Kevin Cheng


Kevin Cheng Ka-wing is a Hong Kong American actor and singer who is currently under the management of the Hong Kong television network TVB. Cheng rose to fame in late 2004 after playing his first lead role in the TVB drama Hard Fate.
He is best known for his role as "L.A. Law" in the 2011 TVB legal drama Ghetto Justice, which earned him a TVB Anniversary Award for Best Actor and Asian Television Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role.

Early life

Cheng was born in San Francisco but he moved to Hong Kong at a very young age and spent most of his childhood there. He attended Pun U Association Wah Yah Primary School, Wah Yan College and the Hong Kong International School in Hong Kong, and in 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. In Taiwan, Cheng released several Mandarin albums and acted in some television dramas, but all of them were only moderately successful.
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", for him. In the same year, he also released a Cantonese compilations album and held his very first mini concert. Niki Chow, Raymond Lam and Miriam Yeung were among the guest singers who appeared at his 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.
In 2010 Cheng took up the role of 8th Prince in Startling by Each Step which later brought his career to greater heights and has since gained him recognition in China.

2011-present: ''Ghetto Justice''

In 2011, Cheng clinched the "Best Actor" award for his role in Ghetto Justice at the 16th Asian Television Awards.
In 2015, he starred TVB's drama Blue Veins produced by Joe Chan Wai-Kun and played the role of undead human and vampire hunter, Ying Wut-zoek who had been given super powered immortals during 500 years ago.
On 26 July 2018 after much speculation, Grace Chan announced via Instagram that she was engaged to her boyfriend of three years, actor, Cheng. On 12 August 2018, she married Cheng, in Bali, Indonesia. On November 22 2018, Grace Chan announced via Instagram that she is expecting her first child with her husband. In February 2019, Grace Chan announced on Instagram that she gave birth to their son Rafael Cheng.

Filmography

Films

Television series

Discography

Albums

TVB drama songs

Others

Awards

TVB Anniversary Awards

; Won
YearAwardPerformanceNotes
2006Best Actor in a Leading Role"Alan Shum Long" in Under the Canopy of Love
2011Best Actor in a Leading Role"Law Lik-ah" in Ghetto Justice
2011My Favourite Male Character"Law Lik-ah" in Ghetto Justice
2011TVB.COM Popularity Award

;Nominated
YearNominationPerformanceNotes
2004My Favourite Male Character"Kent Leung Ka-Ming" in Hard Fate
2006Best Actor in a Leading Role"Alan Shum Long" in Under the Canopy of Love
2006My Favourite Male Character"Alan Shum Long" in Under the Canopy of Love
2006Most Improved Actor Nomination
2007Best Actor in a Leading Role"Ging Lui" in Devil's Disciples
2007My Favourite Male Character"Aaren Ching Man-Hei" in The Ultimate Crime Fighter
2008Best Actor in a Leading Role"Cheung Sing-Hei" in Last One Standing
2008My Favourite Male Character"Cheung Sing-Hei" in Last One Standing
2008Most Fashionable Charming Artist
2009Best Actor in a Leading Role"Rex Cheuk Pak-Yu" in Burning Flames III
2009My Favourite Male Character"Ko Hing-Yeung" in Beyond the Realm of Conscience
2011My Favourite Male Character"Law Lik-ah" in Ghetto Justice
2011Best Actor in a Leading Role"Law Lik-ah" in Ghetto Justice
2011TVB.COM Popularity Award

Others