Hong Kong actor and film producer Louis Koo is being lauded online for his frugality and no-frills lifestyle.

This was after the 49-year-old was recently photographed by a fan eating instant noodles on board a China Southern Airlines A320 flight, which is a domestic flight in China.

The star's purportedly simple ways has pleased his fans as he earns an annual income of up to HKD400 million (S$70 million).

Given how he remains frugal in his spending habits, he has earned for himself the title of "New Generation Movie Tycoon" amongst fans, Sin Chew reported.

Business or economy class?

Causing a bit of confusion, and perhaps, adding a little more to the lore about Koo being super frugal, is the mix-up between business and economy class seats.

Initially, many commenters online thought that Koo had been flying economy class, which garnered him much praise, as reported by China Press.

Some praised Koo for his humble behaviour as a model for superstars, while others compared him favourably to celebrities who love to show off their wealth.

Others also said that the younger generation should learn from Koo.

But based on the photos, it can be surmised that Koo was travelling on a domestic flight business class instead of economy class.

Regardless, it is estimated that the ticket price for his seat cost around HKD2,000 (S$347), which is still a rather modest sum.

Considerate to filming crew

Prior to this incident, Hong Kong actress Kingdom Yuen also said on a show that Koo is a great actor because he is considerate towards crew members, Sin Chew also reported.

She said: "He didn't want to trouble the filming crew to find food for him to eat during the shoot, so he was not picky about what he ate. He would order Xingzhou Fried Noodles for three meals a day because it's convenient and easy for them to buy!"

Low-profile philanthropy in China

In addition to his frugality and humility, Koo has remained low-profile in doing good.

In 2012, Hong Kong media outlet Apple Daily reported that Koo had donated money to build 49 schools and more than 20 medical clinics in underdeveloped areas in rural China for the past few years without any publicity.

Apparently, Koo had set up his charity foundation after witnessing the devastation from the Sichuan earthquake in 2008.

As one of the stalwarts of the Hong Kong film industry, Koo has also won multiple Hong Kong, Asian and International awards during his more than two-decade long career.

Top image via Wikipedia and Sin Chew

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