Louis Koo’s Jail Stint Is Said To Have Turned Him Into The Hard-Working, Charitable Movie Tycoon He Is Today

That’s not all: The 50-year-old is also extremely hard-working.

With four to seven films coming out each year over the past decade, he is reportedly the Hongkong actor with the highest number of productions in recent years… and still, he somehow manages to find time to run his own businesses, invest in real estate, and serve as the president of both the Hong Kong Performing Artistes Guild and Federation of Hong Kong Filmmakers.

His empire grows bigger by the day as well. In addition to his production company One Cool Group, Louis also has a public relations agency and reportedly has plans to acquire another entertainment company in Hongkong that specialises in working with Korean celebs.

Then, a couple of months ago, it was announced that One Cool Group will be partnering with Media Asia Entertainment Group and Stephen Fung’s Film Magic Pictures to set up a new entertainment company called Cool Style.

If anyone thinks it’s probably about time he slowed down a little, think again.

This year is as jam-packed for Louis as ever, with a total of 12 — yes, twelve — movies set to be released, including Dynasty Warriors, G Storm, and Back to the Past, the big screen continuation of the 2001 drama series A Step into the Past.

With all that on his plate, it’s no wonder he is being hailed as part of a new generation of Hongkong film tycoons. He’s certainly got the bank account to back that claim up: It’s rumoured that he is worth a staggering NT$5bil (S$236mil).

According to Apple Daily, Louis’ willingness to work hard to earn money and help others can be traced back to his “frivolous past”. When he was in his 20s, he mixed with the wrong crowd and was sentenced to 22 months at Lai King Correctional Institution for his role in a robbery.

In his book, he called his imprisonment “the darkest period in [his] life”, but it was also when he experienced a turning point. He found solace in Christianity and met a 70-year-old nun, who he said kept showing him how a person should behave.

He kept her teachings in his heart and, as we all know by now, started happily helping others as soon as he could.

Photos: Louis Koo/Weibo, Apple Daily, Weibo