Sandra Ng
With a career spanning more than two decades, award-winning actress/comedienne Sandra Ng is a beloved figure on Hong Kong’s screens. She has appeared in a string of Hong Kong cinema classics such as “Golden Chicken” and “Echoes of the Rainbow,” and is the voice of Mrs. Mc in the animated “McDull” film series. The humble and charming screen veteran talks to Penny Zhou about childhood, career and the downside of being labeled a “funny lady.”
Although my dad [famous TV host Kenneth Ng] worked in showbiz, my childhood was incredibly normal and our household wasn’t very wealthy. It wasn’t poor, either, not like the family you see in “Echoes of the Rainbow” [a 2010, 1960s-set drama starring Ng], which depicts the era I grew up in.
Dad was extremely hard-working and would take on several jobs at the same time. I didn’t get to see him that much but every Sunday the family would do something together. We have very good relationships in our family.
Back in school I was neither a good student nor a rebel. I liked dancing so I’d represent the school in dance competitions, but I wasn’t the type of kid that would seek the limelight, not at all.
I never thought about becoming an actress as a kid. My mom basically forced me into it. She thought I had the talent and right personality for a career in showbiz. Plus, a Chinese fortune-teller told her that I’d be very successful if I chose this path.
She first wanted me to enter the Miss Hong Kong Pageant, to which I responded with “Give me a break!” So she suggested I go to acting school, which I did. I always know my own limitations very well, what I am and what I’m not. And I think that’s a good thing.
When my career first started, I did a few conventional, lady-like female roles. But one time people saw me on a variety show and thought I was funny, so I began to get parts in comedies. My first big comic role was in “The Inspector Wears Skirts” (1988), which was a success.