If you’ve followed Hong Kong cinema for even a minute, you know Andy Lau isn't just a star. He’s an institution. But for decades, the man was a vault. His private life was a "no-go" zone, especially his marriage to Carol Chu. So when Andy Lau and daughter Hanna Lau finally started appearing in the periphery of the public eye, people naturally lost it.
It’s weird to think about. This guy can sell out the Hong Kong Coliseum in 75 minutes, yet he’s been caught guarding a public restroom door while his daughter used the facilities. Seriously. That happened at a cha chaan teng in Sai Wan recently. He just stood there, gestured for fans to keep it down, and waited for her to finish.
That’s the thing about Andy. He’s basically the "Heavenly King" of overprotective dads.
The Secretive Start of Hanna Lau
Hanna was born in May 2012. Back then, the media circus was so intense that journalists camped outside the Hong Kong Sanatorium Hospital for days. Andy didn’t say a word for a week. When he finally posted on his fan site, he just apologized for the wait and said mother and daughter were home.
He didn't share a photo. In fact, the world didn't really get a clear look at Hanna until she was about three years old, when a sneaky photographer caught them at a park in Beijing. Before that, it was all rumors and long-lens blurry shots.
Some people think this level of secrecy is "too much." Honestly, though? Look at the Yang Lijuan incident from years ago—the fan whose obsession led to her father's suicide. If you were Andy, you’d probably hire a small army to protect your kid too. And he did. Reports for years suggested he had bodyguards and multiple nannies just to ensure a "normal" trip to the park wasn't a riot.
✨ Don't miss: What Really Happened With the Brittany Snow Divorce
Why He Keeps Her Offline
Most 13-year-olds are glued to TikTok. Hanna Lau? Not so much. Andy has been very vocal about keeping her away from the internet. He told the press in early 2024 that he basically forbids her from using mobile apps unless they are specifically for school.
"I'm a yes-dad," he’s admitted. He finds it hard to say no to her, except when it comes to the digital world. He wants her to see the real world first.
The Homework Struggles We All Feel
There was this clip that went viral on Weibo where Andy looked genuinely stressed. He was talking about tutoring Hanna during the lockdown. It’s comforting, in a weird way. Even a guy with a net worth in the hundreds of millions can't figure out how to explain primary school math without losing his cool.
He admitted to yelling: "How can you not understand something so simple?"
He felt bad about it later, of course. He’s human. He even joked that his temper is "a lot better now" after surviving the home-schooling era. It’s one of the few times we’ve seen the mask of the perfect superstar slip to reveal a frustrated parent.
🔗 Read more: Danny DeVito Wife Height: What Most People Get Wrong
The "Honey" Art Exhibition
In 2023, Andy did something he’d never done—he shared a stage with her. Well, an art gallery. His exhibition, 1/X Andy Lau X Art Exhibition, featured a section called "Honey." It was entirely dedicated to paintings they did together.
- Creativity: Andy says Hanna is the better artist.
- Inspiration: He claims he learned "childlike innocence" from her.
- The Vibe: They painted landscapes together. If she drew a mountain, he’d draw a mountain.
The professionals who visited the show apparently told him he needs to "think outside the box" because his daughter's work was more creative. He wasn't even mad; he was beaming.
"My Dad is Andy Lau"
One of the funniest stories came out recently while Andy was promoting A Gilded Game. He mentioned that Hanna once told her classmates, "My dad is Andy Lau."
The kicker? Nobody believed her. Think about it. You’re 12 or 13, and some kid in your class says her dad is one of the Four Heavenly Kings. You’d think she was lying too. Andy just laughed it off, saying she did it "just for fun." He didn't even feel the need to go to the school and prove it, though he did show up for her kindergarten graduation in 2018, which—as you can imagine—caused a total meltdown among the other parents.
A Multilingual Prodigy?
Director Wong Jing, who has worked with Andy forever, recently mentioned on his YouTube channel that Hanna is exceptionally talented. Apparently, she can speak five languages. If that’s true, she’s already outperforming most of us.
💡 You might also like: Mara Wilson and Ben Shapiro: The Family Feud Most People Get Wrong
The Reality of Being a "Heavenly" Daughter
Being the child of a legend isn't all art shows and luxury homes (though there were rumors he bought her a $200 million HKD mansion for her fourth birthday). It’s also about the weirdness of public life.
At his dad’s funeral in late 2023, the media scrum was aggressive. Andy had to physically shield Hanna and Carol as they walked in. You could see he was tense. Hanna, who is now quite tall—reaching her dad’s shoulders—looked calm but kept her head down.
Then, in December 2024, she was spotted in the front row of his Today... is the Day concert. She was wearing a black off-shoulder top, looking very much like a teenager and less like the little girl we saw in paintings. Fans noted she has her mom’s "big, striking eyes."
What We Can Learn from Andy’s Parenting
Andy Lau’s approach to fatherhood is a mix of old-school discipline and modern emotional availability. He’s protective, sure, but he’s also clearly obsessed with her development as a person, not a "nepo baby."
- Prioritize Privacy Early: By keeping her out of the spotlight until she was five, he gave her a foundational sense of self that isn't tied to paparazzi.
- Digital Boundaries: In a world of screen addiction, his "no apps" rule is extreme but clearly aimed at fostering creativity—hence the art exhibition.
- Be Present, Even if it’s Messy: Whether it’s guarding a bathroom door or failing at math tutoring, he shows up.
If you're looking to follow in his footsteps, maybe start by putting the phone down and picking up a paintbrush with your kid. You don't need a gallery in West Kowloon to make it count. Just don't expect your classmates to believe you if you tell them your dad is a superstar.
Keep an eye on upcoming Hong Kong film festivals or art events in 2026; as Hanna gets older, it's likely we'll see more of her creative output, perhaps even moving beyond the "Honey" collaborations into her own independent work.