Lovers of Hong Kong cinema know Chow Yun-fat as the God of Gamblers, a film where he plays a world-famous gambler with slicked back hair, a jade pinky ring, and a penchant for Feodora chocolate.
However, fans of the popular ’80s film will be surprised to discover that Chow has no interest in gambling, as his wife Jasmine Tan proclaims: “He is not the God of Gamblers, I am the God of Gamblers!”
In the latest batch of episodes from the 15-part interview series by Apple Daily, “My Husband is Brother Fat,” the 57-year-old Singaporean admits that she enjoys a game of poker or blackjack more than her husband, and that every New Year, she invites friends over to their home to gamble.
What does her husband do in the meantime? “He’ll go somewhere else with friends,” laughs Tan.
“Even he says to me ‘I’m not the God of Gamblers, you are’.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-aipTzYtP6c
Last week, Tan told the newspaper in an emotional interview that it took her seven years to recover from the loss of the couple’s daughter who died one week before she was due.
This week however looks at a more cheerful side to Hong Kong’s favorite couple, with Tan telling the paper that Chow keeps the romance alive with occasional surprises like buying her flowers and cooking crab for her.
“Every year on my birthday, he will hide my birthday present somewhere. Once, he put my present underneath my pillow.”
Tan also told the newspaper that she is the one in the relationship who looks after the purse strings, saying “Of course, I know how much money he spends on my presents, because I have to look over the credit card bill!”
It is hard to think that the pair almost did not get married. Tan explained to the newspaper: “When we started dating, he said ‘you need to understand I won’t propose’.”
However, that all changed in 1986 when Chow finished filming the romance An Autumn’s Tale in New York.
“On Oct. 20, 1986, it was 7am and he had just finished an overnight shoot. Suddenly he said ‘let’s get married.” I went ‘huh? What do you mean let’s get married?’ At the time I thought I was going mad,” said Tan.
The pair registered their marriage at a church in New York for US$15.
When asked if she was disappointed that she did not have a dream wedding or proposal, Tan said: “What’s there to be disappointed about? It’s so surprising for me. He had said he would not marry me but he ends up taking me to the marriage registry!
“I’ve never thought of holding a dream wedding. Both of us are good together, it’s as simple as that.
The pair held a wedding banquet in 1987, where Tan said: “God has given me the greatest gift, which is to be Chow Yun-fat’s wife.”
However, it looks like we will never know what changed his mind about marriage; Tan said she never asked.
“I don’t need to know too much. If someone is willing to propose to you, then you’re lucky right? There’s no need to ask too many questions.”
