Chow Once Refused Entry To Canada For Triad 'Links'

Martial arts actor Stephen Chow thought his global ambitions were over when he was denied entry to Canada in 1995 - because of suspected links to gangsters.

The KUNG FU HUSTLE star is southeast Asia's most celebrated actor but was once hired by a Triad-related film company and was then deemed too high a risk by the Canadian immigration department.

Chow says, "A long time ago I was an actor, hired by a film company, and I was only interested in trying to work as an actor on a movie. I did not care what the company background was or who it had links with. That was not my concern.

"But I don't get, or understand, how the Canadian immigration department did not see the difference between being an employee and being a director who could make decisions. The whole thing was totally nonsense."