Born and raised in Providence, Rhode Island, Andy On decided to pursue an acting career in Hong Kong after years of working as a bartender. Remarkably, On was cast in his first screen role as the lead in "Black Mask: City of Masks," taking over the part from martial-arts legend Jet Li. Although the movie was widely panned, it kicked off On's career with a bang, leading to subsequent parts in other similar genre films, including "Star Runner" and "New Police Story," in which he worked with his hero, Jackie Chan, as well as his friends Nicholas Tse and Philip Ng. Other productions, including "Fatal Contact" and "Three Kingdoms: Resurrection of the Dragon," featured On in supporting roles, but he returned to prominence in 2010's "True Legend," in which he portrayed the fierce warrior Yuan Lie and worked with Hong Kong luminaries such as Michelle Yeoh and Jay Chou. The same year, he opted to appear in less over-the-top fare, with a role in the romantic comedy "Crossing Hennessy," featuring Jacky Cheung and Tang Wei. However, he later returned to more familiar territory, most notably with 2011's "White Vengeance," an expansive drama set during China's Qin Dynasty period, and "The Viral Factor," a gritty action movie.