 Favourite Characters Scarlet Heart步步驚心 Yinsi, the Eighth Imperial Prince HBS 2012 Mystery in the Palace深宮諜影 Getai Gloves Come Off拳王 Tong Sap Yat TVB Nominated – TVB Anniversary Award for Best Actor (Top 10) Ghetto Justice II怒火街頭2 LA Law Lik-ah (Law Ba) TVB Nominated – TVB Anniversary Award for My Favourite Male Character (Top 10) Hero英雄 King Fuchai of Wu CTS 2013 Ip Man葉問 Ye Wen Suzhou Funa Films and Television 2015 Eye in the Sky 天眼 Szeto Shun TVB 2016 Blue Veins 殭 Ying Wuet Tseuk TVB 2017Destination Nowhere 迷Man Kiu-PakTVBTaichi太极宗师之太极门 PPTV 2021 Kids' Lives Matter星空下的仁醫Dr. Hui Kam-fung TVBNominated – TVB Anniversary Award for Best Actor (Top 5) Nominated – TVB Anniversary Award for Most Popular Male Character (Top 10) Nominated – TVB Anniversary Award for Most Popular Onscreen Partnership (Top 5, with Linda Chung)Nominated – TVB Anniversary Award for Favourite TVB Actor in Malaysia (Top 5) Nominated – People's Choice Television Award for Best Actor (Top 10) Nominated – People's Choice Television Award for Best TV Drama Partnership (Top 10, with Kenneth Ma and Linda Chung) Nominated – People's Choice Television Award for Best TV Drama Partnership (Top 10, with Linda Chung)
Kevin Cheng at chinesemov.com
Discography
Albums Year Album title Notes 1993 Kevin 鄭嘉穎 Self-titled Debut Album 1994 全因身邊有 2006 Kevin 鄭嘉穎新曲加精選 Compilation + New Songs 2013 說來話長 Mandarin Album
TVB drama songs Year Song title Drama Notes 2005 與朋友共 (With Friends) Yummy Yummy duet with Raymond Lam 2005 三角兩面 (Three Corners With Two Sides) Yummy Yummy 2006 愛平凡 (Love Ordinary) Trimming Success 2006 請講 (Please Say) Under the Canopy of Love duet with Niki Chow 2007 活得寫意 (Live an Enjoyable Life) Life Art 2007 強劍 (Sacred Sword) Devil's Disciples duet with Bosco Wong 2008 最美麗的第七天 (The Most Beautiful Seventh Day) The Seventh Day 2008 抱著空氣 (Embracing the Air) The Seventh Day duet with Niki Chow 2009 有意 (Intentions) Burning Flame III duet with Myolie Wu 2010 雪下思 (Thinking Under Snow) A Fistful of Stances 2012 一擊即中 (One-Shot Hit) Gloves Come Off
Others Year Song title Notes 2006 Put Your Hands Up 2006 World Cup Theme, performed with Raymond Lam, Ron Ng and Bosco Wong
Awards
TVB Anniversary Awards Won Year Award Performance Notes 2006 Best Actor in a Leading Role "Alan Shum Long" in Under the Canopy of Love 2011 Best Actor in a Leading Role "Law Lik-ah" in Ghetto Justice 2011 My Favourite Male Character "Law Lik-ah" in Ghetto Justice 2011 TVB.COM Popularity Award
Nominated Year Nomination Performance Notes 2004 My Favourite Male Character "Kent Leung Ka-Ming" in Hard Fate 2006 Best Actor in a Leading Role "Alan Shum Long" in Under the Canopy of Love 2006 My Favourite Male Character "Alan Shum Long" in Under the Canopy of Love 2006 Most Improved Actor Nomination 2007 Best Actor in a Leading Role "Ging Lui" in Devil's Disciples 2007 My Favourite Male Character "Aaren Ching Man-Hei" in The Ultimate Crime Fighter 2008 Best Actor in a Leading Role "Cheung Sing-Hei" in Last One Standing 2008 My Favourite Male Character "Cheung Sing-Hei" in Last One Standing 2008 Most Fashionable Charming Artist 2009 Best Actor in a Leading Role "Rex Cheuk Pak-Yu" in Burning Flames III 2009 My Favourite Male Character "Ko Hing-Yeung" in Beyond the Realm of Conscience 2011 My Favourite Male Character "Law Lik-ah" in Ghetto Justice 2011 Best Actor in a Leading Role "Law Lik-ah" in Ghetto Justice 2011 TVB.COM Popularity Award
Others