Carlos Chan (actor)

Carlos Chan Ka Lok (born 12 October 1986) is a Hong Kong actor. Discovered by Emperor Entertainment Group through a singing contest, Chan initially signed as a singer. He made his onscreen debut with a minor role in the action film Connected (2008), and went on to star in various productions in small parts. He later joined the television productions of the newly founded HKTV, where he gained recognition for his lead role as Chung Lok-tin in the drama series Incredible Mama (2015). He also portrayed the main villain in the sports film To the Fore (2015), and received his breakout role as Chan Kai-yuk, the sole male lead in the drama film Happiness (2016), for which he won Best Supporting Actor in the 7th Golden Lotus Awards.

Following his breakthrough performance, Chan starred in the TVB drama series Daddy Cool (2018) as the lead and titluar character, and appeared in the web series The Trading Floor (2018), which earned him Best Newcomer in the 24th Huading Awards. He also began to take on lead roles in romance films, most notably in Ready o/r Knot (2021) and its sequel Ready or Rot (2023), and appeared in supporting roles in crime thriller films, including The White Storm 2: Drug Lords (2019), Bodies at Rest (2019), Detective vs Sleuths (2022), and The Goldfinger (2023).

Biography
Chan was born on 12 October 1986, in Hong Kong. He lived with his grandmother from birth until he reached the fifth year of primary school. Chan began filming several advertisements between the ages of four and five. He later attended Ma On Shan Tsung Tsin Secondary School. In 2003, two years after graduating, he participated in a rookie singing contest hosted by Emperor Entertainment Group. Although he was eliminated in the round of sixteen, he was offered a contract as an artist with Emperor. Initially assigned to join the boy group Boy'z, Chan's lack of interest in dancing and consistent skipping of training sessions led to his removal from the group. He was then given a few film roles by the artist agency, including a minor role as the younger brother of Barbie Hsu's character in the 2008 film Connected. Despite having only one scene in the initial script, his role was expanded by Benny Chan after being impressed by his performance. Chan also gained recognition for his role in the 2008 TVB television series Dressage To Win. In 2009, Chan starred in the romance film Happily Ever After. However, due to his constant improvisation on set and failure to adhere to the script, he faced industry blacklisting and did not receive any roles for the following three years. In 2012, director Heiward Mak approached Chan after previously discussing his visions in films and offered him a lead role in the drama film Diva (2012 film). While Chan had considered leaving the entertainment industry and pursuing a career in insurance by that time, Mak encouraged him to continue his passion for acting. Chan then decided to join Emperor Entertainment Group's newly-formed film department. In 2015, he landed several roles in the recently established HKTV, including his lead role as Chung Lok-tin in Incredible Mama and supporting lead role as Max in Love in Time. He also portrayed the main villain, Simon, in Dante Lam's sports film To the Fore, during which he severely injured his left clavicle. Despite the injury, he convinced the production crew that he could continue filming and was allowed to return.

Chan's breakout role came in 2016 when he starred as Chan Kai-yuk, a temperamental young man from Guangzhou searching for his father in Hong Kong, in the romance film Happiness alongside Kara Wai. His performance earned him Best Supporting Actor in the 7th Golden Lotus Awards. Following the breakthrough performance, Chan received more role offers, including the lead role in the 2018 musical biographical film House of the Rising Sons. In the same year, he was invited by Amy Wong to star as Chung Ding Kwok, a co-leading role with Wayne Lai and David Chiang, in the TVB mystery fantasy series Daddy Cool (2018 TV series), further solidifying his public recognition. He also had a supporting lead role in the business-themed mystery web series The Trading Floor, which earned him a nomination for Best Newcomer in the 24th Huading Awards. In 2019, Chan took on the lead role of Jack Yau, a police officer in a relationship with his Dressage to Win co-star Michelle Wai, in the action thriller film The White Storm 2: Drug Lords. He also had supporting roles in the action thriller films Integrity and Bodies at Rest. In 2020, Chan was cast in a lead role in Patrick Kong's romance film You Are the One (2020 film), and as Yip Wing Shun, the sole male lead, in the mystery thriller film Declared Legally Dead, for which he was nominated for Best Actor in the 12th Golden Lotus Awards. He also had a supporting lead role in Dante Lam's action film The Rescue.

In 2021, Chan starred as Guy, the male lead in the romantic comedy film Ready o/r Knot, once again alongside Michelle Wai. The duo portrayed a pair of lovers about to get married, yet each with their own hesitations. He also took on the lead role of Ho Hok Ming in the mystery thriller film The Attorney (2021 film), and made brief appearances as Donnie Yen's character's supervisor and Adam Cheng in the action thriller film Raging Fire and the biographical film Anita respectively. Chan was cast in a supporting role in the 2022 crime thriller film Detective vs Sleuths, and appeared in main roles in the 2023 action films Echoes Of The Thunder and The Brotherhood Of Rebel. He also reprised his role as Guy in Ready or Rot, the sequel of Ready o/r Knot, and appeared in a supporting role in the crime thriller film The Goldfinger in the same year.

Personal life
Chan began dating actress Jennifer Yu after their collaboration in the 2014 television series A Dream Comes True 2014. Although Chan mentioned plans of marriage in an interview with Ming Pao in March 2018, he announced their breakup in June after three years of being in a relationship.

In 2020, Chan was rumored to be in a relationship with singer Shiga Lin after filming a TVB traveling program the previous year. In June 2022, Chan confirmed his two-year relationship with Lin and announced their engagement. The couple got married in April 2023. In March 2024, Lin announced her pregnancy.