How did your showbiz career start? A friend pushed me into going to an agency, but I didn't go, so he arranged for me to meet people in the modelling industry. What are the difficulties of being a model? You have to cope with so many different kinds of people. Of course, you also learn from that. I believe it's good because I get experience. Some say you have replaced Shu Qi as the face of Red Earth cosmetics. How do you feel about that? I am just doing my job. They are clients. But it is characteristic of Hong Kong. When you are famous, like her, it causes controversy. I had fun shooting that commercial! Now my contract with Red Earth is over, so I just move on. Was being a model your childhood dream? It was never something I expected to do. I looked very different many years ago. My face and long brown hair never made me think of becoming a model. My dream is to help people and animals. How do you feel about your birthplace, Honolulu? Honolulu is very beautiful, relaxing, with a slow pace of life. People there are nice. It's a really good place to grow up. But as I wanted to live and work in a city and see exciting things, I left. As your father lived in New York and your mother is Viet namese, how did you come to be born there? My parents met in Vietnam where my father was working. After they married, they went back to New York. However, they considered Hawaii a better place for bringing up their children. Do you feel lonely in Hong Kong away from your family? I do miss my family, but I have to learn to take care of myself. When I was young, they made me do a lot of things by myself which I hated. But thinking back, I am really lucky that they didn't spoil me, or else I would be lost already. I made the choice to start my own life and go elsewhere. I am so lucky doing what I enjoy. I know you like travelling, so what places have you been to? I have been to almost every country in Southeast Asia. I haven't been to Africa and Australia, but I would love to explore those places. Travelling allows me to meet different kinds of people. Do you have an idol or role model? I look at people and I like individual things about them. There is no one person that is perfect. But I look up to Jesus Christ wholeheartedly because he will never let you down. You have to realise that people are human, so they may let you down, and some may betray you. How would you describe yourself? I am a people person. I like to communicate and talk. I like to understand different cultures, situations and religions. I read a lot of books related to these topics. Which is your favourite novel? My favourite book is Dogs Never Lie About Love. The title is so cute! The author writes about animal psychology. He writes stuff you can use in daily life. What other jobs would you like to try besides modelling? I have done shows but I am not a catwalk model like Qi Qi or Wanda. I wish I were taller. I always feel self-conscious when they do shows. They make my mouth drop and I feel so stupid. I'd try any job except singing. Staying beautiful is essential for models. How do you keep fit and beautiful? Watch the food you eat and exercise. You have to think about everything that you put into your body, for health reasons, not just to stay slim. You must exercise too! You can't expect to stay thin without exercising. I usually exercise about four or five times a week. If I exercise I can eat more. How do you define beauty? Real beauty is your inner beauty. As I work with so many beautiful girls, if I were to measure it on how they looked, I would probably die! But some of them are just dolls. It is so important that you have your own personality or you will lose yourself. How you treat and understand people is most important. Like my mum, she is not a beautiful woman, but she is so caring, everyone loves her. I have seen younger men ask her for a date because she just shines. She is always laughing and is so nice. That's what beauty is. What could be more beautiful than a person who makes you feel good? Many of our readers would like to know how you and Dan iel Wu met. Could you tell us? He was the first person I met in Hong Kong. I arrived at the airport carrying two huge cases. A booking agent met me and we took the bus to Central. We had to carry the two huge cases up a slope. It was so hot and both of us were swearing. Then we ran into this guy, Daniel. He said 'Hi' to the agent who then introduced me. But I was too tired and hot to greet him back. We parted without leaving much of an impression on each other. The next time I met him was on a job. My agent had called me to say they needed a girl right away to replace a model who was sick. When we saw each other again, we were like enemies. It was funny! And we only said two or three words to each other. My roommate was also working on the same job that day. Daniel told her that as we were new in town, we should call him if we needed any help getting around. Eventually, she called Daniel and we started to go out. Do you think you two will get married? I never plan anything, so marriage is far, far down the road for me, and for him. Right now, we are just trying to make it and support each other. We are happy for the moment. Do you have any advice for today's youths? Basically my advice is to be yourself always. Never change anyone and never conform. people shouldn't have to change what they see or what they hear. They should always remember to be themselves. Keep what you believe. My belief in life is treat people the way you want to be treated. I think it's also important to be open-minded about cultures, religions, attitude and situations. Each person is different. If I did not like people who were not like me, then I would hate everyone! And don't regret anything, it's a waste of time. Hawaiian-born Maggie Quigley (Maggie Q), with her honey skin and delicate features, was born to be a model. Her beauty has cap tivated the world of fashion as well as fellow model and rising star Daniel Wu Neh-tsu. At 19, and one of the hottest faces in town after a string of cosmetic commercials and magazine covers, she has not let fame go to her head. Right now, she is busy doing fashion shows and music videos and learning Cantonese. She hopes to branch out into the Hong Kong movie business. Name: Maggie Quigley Birthday: May 22, 1980 Birthplace: Hawaii, US Occupation: Model