Her modeling led to her being named one of Harper's Bazaar's "It Girls" in 1996 and appearing in the December 1996 edition of Vogue magazine's "The Next Best-Dressed List".
She made her acting debut in 1998, starring opposite Mark Wahlberg in The Big Hit. Chow and Wahlberg dated briefly after the making of The Big Hit.
In 2000, Chow posed for Maxim magazine. Her B&W photo spread is featured on their Girls of Maxim gallery. She was ranked #54 on the Maxim Hot 100 Women of 2001.