Kris Law

Kris Law, born Chin Chiang (or KLCC) is an internationally and critically acclaimed film Actor from Malaysia of Chinese Thai descent.[1] Law gained global prominence when he became the first ASEAN Actor to debut in India – starring with Academy Award nominated Bollywood Actor Aamir Khan in the Incredible India ad campaign. In Malaysia, Law was most known for his breakthrough role named Christien, being the first openly gay character on Malaysian media and primetime TV broadcasting drama series Ampang Medikal. Law has appeared in Malaysian, Singaporean, Bollywood and Hong Kong films including "Anak Mami Kembali", 1957: Hati Malaya and A House of Happiness which combinedly grossed over RM 100 million in box-office.[2]

Kris Law
Born
Law Chin Chiang

(1978-07-11) 11 July 1978
George Town, Penang, Malaysia
OccupationActor
Years active1997–present
AwardsBMW Film Awards Best Actor
Websitewww.kris-law.com (Flash site)

Background and education

Born in George Town, Penang, Malaysia), to a Singaporean doctor father and Malaysian mother, Law was the rightful heir to his father's vast fortune in Singapore. After suddenly losing his father in a tragic car accident at the age of 3, Law was denied his inheritance in a lawsuit against his father's first family due to the illegitimacy of his birth where he was born out of wedlock. As a poor and orphaned child, Law first appeared on stage at the age of 10 playing the lead role Dick in Dick Whittington and his Cat. Later, he joined the Penang Free School Christian and Drama Society and acted in many plays as the lead. In 1996, Law was selected to be in the first pioneering batch of TV3 Academy, Kuala Lumpur majoring in the field of Broadcasting. During his tenure at the academy, he was selected to be in the panel of distinguished juries to judge in the Anugerah Skrin and Anugerah Juara Lagu awards. Law was the youngest and the only non-Malay jury member in the panel. Later, Law transferred his studies and graduated in Limkokwing University of Creative Technology, London with major in Business Communication in 1999.

In Kuala Lumpur, he started his career in the creative industry as a copywriter in Leo Burnett in 2000, working under film director Yasmin Ahmad. According to Yasmin, the reasons Law got the position were because of his auspicious full name initials KLCC and same birthday with Giorgio Armani and Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad.

Early career
Kris Law in short crop hair, slim figure.

In 2004, Law received his first major media spotlight when he competed in the reality TV competition show Malaysian Idol.[3] Law performed in yellow shorts when other contestants wore normal clothes got him onto the front page of all national newspapers. His yellow shorts performance video went viral in the Internet to the tune of 100 million viewers worldwide, making him the world's first person to become a viral video star celebrity spearheading the term "instant fame" and social media long before the establishment of social media like it is today.[4][5][6] Law's yellow shorts became an iconic fashion[7] statement, cultural phenomenon and frenzy among the youths when the viral video debuted, entering into pop culture lexicon. Numerous and popular references were made about his "sexy shorts" in politics, fashion, academia and eventually identified by many as a form of contemporary performance art first done on prime time TV, thus making him a cultural provocateur with a clear social zeitgeist against the racial, government-controlled media and race-segregated Malaysian society.[8]

World's First Viral Video Celebrity

In 2005, Law competed again in Malaysian Idol season 2. More offers to star in other reality TV shows followed due to highest TV viewers ratings success of his yellow shorts performance.[9] Law won the Most Favourite Contestant title for the Gillette Vector Challenge and was a finalist on Malaysian Top Host. [9][10][11] Law was the only competitive reality TV star to appear in 3 different reality TV show genres in one year. In a 2005 radio interview, Law already foreseen the dangers of social media when he expressed the reasons he limited his presence away from it was due to the amount of haters present and its manipulative nature that doesn't bring any credibility.

As an Actor, Law appeared in Anak Mami Kembali (2005) directed by Abdul Razak Mohaideen. In his next big screen role, he played a communist in the film 1957: Hati Malaya (2007) directed by Shuhaimi Baba. Law's portrayal of the communist in 1957: Hati Malaya was censored.

Awards
BMW Film Awards Best Actor

Kris Law is the first-ever Malaysian actor to play and portray a gay person character in the Malaysian media during prime time, on an episode of the TV drama serial Ampang Medikal[12] which aired in 2008 – homosexuality was and still is illegal and punishable by law in Malaysia. Law's portrayal of the homosexual character was the first realistic, non-stereotypical and most identifiable to the average LGBT Malaysian.

Law's main starring role in the film Talent House (2012) was awarded Best Actor by BMW.[13]

Law's most successful TV commercial was "KFC Black Pepper Chicken", which was aired during the peak of the World Cup 2010.[14] Law's talent as a commercial actor has taken him around the world with his most recent and popular market commercial to date being produced for the Indian Ministry of Tourism's Incredible India! thematic ad campaign titled Atithi Devo Bhav with Aamir Khan in 2015[15] – making him the first ASEAN commercial actor to debut in the world's biggest market in cinema and TV advertising viewing audience where mobile Internet penetration is still low.

Kris Law being featured in Francoise Huguier photo exhibition

Law is also a model, having posed for a poster calendar which was shot in Bangkok, Thailand (2006). Law was later chosen by French photographer Françoise Huguier to model for her worldwide photo collection debut in New York, Paris, London and other major cities of the world [16][17] under the Vertical/Horizontal series (2012–2013) which won the Paris Beaux-Arts Academy Photography Prize.[18]

Law hopes to continue his work as an actor that champions equal human rights for everyone, regardless of their race, sexuality, religion or background; and to give a voice to youth who are discontent over racial bias in their country.[19]

Filmography
Film
Year Title Role Achievement
1996–1997 "Anugerah Skrin Awards/ Anugerah Juara Lagu Jury Member Youngest and only non-Malay
1997 "Melodi" Guest
2003 "Trigger" Mr.Tan (Leading Role)
2004–2005 Malaysian Idol Guy in Yellow Shorts World's first Internet viral video star celebrity
2005 "Gillette Vector Challenge" Contestant Asian Television Awards Best Reality Show, Most Favourite Contestant
2005 "Malaysian Top Host" Finalist The only reality TV star to appear in 3 different show genres in 1 year
2005 Anak Mami Kembali Richard (Guest Appearance)
2006 Telekom Malaysia "Deepa-Raya (commercial) Sitar Player (Main Talent)
2006 "Jejak Jaya" Kenny, the farmer (Leading Role)
2006 "Akinabalu" (On the Wings of a Butterfly) Toshi (Supporting Role)
2007 1957: Hati Malaya Commander Zen (Supporting Role) Censored due to controversy
2008 Ampang Medikal Christien (Leading Role) First Malaysian Actor to portray gay person in the media
2008 "Kommunalka" (documentary) Self
2008 Digi "Friends & Family" (commercial) Singing Guy on Water (Main Talent)
2009 "Seribu Erti" Andrew (Leading Role)
2010 KFC World Cup 2010 (commercial) Main Talent
2011 "Geng Bas Sekolah" Mr.Yip (Leading Role)
2011 "Akinabalu" Hideaki (Supporting Role)
2012–2013 Françoise Huguier "Vertical/Horizontal" Photo Exhibit Model Paris Beaux-Arts Academy Photography Prize
2012 Talent House Talent (Leading Role) BMW Film Awards Best Actor
2013 "Cinta Hidayah" Albert (Leading Role)
2014 "Hostage" Double Agent (Leading Role)
2015–2017 Incredible India! (commercial) Tourist (Main Talent) with Aamir Khan First ASEAN Actor to debut in world's biggest market
2017 "Pentas Haiwan" Cikgu Tang (Supporting Role)
2018 A House of Happiness Heng (Supporting Role)
2018 Peugeot 5008 SUV (Launch Event) Model

References
  1. http://www.Kris-Law.com%7Ctitle=Krislaw Worldwide|work=Kris-law.com|accessdate=14 May 2015}}
  2. https://www.klik.com.my/item/document?page=2&keywords=Kris%20Law&keywords_op=textAll%7Ctitle=Harian Metro-Article |publisher=KLiK.com.my|accessdate=4 July 2005}}
  3. "Archives". The Star. Malaysia. Retrieved 14 May 2015.
  4. http://www.kris-law.com/kl_news1.html
  5. "Malaysian Idol". Malaysian-idol.blogspot.com. Retrieved 14 May 2015.
  6. "Malaysian Idol – Video Clip". Shoppinglifestyle.com. Archived from the original on 18 May 2015. Retrieved 14 May 2015.
  7. http://www.kris-law.com/kl_news2.html
  8. http://www.kris-law.com/kl_news3.html
  9. "Ymmotlys's Weblog". Ymmotlys's Weblog. Retrieved 14 May 2015.
  10. "goFutsal.com – Malaysia". Gofutsal.com. Retrieved 14 May 2015.
  11. Kris Law. "Journey of an International Artiste". Krislaw.blogspot.com. Retrieved 14 May 2015.
  12. KRIS LAW – AMPANG MEDICAL 002. 25 June 2011. Retrieved 14 May 2015 – via YouTube.
  13. Interone Worldwide GmbH (30 June 2008). "BMW Malaysia : News". Bmw.com.my. Archived from the original on 4 March 2013. Retrieved 14 May 2015.
  14. KRIS LAW in KFC commercial. 21 July 2011. Retrieved 14 May 2015 – via YouTube.
  15. "Kris Law in Incredible India". Retrieved 27 June 2015.
  16. "francoise huguier – Collections". Francoisehuguier.com. Archived from the original on 22 July 2015. Retrieved 14 May 2015.
  17. Kris Law. "Journey of an International Artiste". Krislaw.blogspot.com. Retrieved 14 May 2015.
  18. http://en.bacc.or.th/content/PHOTOGRAPHY--Exhibition-VerticalHorizontal--IntérieurExtérieur----Françoise-Huguier.html
  19. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 13 February 2016. Retrieved 24 October 2015.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
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