Michael Tao
 |
Michael Tao | |
|---|---|
 Tao in 2019 | |
| Born | 26 August 1963 |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, host, singer |
| Years active | 1983–present |
| Agent | TVB (1983–1997, 2003–2009) |
| Spouse |
Wong Wai Po (m. 2000–2007) |
Michael Tao Dai Yu (Chinese: 陶大宇, born 26 August 1963) is a Hong Kong television actor.
Career[edit]
Tao entered the acting industry in the 1980s, affiliating with TVB. It was during this period that Tao earned the name "Housewife Killer" due to his overwhelming popularity amongst housewives (who arguably constitute a majority of television viewing audiences in Hong Kong), solidifying his position as a first tier television actor in TVB.
Tao later moved over to rival ATV in 1997 after problems over his contract with TVB. His ATV series Flaming Brothers defeated the TVB rival show at the time, a landmark for ATV. Apart from filming ATV series, Tao has also filmed in China and Singapore. He returned to TVB in 2004 and has starred in a number of television series since. Once again, problems with his contract resulted in Tao leaving TVB in 2009 and worked mostly in mainland China and occasionally in Hong Kong.
In 2021, Tao gained popularity after numerous videos of him singing Andy Lau's 1996 song "Reverse The Earth" (Chinese: 倒轉地球) in a unique voice and style resurfaced. Tao was known to have performed at various Chinese malls singing various Cantonese/Mandarin pop songs for commercial events since 2020, and was imitated across the internet by various netizens, including Douyin, YouTube and Poki Ng from the Hong Kong boyband ERROR.[1] This has also led to creation of fan groups on Facebook humorously advocating for Tao to become a full-fledged singer. Tao has responded positively, saying he enjoys entertaining people and jokingly hopes being able to catch up after Louis Koo's spot as favourite male singer in Hong Kong's Ultimate Song Chart Awards Presentation (Chinese: 叱咤樂壇流行榜頒獎典禮).[2]
Filmography[edit]
Television series[edit]
| Year | Title | Role | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | The Yang's Saga | Poon Fu | |
| 1986 | New Heavenly Sword and Dragon Sabre | Fan Yiu | |
| 1987 | Genghis Khan | Muk Wah-lai | |
| 1988 | Twilight of a Nation | Lee Chiu-sau | |
| 1989 | Looking Back in Anger | Herman | |
| 1991 | The Breaking Point | Hui Ka-kui | |
| On the Edge | Yeung Chi-piew | ||
| 1992 | File of Justice | Michael Kong Shing-yu | |
| The Greed of Man | Ting Yik-hai | ||
| 1993 | File of Justice II | Michael Kong Shing-yu | |
| 1994 | Glittering Moments | Szeto Lap-chau | |
| File of Justice III | Michael Kong Shing-yu | ||
| 1995 | File of Justice IV | Michael Kong Shing-yu | |
| Detective Investigation Files | Cheung Tai-yung | ||
| 1995-1996 | Detective Investigation Files II | Cheung Tai-yung | |
| 1996 | Ambition | Kwok Ka-bo | Released overseas in 1993; aired locally on TVB Jade in 1996 |
| 1997 | File of Justice V | Michael Kong Shing-yu | |
| Detective Investigation Files III | Cheung Tai-yung | Last TVB series before moving to ATV | |
| 1998 | The New Adventures of Wisely | Wisely | Singaporean series; broadcast by TCS |
| 1999 | Flaming Brothers | Steven Lee Siu-tin | First ATV series after leaving TVB |
| 2000 | Showbiz Tycoon | Wan Yuet-ting | |
| 2001 | To Where He Belongs | Mao Jun | ATV series |
| 2002 | Love Scar | Ah Chuan | CTS series |
| 2004 | Mystic Detective Files | Yip Sing-fai | i-cable series |
| Shine On You | Cheng Zhing-leung | Comeback series for TVB | |
| 2005 | Love Bond | Lam Yat-kong | |
| Fantasy Hotel | Bob Kam Chi-kit | ||
| 2007 | On the First Beat | Cheung King-fung | Best Actor Nomination (Top 20) |
| 2008 | Wasabi Mon Amour | Chung Lai-wo | |
| 2010 | Sisters of Pearl | Hung Yiu-sang | Last TVB series before terminating contract with TVB in 2009 |
| 2014 | Wait for Happiness | Mainland China series | |
| Heroes in Sui and Tang Dynasties | Cantonese dub[3] | ||
| 2016 | The Hiddens | Cheong Soon-on | Hong Kong series produced by Gary Tang; aired on Astro Wah Lai Toi in Malaysia and MyTV SUPER in Hong Kong[4] |
Television Shows[edit]
| Year | Title | Network | Role | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Hot Chef | ViuTV | Host | Cooking Competition Show[5] |
References[edit]
- ^ "Michael Tao "turns Hong Kong upside down" with lackluster performance". The Standard. Retrieved 8 December 2021.
- ^ "58歲陶大宇柒化〈倒轉地球〉網民推上神枱身價颷升百萬 商演收費內容曝". Oriental Sunday HK. 1 December 2021. Retrieved 8 December 2021.
- ^ "Michael Tao and Angie Cheong Reunite". Jaynestars. 11 July 2014.
- ^ "New espionage drama The Hiddens: Dangerous, dirty... and delightful!". New Straits Times. 18 September 2016.
- ^ "陶大宇郭政鴻主持《辣伙頭》下周首播". Ming Pao Daily. 6 February 2020.
- Michael Tao at IMDb
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
