Fish Liew, Malaysian actress in Hong Kong films, talks about surviving nude scenes and making her mark
- 28-year-old grew up watching Hong Kong films, but they didn’t prepare her for the realities of living in the city and forging a career as an actress
- Her first two films required nude scenes, a big hurdle after her conservative upbringing, but her subsequent films won awards
Actors lead glamorous, privileged lives – or so we think. Yet that is hardly the case for Fish Liew Tsz-yu, star of award-winning Hong Kong films No. 1 Chung Ying Street (2018) and Sisterhood (2016), who shares the woes of residents in the world’s priciest housing market.
“I wish I could live in a bigger flat, but the rent here is so expensive,” says Liew, who lives in a 200 sq ft flat in a modest Hong Kong neighbourhood.
The tiny flats, a general lack of space and the common practice of sharing tables with strangers at restaurants contributed to the culture shock Liew felt as a fresh graduate from Malaysia when she arrived in Hong Kong in 2012, clutching a plush toy in one hand and her luggage in the other.
Seven years and three major roles later, Liew, the Youth Ambassador of this year’s Asian Film Awards, looks back at her uneasy path and admits she still feels insecure.
We catch up with Liew as she gets ready to appear at an event. Posing for the camera, she seems poised and assured, well-trained from years of modelling between acting gigs. In conversation Liew, although a little jittery, speaks with refreshing candour.