appConfigEntityId

bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

isVideo

articlePageQuery

article

articleSchemaContent

content

hooksArticlePageAdvertisementConfigArticle

hooksArticlePageFloatingButtonConfigArticle

appConfig

filter

json

liveArticle

Mabel Lui

This is the 50th instalment in a biweekly series profiling major Hong Kong pop culture figures of recent decades.
Hong Kong singer and actress Gigi Leung Wing-kei, who is best known as a 1990s Cantopop sweetheart, has had a dynamic career spanning three decades.
Initially viewed as an innocent “girl next door” following her appearance in Derek Yee Tung-sing’s action drama Full Throttle (1995) and the release of her first two music albums, she has since established herself as a well-rounded performer on the silver screen and stage.
Born in 1976, Leung grew up in Hong Kong, where she attended Maryknoll Convent School. As a teenager, she was given the nickname of “tall girl” because of her height, and even joined her school’s basketball team.

She developed a passion for drawing and painting, and after graduating from Maryknoll, attended Hong Kong Polytechnic University’s School of Design.
While Leung was still a student, she appeared in a commercial for a watch. She caught the attention of movie director Lee Chi-ngai and was cast in his comedy drama Doctor Mack (also known as Mack the Knife, 1995), her film debut.
Later that year, Leung gained wider recognition with her appearance in Full Throttle. She played Annie, the kind-hearted girlfriend of Joe (Andy Lau Tak-wah), a young man who loves car racing. Leung was nominated for best new performer at the 1996 Hong Kong Film Awards.
She then made her foray into the music industry and released her first Cantopop album, Love Myself, in 1996. A year later, she followed that up with a Mandopop album called Short Hair – a hairstyle she has yet to stray away from – and together the albums cemented her refreshing image.

In the three decades since, Leung has released more than 20 Cantopop and Mandopop albums and appeared in over 50 films, and achieved popularity not just in Hong Kong, but also in mainland China, Taiwan and Southeast Asia.
Among her most popular songs – many of which are about love – are 1998’s “Chicken Chic” (also known as “Coward”) and 2000’s “Cinderella”.
One of Leung’s best-known films is Sylvia Chang Ai-chia’s romantic drama Tempting Heart (1999), which saw her star alongside Takeshi Kaneshiro.
The pair reunited four years later in Turn Left, Turn Right (2003), which was directed by Johnnie To Kei-fung and Wai Ka-fai and tells a story about fate and missed opportunities.

Never one to rest on her laurels, Leung has sought to take on varying challenges and evolve as a performer.
For example, in 1999 she dabbled in theatre, taking part in the musical A Midsummer Night’s Fantasy directed by Samuel Hui Koon-kit. And in 2004 she appeared in The Great Entertainer, a play about show business that saw Leung take on more than 10 characters.
That project prompted Leung to re-examine her own career. “I’m part of the showbiz industry,” she said in 2004. “But am I a great entertainer? What is entertainment? What kind of entertainment is the audience looking for? When I’m entertaining others, am I entertaining myself at the same time?
“All these are questions that need to be examined. I think this production will be inspirational to my showbiz career, as well as my life.”

As she became older, Leung sought to leave behind her initial good girl image, as seen during a 2007 Shanghai show where she donned sexy outfits and performed risqué dance moves. Fans were surprised, but she attributed the new direction to wanting to deliver something different.
“To amplify your charm on such a huge stage, sexy dances and costumes are inevitable,” Leung told the Post. “Also when people come to your concert, they expect to see something they can’t get from listening to your records. There are lots of possibilities on stage – I don’t mind exploring these.”
In 2014, Leung appeared in the Pang Ho-cheung film Aberdeen as Ceci, a model-actress navigating a variety of stereotypical perceptions in an industry that believes she is past her prime. The film was another departure from her pure image at the beginning of her career.
“I’m quite happy that people see this as my acting breakthrough,” she told the Post in 2014. “After being an actress for so many years, I understand that the gist of acting is to delve completely into your character. Otherwise, what’s the point of taking a part?”

In that same interview, she reflected on how her career has progressed. “It’s natural that we grow old,” she said. “When I get older, of course I won’t be looking to play young girls. It’s vital to find appropriate characters and not force the issue.
“We have to understand that nothing lasts forever – every one of us has to accept the fact that we’ll be forgotten one day. It’s only a matter of sooner or later.”
Leung has been involved in charity work throughout her career. She became an ambassador for the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), and co-founded a non-profit called Hope Education Foundation which helped underprivileged children.
With the support of prefectural governments, she has also helped build seven schools in mainland China, and written a children’s book called Little Yellow Flower for charity along with other celebrity friends.

Leung was in a high-profile relationship for seven years with singer-actor Ekin Cheng Yee-kin, her co-star in films such as Feel 100% (1996) and We’re No Bad Guys (1997).
When the couple first got together in 1999, they were subject to a flurry of love triangle rumours – Cheng had been linked to actress Maggie Shiu Mei-kei since the early 1990s – but they stayed together through the backlash before splitting up for good in 2006.
Later that year, the singer released her Mandopop album Love Song for Oneself, which delves into her feelings about the break-up. Leung was then said to be in a relationship with a French furniture designer.
After they separated, she embarked on a whirlwind romance with Sergio Crespo Gutes, who she met on a trip to Spain and married within six months of beginning dating him in 2011. The two share a daughter, Sofia, who was born in 2015.

Today, Leung still performs on stage and appears in films from time to time, her most recent project being the Lunar New Year release Hit N Fun earlier this year. In it, she plays a washed-up actress who is married to a martial arts master played by Louis Koo Tin-lok, also her on-screen husband in Aberdeen.
Outside her entertainment career, Leung is the founder of a luxury childrenswear shop called Mibonbón, which sells a variety of clothes made by Spanish artisans.
Want more articles like this? Follow SCMP Film on Facebook


How 91-year-old Helena Law Lan became Hong Kong cinema’s grand dame of horror

From Cheng Pei-pei to Michelle Yeoh, Hong Kong cinema’s history of action heroines

‘Rest in eternal peace’: veteran horror actor, filmmaker Simon Loui dies at age 62

How Cantopop lyricist Wyman Wong pushed Hong Kong’s LGBTQ, style and emotional boundaries

Hong Kong celebrities and icons

How Hong Kong star Gigi Leung went from innocent girl next door to all-round entertainer

Gigi Leung at the Hong Kong Film Awards in 2023. Photo: De Beers

Hong Kong actress and singer Gigi Leung at the 29th Hong Kong Film Awards presentation ceremony at the Cultural Centre in Tsim Sha Tsui, in 2010. Photo: SCMP

Gigi Leung at an interview with the Post in 1996. Photo: SCMP

Leung (left) and Ekin Cheng pictured at a promotional event in December 1996. The two started dating three years later. Photo: SCMP

Takeshi Kaneshiro and Leung in a still from Tempting Heart (1999). Photo: Handout

Leung at a concert performance in 2001. Photo: SCMP

Leung in a still from Aberdeen (2014). Photo: Handout

Leung at an interview with the Post in 2004. Photo: SCMP

Leung in a still from Hit N Fun.

How Hong Kong actor and filmmaker Nick Cheung reinvented himself during a 4-decade career

Actor Nick Cheung Ka-fai. Photo: Edward Wong

Nick Cheung Ka-fai at an interview with the Post in 2013. The Hong Kong actor and filmmaker has never been slow to try different roles in a four-decade career in which he has also turned to filmmaking. Photo: Calvin Sit

Nick Cheung as Choi San-keung in a still from the film Peg O’ My Heart, which he also directed and co-wrote. Photo: Handout

Nick Cheung and his wife, actress Esther Kwan Wing-ho, arrive for the 30th Hong Kong Film Awards presentation ceremony at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre, Tsim Sha Tsui, in April 2011. Photo: SCMP

Nick Cheung performs at the Miss Asia 1993 final held at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. Photo: SCMP

Nick Cheung (left) and Louis Koo Tin-lok in a still from Election (2005). Photo: Handout

Nick Cheung (left) and Nicholas Tse in a still from Beast Stalker (2008). The role earned Cheung the best actor prize at the 2009 Hong Kong Film Awards. 

Nick Cheung in a still from Unbeatable (2013), for which he won his second best actor prize at the Hong Kong Film Awards. Photo: Distribution Workshop

Nick Cheung (left) and Dante Lam at an interview with the Post in 2014. Photo: SCMP

Cheung poses with his second Hong Kong Film Awards best actor award trophy and a fellow winner, Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi, in 2014. Photo: SCMP

How Hong Kong actress Carman Lee found fame in Condor Heroes on TV, then gave it all up

Carman Lee in a still from The Condor Heroes 95. Photo: Online

Hong Kong actress Carman Lee, pictured in 2019. She shot to fame in a TV wuxia fantasy, showed her range in a variety of roles, then stopped acting for a decade. Today she is a fitness icon in mainland China. Photo: Instagram/@carmanlee0816

Carman Lee and Louis Koo in a still from The Condor Heroes 95, the show that launched her to stardom. Photo: Online

Lau Ching-wan and Carman Lee in a still from Loving You (1995).

Stephen Chow and Carman Lee in a still from Forbidden City Cop (1996)

Takeshi Kaneshiro and Carman Lee in a still from The Odd One Dies (1997).

Carman Lee with her mother in mainland Chinese reality-TV programme Familiar Taste IV (2019), in which she showed off her cookery skills and talked about her personal struggles. Photo: Handout

Carman Lee in a still from the drama series Never Dance Alone (2014). Photo: TVB

Louis Koo and Carman Lee, united again in August 2024. Photo: Instagram/@carmanlee0816

How Cantopop icon Roman Tam united a generation of Hong Kong people with his classic songs

Roman Tam was a prolific Cantopop star with a wide range. His song “Below the Lion Rock”, which encapsulates the can-do spirit of Hong Kong people, became an unofficial anthem of the city. Photo: SCMP

Roman Tam pictured in 1970. Photo: SCMP

Roman Tam at an interview with the Post in 1986. Photo: SCMP

Roman Tam holding a pineapple at a press conference announcing his series of concerts at the Hong Kong Coliseum in 1994. Photo: SCMP

Roman Tam at an interview with the Post in 1994. Photo: SCMP

Roman Tam wears a costume with peacock feathers during his farewell concert, “Roman Tam’s Glorious Stage”, in 1996. Photo: Hong Kong Heritage Museum

Roman Tam, seen here at a performance in 2001, was always changing his look and sound. Photo: SCMP

Relatives and friends pay their respects to Roman Tam at the Hong Kong Funeral Home in North Point. Tam died of liver cancer on October 18, 2002. Photo: SCMP

Cecilia Cheung: Hong Kong actress, sex scandal victim and Chinese social media star

Cecilia Cheung at the 23rd Hong Kong Film Awards in 2004. The actress’ personal life garnered a lot of attention in the 2000s, with tabloids covering scandals and her high-profile romantic life. Photo: SCMP

Cheung in 1999. Photo: Oliver Tsang

Cheung speaks after receiving the award for best new performer, as veteran actors Liza Wang and Danny Lee look on, at the 19th Hong Kong Film Awards in 2000. Photo: Martin Chan

Cheung and Nicholas Tse in 2001. Photo: Reuters

Cheung in a still from Lost in Time (2003), for which she won best actress at the 23rd Hong Kong Film Awards. Photo: China Star Entertainment Group

Cheung and Tse at the 30th Hong Kong Film Awards in 2011, the year they filed for divorce. Photo: K. Y. Cheng

Cheung and Stephen Chow in a still from King of Comedy (1999). Her feature-film debut remains one of her most memorable roles. Photo: The Star Overseas

Cheung and her three sons. Photo: Weibo

Cheung in a photo she posted on her Weibo account in 2023. Photo: Weibo

Lifestyle

Entertainment

Culture

Film & TV

Music

Hong Kong’s pop culture icons

How Kelly Chen, Cantopop star and beloved Hong Kong actress, has captured the hearts of music and movie fans for three decades

Kelly Chen pictured in 1997. The secret to the Cantopop star and actress’s success? “I’ve just tried my best to grab any opportunity.” Photo: Dickson Lee

Chen (right) is presented with a prize at the Ultimate Song Chart Awards ceremony in January 1996 by Taiwanese singer Wu Chien-lien. Photo: SCMP

Chen (left) and Yutaka Takenouchi in a still from “Calmi Cuori Appassionati” (2001).

Chen (right) and Donnie Yen in a still from “An Empress and the Warriors” (2008).

Chen and her husband, Alex Lau Kin-ho, pose during their wedding ceremony at the InterContinental Hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui in October, 2008. Photo: SCMP

Chen performs in the Grand Variety Show in celebration of the 10th anniversary of Hong Kong’s return to China at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre on June 30, 2007. Photo: SCMP

(From left) Ekin Cheng, Chen and Tony Leung Ka-fai in a still from “Horseplay” (2014).

Chen (left) and Tony Leung Chiu-wai in a still from “Infernal Affairs III” (2003).

A charity sale of Chen’s clothes, shoes and handbags took place in April 2023. Photo: Facebook/@kellychenwailam

How Hong Kong boy band Grasshopper, protégés of Cantopop legend Anita Mui, blazed a trail with their intoxicating dance pop music

(From left) Edmond So Chi-wai, Remus Choy Yat-kit and Calvin Choy Yat-chi of the Cantopop group Grasshopper at an interview with the Post in 2006. The boy band, formed in 1985, are still performing today. Photo: SCMP

(From left) Calvin Choy Yat-chi, Edmond So Chi-wai and Remus Choy Yat-kit, pictured in 1988. Photo: SCMP

Cantopop diva Anita Mui with Grasshopper at the Chinese Gold Songs award presentation ceremony at the Hong Kong Coliseum in January 1989. Photo: SCMP

(From left) Edmond So, Calvin Choy and Remus Choy at the opening of the Aiwa Music Expo at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in August 1991. Photo: SCMP

(From left) Calvin Choy, Roman Tam, Edmond So and Remus Choy backstage at a concert in Shanghai in July 1993. Photo: SCMP

(From second left) Edmond So, Remus Choy and Calvin Choy at the Ultimate Song Chart Awards presentation ceremony at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, in January 1996. Photo: SCMP

(From left) Remus Choy, Calvin Choy and Edmond So at an interview with the Post in 2010. Photo: SCMP

(From left) Calvin Choy, Remus Choy and Edmond So on stage during TVB 55th Anniversary Gala on November 19, 2021. Photo: Getty Images

Takeshi Kaneshiro, one of the ‘most good-looking’ actors in Hong Kong cinema and star of some of Wong Kar-wai and Peter Chan’s best movies, is a man of mystery

Takeshi Kaneshiro at an interview with the Post in July 2004. Kaneshiro, who debuted as a singer in Taiwan in 1992, has not been seen on the big screen since 2017 – but remains as popular as ever. Photo: SCMP

Takeshi Kaneshiro and Zhou Dongyu in a still from “This Is Not What I Expected” (2017).

Takeshi Kaneshiro and Brigitte Lin in a still from “Chungking Express” (1994). 

Takeshi Kaneshiro and Kyoko Fukada in a still from the drama series “God, Please Give Me More Time” (1998).

(From left) Xu Jinglei, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Andy Lau, Jet Li, Jacky Heung and director Peter Chan promote “The Warlords” at an event in December 2007. Photo: SCMP

Takeshi Kaneshiro in a still from “Perhaps Love” (2005).

Takeshi Kaneshiro and Michele Reis in “Fallen Angels” (1995). Photo: Block 2 Pictures and Jet Tone Contents

Takeshi Kaneshiro in an interview with the Post in December 2006. Photo: SCMP

Acting with Michelle Yeoh, modelling at 12: the Cinderella story of Isabella Leong, who passed up Hollywood to have children with Richard Li, younger son of Li Ka-shing

Isabella Leong Lok-sze promotes her 2014 appearance in a stage play. Photo: Felix Wong 

Isabella Leong in an interview with the Post in 2005. The Macanese actress put a halt to her acting career when she began dating Richard Li, the younger son of Li Ka-shing. Photo: SCMP

Leong (left) and Chapman To in a still from “Isabella” (2006).

Leong (left), Jaycee Chan and Charlene Choi at the 26th Hong Kong Film Awards in April 2007. Photo: SCMP

Luke Ford (left) and Leong in a still from “The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor” (2008).

Leong, Richard Li and their son, Ethan Li, in April 2009. 

Leong and Jim Chim at an event to promote “Sign of Happiness” in February 2014. Photo: SCMP

Leong in a still from “Murmur of the Hearts” (2015).

(From left) Leong, Paul Chun and Faye Yu in a still from “Love After Love” (2020).

Aaron Kwok, dancer, singer, actor, husband to Moka Fang, and father – how he went from being one of the ‘Four Heavenly Kings of Cantopop’ to all-round star

Aaron Kwok with the prize for best actor he received at the 35th Hong Kong Film Awards in 2016. Photo: Edward Wong

Aaron Kwok at an interview with the Post in 2009. Kwok started his career as a background dancer nearly four decades ago. Now he is a beloved Cantopop singer and actor – and a smitten husband and proud father of two. Photo: SCMP

Kwok (right) alongside fellow Cantopop singers Andy Lau (left) and Jacky Cheung at an RTHK event in 1996. Photo: SCMP

Aaron Kwok, pictured in 1993. Photo: SCMP

Kwok won the Best Actor prize at the 35th Hong Kong Film Awards in 2016. Photo: Edward Wong

Kwok (right) and Charlie Young play a troubled couple in “After This Our Exile” (2006).

Kwok performs at an event organised by RTHK at Queen Elizabeth Stadium in 2001. Photo: SCMP.

Kwok (left) and Chow Yun-fat in a still from “Project Gutenberg” (2018).

Kwok with his wife, Moka Fang Yuan, in Happy Valley, Hong Kong. Photo: Kenneth Chan

How Hong Kong actress Carina Lau rose to stardom from her ‘mainland girl’ roots, overcame topless photos scandal and wed Tony Leung Chiu-wai

Carina Lau Ka-ling. Photo: Instagram/@carinalau1208

Hong Kong actress Carina Lau Ka-ling, pictured in 1993 soon after her career breakthrough in a Wong Kar-wai film. Married since 2008 to fellow actor Tony Leung Chiu-wai, she is known for her style and class, and some iconic roles. Photo: SCMP

Cheung Siu-fai and Lau promoting TVB series “The Turbulent Decade” in 1986. Photo: SCMP

(Clockwise from top right) Leslie Cheung Kwok-wing, Lau, Maggie Cheung Man-yuk and Tony Leung Chiu-wai on the set of Wong Kar-wai’s movie “Days of Being Wild” in 1990. Photo: SCMP

Carina Lau in a still from “Ashes of Time” (1994).

Carina Lau and Nicholas Tse celebrate with their trophies after winning the best actor and best actress awards at the 30th Hong Kong Film Awards in 2011. Photo: SCMP

Carina Lau and Tony Leung at the opening night of hit musical “Les Miserables” at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre, in 1996. Photo: SCMP

Carina Lau in a still from “In Your Dreams” (2018).

Lau and Leung at the 16th Asian Film Awards in March 2023. Photo: Dickson Lee

1980s Hong Kong pop idol Danny Chan’s bittersweet success story: his talent, fame, the tabloid rumours, his retirement and early death

Singer Danny Chan Pak-keung puts one of his albums in a time capsule in 1991. Photo: SCMP

Danny Chan was one of Hong Hong’s “Three Kings and A Queen of Cantopop” in the 1980s, with fellow idols Leslie Cheung, Anita Mui and Alan Tam. Photo: SCMP

Yvonne Siu, project manager of TVB, presents a souvenir to Danny Chan in 1984. Photo: SCMP

Chan singing at his own birthday party in 1988. Photo: SCMP

Chan (left) and Jacky Cheung Hok-yau at the Top Ten Pop Stars Election in 1987. Photo: SCMP

There were numerous rumours about a relationship between Pansy Ho and Chan. Photo: Weibo

Chan performing at a concert to promote Aids awareness in 1990. Photo: SCMP

Chan was taken to Queen Mary Hospital after collapsing at home on May 19, 1992. Photo: SCMP

Flanked by singer Anita Mui Yim-fong and actor Chow Yun-fat, Danny Chan’s older brother Chan Pak-ling carries his younger brother’s picture at the singer’s funeral in 1993. Photo: SCMP

The rise of Hong Kong actress Sharla Cheung, star of Stephen Chow and Wong Jing films, and the surprise movie she made after retiring

Sharla Cheung, Stephen Chow SIng-chi (centre) and Ng Man-tat in “All for the Winner”. Photo: Handout

Actress Sharla Cheung Man at the Hong Kong Film Awards ceremony in 2005. Discovered in the 1980s by Wong Jing, she starred opposite Stephen Chow, Andy Lau and Chow Yun-fat in a string of 1980s and 1990s box office hits. Photo: SCMP

(From left) Sharla Cheung, Stephen Chow and Ng Man-tat in a still from “All for the Winner” (1990). Photo: Win’s Movie Production

Stephen Chow (left) and Sharla Cheung in a still from “Fight Back to School” (1991). Photo: Win’s Movie Production

Sharla Cheung in a still from “Fist of Fury 1991” (1991).

(From left) Ng Man-tat, Stephen Chow and Sharla Cheung in a still from “Fight Back to School”. Photo: Win’s Movie Production and I/E Co. Ltd

Hong Kong actress Sharla Cheung attends the opening ceremony of the Entertainment Expo in Hong Kong in 2005. Photo: Reuters

How American-born Chinese actor Daniel Wu juggled Hong Kong and Hollywood to become a star in both films and TV on two continents

US-born actor Daniel Wu, star of Westworld, Tomb Raider and Shinjuku Incident, fell into acting while on holiday in Hong Kong, getting cast in an ad. This led to role after role, and 25 years later, Wu has nearly 70 films under his belt. Photo: Harry C

Wu and Alicia Vikander in a still from “Tomb Raider” (2018). Photo: Warner Bros Entertainment

Wu next to Jackie Chan at a promotional event for “Shinjuku Incident” in Malaysia in 2009. Photo: Handout

Wu (left) and Stephen Fung play gay lovers in the film “Bishonen” (1998). Photo: Far-Sun Film

Wu with his award for best supporting actor for the film “New Police Story” at the 41st Golden Horse Awards in Taiwan in 2004. Photo: Reuters

Wu (centre) on the set of “One Nite In Mongkok” in 2004, with director Derek Yee (left) and actress Cecilia Cheung. Photo: Handout

Wu (right) in a still from “The Heavenly Kings”, the 2006 mockumentary film he directed, alongside “bandmates” Conroy Chan (left), Andrew Lin (second from left) and Terence Yin (second from right). Photo: Handout

Wu in a still from “Into the Badlands” season 1. Photo: James Dimmock/AMC

Wu and Michelle Yeoh in a still from “American Born Chinese”. Photo: Disney+

Wu and Lisa Selesner celebrate their marriage in 2010. Photo: Berton Cheng

How Sammi Cheng became a Cantopop superstar, celebrated actress and style icon, but has endured a rocky relationship with husband Andy Hui

Cantopop singer, actress and style icon Sammi Cheng in 2004 ahead of the release of the film “Yesterday Once More”. Her entertainment career spans five decades, and in 2023 she finally won best actress in the Hong Kong Film Awards. Photo: SCMP

Cheng pictured in 1988. Photo: SCMP

Cheng at a performance in 1993. Photo: SCMP

(From left) Cantopop singers Cheng, Priscilla Chan Wai-han and Cass Phang Ling at a press conference in 1996. Photo: SCMP

Cheng (right) in a still from “Lost Love” (2023).

An undated photo of Cheng with Andy Hui. Photo: Weibo

Cheng and Daniel Wu in a still from “Everlasting Regret” (2005). She was nominated for best actress for her part in the following year’s Hong Kong Film Awards.

Cheng alongside Andy Lau in a still from “Blind Detective” (2013), for which she was again nominated for best actress at the Hong Kong Film Awards.

Cheng performs in 1996. Photo: SCMP

Cheng and Hui perform at a concert in 2010.

Cheng with her trophy for best actress for her role in “Lost Love” at the 41st Hong Kong Film Awards presentation ceremony at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre in Tsim Sha Tsui on April 16, 2023. Photo: Dickson Lee

How Cantopop singer Ronald Cheng went from troublemaker to Charlene Choi’s secret husband to one of Hong Kong’s best-loved comic actors

Hong Kong singer and actor Ronald Cheng Chung-kei at an interview with the Post in 2006. The Cantopop star is now one of Hong Kong cinema’s most beloved comedy stars, but his rise to the top has been a bumpy one. Photo: SCMP

Cheng pictured in 1996. Photo: SCMP

Cheng after the incident in 2000 on Eva Air Flight BR005 that led to his arrest for assault. 

(From left) Actors Shawn Yu, Sandra Ng, Cheng and Jacky Cheung attend the premiere of “Golden Chicken 2” at the Windsor Theatre in Hong Kong in December 2003. Photo: SCMP

Cheng (front) in a still from “Dragon Reloaded” (2005).

Cheng and Charlene Choi announcing their divorce, and acknowledging their marriage, at a news conference in 2010. Photo: SCMP

Cheng (left) and Chapman To in a still from “Vulgaria” (2012).

Cheng and his wife, Sammie Yu, at the Hong Kong Film Awards in 2018. Photo: AP

Cherie Chung a screen goddess, the Marilyn Monroe of Hong Kong, fans said – how she retired from acting at the height of her career and hasn’t looked back

Cherie Chung at an interview with the Post in 2006. Photo: SCMP

Cherie Chung at an interview with the Post in 1995. Once called the Marilyn Monroe of Hong Kong, Chung rose to fame during the 1980s and appeared in almost 50 films – before walking away from it all at the age of 31. Photo: SCMP

Chung modelling a qipao during the semi-finals of the Miss Hong Kong 1979 beauty pageant. Photo: SCMP

Richard Ng and Chung in a still from “Winners and Sinners” (1983). Photo: Eureka Entertainment.

Chung and Chow Yun-fat in a still from “An Autumn’s Tale” (1987).

(From left) Maggie Cheung, Chung and Shingo Tsurumi in a still from “Last Romance” (1988).

Chung and her husband, Mike Chu, in 1992. Photo: SCMP

Chung pursued a long-standing interest in photography. Photo: Handout

Chung at the launch of “Accredited Green Family Scheme” managed by the Friends of the Earth in 1995. Photo: SCMP

Chung at an interview with the Post in 2014. Photo: SCMP

‘The flowers were for me’: when Hong Kong actor Lau Ching-wan found fame, his belief in destiny and his 25 years with wife Amy Kwok

Lau celebrates winning best actor in the 26th Hong Kong Film Awards in 2007. Photo: SCMP

Lau Ching-wan at an interview with the Post in 2009. Often cast to play the tough guy, Lau has shown his talent for romance and comedy too, and is a 14-time best actor winner in various film awards shows. Photo: SCMP

ProfileHow Hong Kong star Gigi Leung went from innocent girl next door to all-round entertainer

With over 50 films, more than 20 albums, charity work and a business under her belt, Gigi Leung has packed a lot into her 30-year career

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}With over 50 films, more than 20 albums, charity work and a business under her belt, Gigi Leung has packed a lot into her 30-year career

With over 50 films, more than 20 albums, charity work and a business under her belt, Gigi Leung has packed a lot into her 30-year career