Remembering Lee Heung-kam, the veteran Hong Kong actress who mentored Chow Yun-fat, Andy Lau and Maggie Cheung, and appeared in dozens of TVB dramas
After transitioning from Cantonese opera to TV, Lee Heung-kam starred in 400 films and became one of Asia’s most-recognised actresses – Stephen Chow even named Anita Yuen’s character after her in From Beijing with Love
Hong Kong thespian Lee Heung-kam, whose career spanned over seven decades, passed away on January 4.
Her death leaves a void in the hearts of many of us who grew up with her presence in their lives through the big and small screen. Here we celebrate her achievements in a life well-lived.
Lee’s career began at age 16, when she joined a Chinese opera troupe in 1948. She quickly rose through the ranks to play lead supporting roles. She got married early, in 1950, to fellow Chinese opera star Siu Chung-kwan and gave birth to a daughter, Siu Ji-wan. But the marriage was short-lived; she divorced in 1957 and never married again.
Lee revealed on a 2013 talk show that her transition from Chinese opera to television was thanks to none other than Kwan Tak-hing, the veteran actor who portrayed folk hero Wong Fei-hung in 77 films and was made an MBE for his contribution to Hong Kong cinema in 1984. Lee met Kwan at a Chinese opera performance in Singapore in 1956, where she asked him if he could help her break into the rising Hong Kong cinema scene. After Kwan returned to Hong Kong, he wrote Lee a letter that invited her to play a supporting role in Wong Fei Hung and the Lantern Festival Disturbance for a fee of HK$300,000 – a huge amount at that time and around US$39,000 at today’s exchange rate.
And thus began Lee’s career on the silver screen. She excelled in many antagonistic roles – from conniving concubines to evil stepmothers – earning her the nicknames “West Palace Kam” and “The Icon Concubine” for all the times she played the scheming femme fatale in palace dramas.
Not content with resting on her laurels, Lee also got into television by joining TVB. Her first TV drama, Hotel, aired in 1976. She took part in many variety shows and switched her on-screen persona to playing more motherly roles.
This was also when she began her lifelong friendship and partnership with television icon Tam Ping-man. They sang the popular duet Can You Come Back , which had a huge renaissance when it was featured in retro comedy Rose Rose I Love You in 1993, introducing the golden age of Hong Kong cinema to a new audience. The two continued to perform this song on stage way into their retirement.