Dada Chan and the case of the disappearing career
Actress Dada Chan Ching shocked fans with her recent decision to quit the film business, writes Edmund Lee
weeks ago, few people would have disagreed that Dada Chan Ching was one of Hong Kong's most promising young actresses. The 24-year-old, who won best supporting actress prize at the Hong Kong Film Awards for her role in the bawdy Vulgaria, seemed to have a bright future ahead of her. But earlier this month, Chan announced she was quitting the industry. Her decision was a complete surprise, and the news sent shockwaves through the local blogosphere. It remains unclear why she made such an announcement.
Her rise to success was as quick and unexpected as her departure. She made her name as a lang mo (pseudo-model). Nobody seemed prepared to take her seriously outside of modelling - especially when her reputation was down to her E-cup bosom, an attribute that received so much attention that it became her first nickname in the business. "In the past, I wasn't especially confident about being a model," she told me back in June. "I thought I was lucky. I just went along with it."
Chan turned to acting when her modelling career began to stagnate. Few pseudo-models have made the transition to the big screen, although Chrissie Chau Sau-na and Angelababy Yeung Wing have earned respect as legitimate actresses in the past few years. But Chan was lucky again: her looks got her picked for roles in 2011's MicroSex Office and Lan Kwai Fong, and she was noticed by top director Pang Ho-cheung, who cast her in the popular comedy Vulgaria. Chan was nominated for best supporting actress at Taiwan's Golden Horse Film Festival for her performance; she went on to win the same award at the Hong Kong Film Awards in April. Suddenly, she was an up-and-coming movie star.
In retrospect, Chan did look exhausted when we met in mid-June to talk about Hardcore Comedy. About 15 minutes into our conversation, she seemed to freeze and stare into the middle distance. "Damn, I'm actually really tired," she apologised, recovering after several seconds of silence. "Sorry, I really can't think about anything now. My mind is stuck. I'm sorry." Her assistant explained that she had been sick, and Chan promised a follow-up interview. It didn't happen.
Just after midday on August 8 the actress posted a short message on her Weibo account, saying obliquely that she was "fed up". At 9.55 that night, she followed that by announcing to her million-plus followers: "Life is tiring and gossip is a fearful thing. Pressure and pain, they all come at once. Due to problems with my family, emotions, health and relationships, I've made the decision to quit my work as an actress and to return to my original life. I'm only an ordinary person, so please let me have an ordinary life. Thank you everyone for the support along the way. Thank you, Lord."
