Playboy bunnies to Cannes awards – 11 actresses who defined Chinese language cinema, from Shu Qi to Maggie Cheung
Forget Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan and Chow Yun-fat – they would be nothing without these leading ladies, stars of Hong Kong and China’s most memorable films of the past 60 years
From Maggie Cheung to Shu Qi, the history of Hong Kong cinema is decorated with countless talented actresses. Admired for far more than their bountiful beauty, these leading ladies played formidable roles, winning them numerous acting awards across Asia and the world, as well as gaining legions of fans.
Here are 11 of the most impressive Chinese actresses of the silver screen.
Lucilla You Min
Born in 1936, Lucilla You Min is one of Hong Kong cinema’s first female idols. The daughter of famous Cantonese opera singer Pak Yuk-tong, You was discovered by the city’s reigning production company Shaw Brothers at the age of 16. Renowned for her “untainted divine image”, You starred in 20 movies for Shaw Brothers, before switching to rival studio MP & GI (Motion Picture and General Investment). The move proved a rewarding one with You winning best actress at the Asian Film Festival for her work in Her Tender Heart (1959) and All in the Family (1959).
Connie Chan
Despite a life of poverty as a child, Connie Chan rose to become one of Hong Kong’s most popular teen idols of the 1960s. One of the “Seven Princesses” who ruled Cantonese cinema around that time, Chan worked phenomenally hard, starring in some 180 films before she quit the industry in 1972. She briefly returned to acting in 1999 to perform in Sentimental Journey, a stage production based on the life of her old Cantonese opera master, Yam Kim-fai.
Josephine Siao