On social media

ANDY LAU ON DOUYIN: Hong Kong superstar Andy Lau has started his first social media account after 40 years in the entertainment industry.

His official fan club, Andy World Club, announced on Wednesday that he has opted for Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok. The account attracted more than 12 million followers even before the announcement was made, and shot past 45 million after.

For his first video post, the 59-year-old singer-actor re-enacted an iconic scene from the crime movie Infernal Affairs (2002). The scene had Lau, playing a mole in the police force, facing off against an undercover cop in the triad played by actor Tony Leung Chiu Wai.

In the video, Lau was seen raising his hands, as a voice asked, "Where are the things I want?" He then turned around and replied: "You may not have brought the things I want too."

Lau continued in the video later: "Give me a chance. I have no choice in the past, but I want to start a Douyin account now."

He then smiled and spoke to the camera, asking viewers to follow his account.

He posted another two videos later. In the first, he re-played roles from two of his movies, A World Without Thieves (2004) and Three Kingdoms: Resurrection Of The Dragon (2008). The second video was of him holding a drinking glass, asking fans to follow him.

Lau's account has caught the attention of artistes including Eric Tsang, Joey Yung, Ada Choi, Michael Miu and Cherrie Ying.

The actor, known to value his privacy, usually interacts with his fans via Andy World Club. He has said in past media interviews that he did not even like talking on the phone and felt there was no warm interaction by posting words on social media platforms. The interactive features on Douyin may have changed his mind.

Lau, who held four concerts in Singapore in September 2019, had his first online birthday celebration on Sept 27 last year because of the pandemic.

He recently starred in two movies, Find Your Voice and Shock Wave 2, and will appear in an upcoming film, Endgame.