Cantopop star and actress Kelly Chen has been capturing the hearts of music and movie fans for three decades. Her secret? ‘I’ve just tried my best to grab any opportunity.’
Mirror may be the big Hong Kong boy band today, but before them came Grasshopper. The trio were among the first truly popular groups in the city and are still performing today, nearly four decades on.
Takeshi Kaneshiro, who debuted as a singer in Taiwan in 1992, has not appeared on the big screen since 2017, has no official social media and no one knows where he lives but he remains as popular as ever.
Macanese actress Isabella Leong called a halt to her acting career – one that had nearly put her on Hollywood’s map – when she began dating Richard Li, the younger son of Li Ka-shing.
Known today as a leading Hong Kong actor, Aaron Kwok started his career as a backup dancer, before being anointed one of the ‘Four Heavenly Kings of Cantopop’. He’s also a husband and proud father.
Born in mainland China, Carina Lau grew up thinking she’d be a factory worker, but moved to Hong Kong and, through hard work, built an acting career despite a kidnap ordeal. She met and wed fellow actor Tony Leung.
Danny Chan was, with fellow idols Leslie Cheung, Anita Mui and Alan Tam, one of Hong Kong’s ‘Three Kings and A Queen of Cantopop’ in the 1980s. He wrote big hits and won numerous awards, but died aged 35.
Discovered by director Wong Jing in the 1980s, Sharla Cheung appeared in over 50 films and was a frequent collaborator of another Hong Kong director, Stephen Chow.
US-born actor Daniel Wu, of Westworld, Tomb Raider and One Nite in Mongkok fame, was on holiday in Hong Kong when he was cast in a commercial. Twenty-five years later, he has nearly 70 films under his belt.
A Cantopop singer on a similar level as Anita Mui, Sandy Lam and Faye Wong, Sammi Cheng is also a celebrated actress and style icon – but her relationship with husband Andy Hui has made headlines.
Cantopop singer Ronald Cheng has had a colourful past – he was once arrested for putting a flight attendant in a headlock – but now he is one of Hong Kong cinema’s most beloved comedy stars.
Once called the Marilyn Monroe of Hong Kong, actress Cherie Chung rose to fame during the 1980s and appeared in almost 50 films – before walking away from it all at the age of 31.
Lau Ching-wan, sometimes credited as Sean Lau, is known for being a faithful husband of 25 years to former Miss Hong Kong Amy Kwok and for an illustrious career that has earned him multiple honours.
Hong Kong actress Yammie Lam rose to prominence in the 1980s but was dogged by tabloid newspapers and suffered personal blows that saw her career cut short. She died unexpectedly aged just 55 in 2018.
Leon Lai Ming, one of the most well-liked celebrities in Hong Kong and one of the ‘Four Heavenly Kings of Cantopop’, has been in show business for more than 35 years.
Gillian Chung, one half of Hong Kong Cantopop duo Twins, is thriving as a singer and actress, but the road to success – marred by a scandal involving intimate photos – has not been an easy one.
Hong Kong actor Chapman To, famous for his roles in the Infernal Affairs films, and a number of lowbrow comedies, found working in Hong Kong difficult after his vocal support for pro-democracy causes.
Ada Choi’s acting career began after she was named second runner-up in the 1991 Miss Hong Kong beauty pageant. Her life has had its ups and downs, but is ‘so good’ since moving to China and marrying.
From singer to actor to director, Stephen Fung has worked with Marvel’s Paul Rudd, is close friends with Daniel Wu and married Shu Qi – we look at the story of the prolific Hong Kong showbiz figure.
Sandy Lam began life as a 1980s teen idol and released what is seen as the first Cantopop concept record. Known for her powerful voice and avant-garde songs, she has come back from hiatus time and again.
Nicholas Tse, the son of actor Patrick Tse Yin and actress Deborah Lee, has not just had a successful singing and acting career, he also founded a restaurant chain and a post-production company.
Sandra Ng Kwan-yue, now a respected Hong Kong actress and producer, started out playing minor, unattractive roles in the 1980s. But through hard work and humility, she carved a path to success.
A look at Ekin Cheng’s journey from actor and Cantopop star to husband to actress Yoyo Mung – and the public romances that made him a tabloid magnet and drew public criticism.
With Lydia Sum ‘everything came from the heart’, said the TV producer who turbocharged the career of the comedian and actress. Known as Fei Fei, she is remembered for the joy she brought audiences.
