Fellowship of the stars
EVERY Wednesday evening, hymns and songs of praise echo through a tiny flat in Tsim Sha Tsui. Most of those present are people once burdened with a desire to make a name for themselves The group is holding a Christian fellowship, singing praises, learning about the Bible, and sharing their feelings and experiences. Some of these experiences come from the seemingly glamorous world of show business, for the Home of the Artists, as this organisation is known, was formed nine years ago to find Christian disciples in that arena. Singers, actors and actresses are thus often group members.
The couple who run Home of the Artists - veteran actor Roy Chiao Hung and his wife, Otilia - believe the meetings have value, despite the small turnout each week.
'They enable the artists to establish mutual support and help deepen their religious knowledge,' explains Mr Chiao, whose moustachioed face has been seen in more than 100 Cantonese films, as well as Steven Spielberg's Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. Mr Chiao has just finished a film about elderly people with Alzheimer's Disease, directed by Ann Hui and co-starring Josephine Siu Fong-fong.
'The support of others is necessary for artists to stand firm in their belief that there is more to life than fame and money,' Mr Chiao says.
Actresses Teresa Mo Shun-kwan, Mary Hon, Wong Hoi-yan and Wu Mei-yee (all current or previous TVB artists) were among the early converts. So were former Miss Hong Kongs Mary Cheung, Law Pui-zi and Tse Ling. But most have now either emigrated or are too busy with filming to come.
Shek Kin, a veteran actor famous for his villainous roles in Cantonese movies of the 50s and 60s, also attended meetings frequently until recent health problems forced him to stop.
'The number of people who come to our meetings varies widely each time, ranging from two to about 20,' says Mr Chiao, a stocky 67-year-old. 'There are usually far more females than males, many former beauty pageant contestants.' For decades, Mr and Mrs Chiao have been trying to spread the Gospel to people they know, and in 1985 they founded the home at the behest of renowned beautician Cheng Ming-ming. They have since been the driving force behind its religious activities, with 20 artists converted through it to date.
It began with the shocking death of former popular television actress Barbara Yung Mei-ling in May 1985. Aged just 26, she died in her flat from gas poisoning. Rumours abounded that she took her own life because of emotional problems.
Ms Cheng was particularly upset over Ms Yung's death, as the young actress had called her a few days earlier, asking to see her. Ms Cheng, too busy at the time, suggested that they met later. Ms Yung died soon after.
The death of Ms Yung reminded Ms Cheng of the many unhappy, emotionally devastated girls she knew who worked in the entertainment industry. She became worried that they may take the same route as Ms Yung.
The best way to help, Ms Cheng believed, was to help them become Christians. She thus asked Mr Chiao and his wife, already widely known for their missionary work, to set up a religious home for show business people.
'We were ready for it. We had always invited fellow artists to come to our place for dinner so we could discuss religious matters with them,' says Mr Chiao. 'It was perhaps not a good idea to invite them to church, where they might be recognised.' The first gathering took the form of dinner at a seafood restaurant. Five guests, including the first Miss Hong Kong, Elaine Sung, turned up. But a much larger crowd turned up the next time, filling two large tables. The stars and starlets who came even joined in singing hymns and saying prayers.
'Our following meetings took the shape of a church fellowship,' recalls 61-year-old Mrs Chiao.
The Home of the Artists' own home was in rented properties until Ms Cheng offered it the premises it now occupies a few years ago. Two preachers help with its missionary work - it was never intended to take on the role of a church, and Christian artists are encouraged to attend church services on Sundays.
'Fellowship life is important; but at church, one experiences a worshipping life,' says Mr Chiao.
Mrs Chiao, a former radio news presenter and dubbing artist, is working full-time for an evangelical organisation, Alliance Radio. With stable work hours, she goes regularly to prayer meetings and fellowships held at the home.
'We always have dinner together before the meetings,' she says. 'It is difficult for artists to keep their faith. They are easily tempted by what the world can offer - they make money easily. It is important that they have their priorities in the right order. If they are, they will feel satisfied and joyful even when they experience setbacks.' Big names are less likely to join their ranks, she agrees. 'Being a Christian means giving up your 'self', and that's more difficult for successful artists. Many also won't have time to come to our meetings.' Mrs Chiao, once a devout Catholic, renounced her intention to be a nun as a result of her husband's own religious beliefs. 'He said he would snatch me away from the convent if I went ahead and became a nun,' she says gleefully. They married in 1958.
The couple have three children, and throughout the years they have stayed close and have remained loyal to their deep-rooted faith.
Shanghai-born Mr Chiao is a fifth-generation Christian. An encyclopaedia salesman in the 50s, he was introduced to the movie world in Hong Kong by the then immensely popular singer-actress Pak Kong whom he knew through a restaurant she ran in Japan. Mr Chiao was in Japan before returning to Taiwan (his Nationalist family emigrated there earlier), after serving as a translator for the US army in the Korean War.
But his fast-developing acting career led him to stay in the territory.
Now he and his wife are to say goodbye to Hong Kong, to the show business personalities who have benefited from their fellowship and to all those who have heard their sermons at churches throughout the territory. In less than two months, they will leave for a new life in Seattle, convinced that it is God's will for them to go.
