Deep feelings: 'We still have time to make a difference', says Sharon Kwok

Sharon Kwok may be best known for her roles in dozens of Hong Kong movies in the 1980s and 1990s, but these days the former beauty pageant contestant is acting on a much bigger stage – planet earth. “When I got into movies, I was a teenager. I never studied acting, so it was just like a roller-coaster ride,” says Kwok, who was born in Hong Kong and moved to the United States when she was 10.

“I’m actually a fine arts student and teacher, so my true calling would either be fine arts or maybe working with nature. And they’re my two favourite things, really.”

Kwok’s association with nature dates back to childhood, when her father was one of the founding members of Ocean Park. “I grew up with a privileged association with animals,” she says. “In those days, I didn’t realise that a lot of that, in retrospect, is wrong. Once people learn more about these animals, they’ll realise there are certain ones that really can’t handle captivity – cetaceans [dolphins, whales and other aquatic mammals] being top of the list, in my mind.”

A member of WildAid’s international board and founder of several organisations that promote environmental awareness, Kwok has also co-produced a series for TVB and travelled extensively to spread the word on conservation.

“We’re living in Hong Kong, looking at the ocean every day. But probably half of us don’t even know how to swim.