Babyjohn Choi

Babyjohn Choi Hon Yick (born Choi Ming Yin; 8 December 1986) is a Hong Kong actor. Debuting as Leung in the sports drama film The Way We Dance (2013), the role earned Choi Best New Performer in the 33rd Hong Kong Film Awards, and he later reprised it in the sequel The Way We Keep Dancing (2021). Choi went on to star in various productions after his first film role, including the horror film Twilight Online (2014), martial arts film Ip Man 3, crime film Imprisoned (both 2015), and comedy film The Yuppie Fantasia 3 (2017). He landed his first sole leading role as Tim Cheung in the horror film Vampire Cleanup Department (2017), followed by a breakout performance as a sacrificing policeman in the action film Shock Wave (2017). He also starred as Cel in the Storm Film Series, beginning with L Storm (2018) and concluded with the series finale G Storm (2021), and Lo Man Nai in the ViuTV drama series No One Lies (2023).

Early life and education
Babyjohn Choi was born Choi Ming Yin on 8 December 1986 in Hong Kong. He grew up in Mei Foo and was raised by his grandparents. He began learning piano when he was three and later passed ABRSM Grade 8 when he was in Form 4. His parents changed his name to Choi Hon Yick while he was studying in primary school due to feng shui. He later attended Wah Yan College, Kowloon, and spent most of his time in secondary school joining bands and playing music. When he was in Form 2, he participated in a school drama performance of West Side Story, portraying the character Baby John. The experience sparked his interest in performing, and he changed his English name to Babyjohn after his first acting role to remind himself of his passion. He took business subjects for the Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination, but did not perform well, scoring only a pass in five subjects. Determined to pursue a career in acting, he intended to apply for the Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts, but missed the deadline after receiving his HKCEE results. He then took a gap year to learn jazz music, guitar, and drums, and reapplied to HKAPA the following year. While in university, Choi formed a band and took part in the school's musical performances. He graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in performing arts in 2009. In the same year, Choi auditioned and won the role as Leung in the film The Way We Dance, but production did not begin until 2013. During the interval, he worked several jobs to make a living, including teaching music, performing in a theatre company, and filming advertisements. He left the theatre company after filming commenced.

Career
Choi auditioned and won his debut role as Leung in the 2013 drama film The Way We Dance, where he portrayed the chairman of a university Tai Chi club who collaborated with a street dancer, portrayed by Cherry Ngan, to invent original dance choreographies incorporating Tai Chi moves. His performance was well received, for which he won Best New Performer in the 33rd Hong Kong Film Awards and was nominated for Best Newcomer in the 8th Asian Film Awards with the role. Choi began receiving film role offers after his breakout performance, starring in the lead role in the horror film Twilight Online, and voicing private investigator Bobby Mak in the animated comedy film McDull: Me & My Mum the following year. In 2015, Choi took on lead roles in the comedy film 12 Golden Ducks and crime film Imprisoned: Survival Guide for Rich and Prodigal, as well as minor roles in action films SPL II: A Time for Consequences and Ip Man 3. Choi was also cast in lead roles in the 2016 crime films House of Wolves and Fooling Around Jiang Hu.

In 2017, Choi was cast as the sole male lead in Chiu Sin Hang's horror romance film Vampire Cleanup Department, portraying Tim Cheung, a vampire hunter who posed as a street janitor and developed romantic entanglements with a female vampire played by Lin Min Chen. He also starred in lead roles in the comedy film The Yuppie Fantasia 3 and the drama film 29+1. Choi gained further recognition in the 2017 action film Shock Wave as an off-duty cop who sacrificed himself in a bomb attack by terrorists. The film's director Herman Yau handpicked Choi for the role after watching The Way We Dance and was impressed by his acting. Although the role was minor, Choi's performance received universal praise and was described as "tear-jerking". He also took on lead roles as Fung the gangster in the black comedy film The Sinking City Capsule Odyssey, starring alongside Pakho Chau and Louis Cheung, and as a wealthy playboy Si Tak Wah in the TVB drama series Oh My Grad, at the invitation of his APA classmate Wong Cho-lam.

The following year, Choi landed a recurring role as Cel, an ICAC officer, in the Storm Film Series, starting with the 2018 film L Storm and reprised his role in the 2019 sequel P Storm. Choi also took on a lead role in the mystery thriller film Guilt by Design, which featured an ensemble cast including Nick Cheung, Kent Cheng, Elaine Jin, Cecilia So, Jo Kuk, and Jiro Lee. He then starred in a main role in another TVB drama series, I Bet Your Pardon, produced by Wong Jing. In 2019, Choi ended his contract with his artist agency HMV Digital China and founded his own talent company, Made in Kami. He also became one of the regular hosts of the food-themed talk show Foodie Talkies on ViuTV since December 2019. He reprised a separate role in Shock Wave 2, a standalone sequel to the 2017 film, in 2020.

In 2021, Choi made a cameo appearance as a janitor, which resembles his character in Vampire Cleanup Department, in another Chiu Sin Hang's film One Second Champion. He also reprised his role as Leung in The Way We Dance's sequel The Way We Keep Dancing, and as Cel in G Storm, the final installment of the Storm Film Series. He did not receive any acting roles for a year during the COVID-19 pandemic and instead focused his time on writing screenplays. In 2023, Choi made his debut on ViuTV as the sole male lead in the drama series No One Lies, portraying Lo Man Nai, a morally dubious businessman who was drugged with truth serum. He also starred in supporting lead roles in the psychological thriller film Shadows (2023 film) and the action thriller film Death Notice.

Personal life
Choi is a Christian. He is also an enthusiast of the Japanese tea ceremony and has been practicing it for nine years.

Choi married stage actress Donut Cheung in 2013, his classmate at Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts, after being in a relationship for seven years.