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Lisa Cam

This is the 74th instalment in a biweekly series profiling major Hong Kong pop culture figures of recent decades.
When a young Joey Yung Cho-yee was dropped by her first record label for her supposedly ordinary looks, few would have bet she would one day stand atop Cantopop as one of its most decorated performers.
Yet nearly three decades later, the 45-year-old Hong Kong singer has outlasted her critics and claimed, among other accolades, a dozen most popular female singer trophies from TVB’s Jade Solid Gold and 11 gold awards from Commercial Radio Hong Kong’s Ultimate Song Chart Awards Presentation. She also has more than 25 studio albums to her name.
How did she do it? The pragmatic Yung, in an industry notorious for chewing up and spitting out young starlets, simply put her head down and worked harder than everyone else.

Echoes from a wooden hut
Yung, born in Tsuen Wan in 1980, grew up in Lai Chi Kok’s Butterfly Valley before her family relocated to Ma On Shan.
Her home life was fractured after her father abandoned her, her younger brother and their mother when she was 15, but the teenager won a karaoke competition that same year, earning a contract with Go East Entertainment.
Yung’s first single, the theme song for Eric Tsang Chi-wai’s 1996 film Those Were the Days, sank without a trace. Soon after, label boss Paco Wong Pak-ko showed her the door, reportedly remarking that she was “not pretty enough” for stardom.
Refusing to be written off, Yung worked as an accounting clerk and helped run her mother’s clothing shop, all while honing her voice.

After a stint with a label that went bust, she found a champion in Cantopop icon Roman Tam, who became her mentor. Under his guidance, in 1998, she signed with Fitto Record, which was later acquired by Emperor Group and renamed Emperor Entertainment Group, or EEG.
During a 2015 appearance on mainland Chinese talk show The Jinxing Show, Yung revealed that her superstitious boss, Emperor Group founder Albert Yeung Sau-shing, consulted a fortune-teller to evaluate his new talents. “When Uncle Chan, the fortune-teller, said I was the one because I had soulful eyes, he changed Mr Yeung’s mind,” she recalled. “I felt like he changed the course of my life.”
Crucially, EEG paired her with talent manager Mani Fok Man-hei, who would become the mastermind behind Yung’s rise and her most loyal protector.
Yung’s 1999 debut EP, EP 1 Joey, was a phenomenon. The title track, “Unknown” – a soaring Cantonese cover of Jennifer Paige’s “Crush” – dominated radio charts, while the EP spent 23 weeks on the IFPI sales chart, an unbroken record for a newcomer.
By 2003, armed with powerhouse vocal stamina, fierce dance routines and the heartbreak anthem “My Pride”, she had cemented her dominance in the industry.

The heavy toll of stardom
Yung’s pop pedestal, however, came with a punishing cost, and the pressures of her sudden ubiquity were compounded by relentless tabloid scrutiny. Gossip pages fixated on her rumoured affairs with her boss Yeung, and later, fellow pop singer Denise Ho Wan-see.
The media frenzy turned terrifying in 2001 when two variety show hosts, Spencer Leung Sze-ho and Eric Tsang, were separately assaulted by thugs after mocking Yung’s appearance on television. Yung and Yeung were briefly arrested in August, though no charges were brought against either of them.
That same year, Yung temporarily lost her voice after taking diet pills that dehydrated her throat muscles. While she was able to weather this particular storm, the problem with her vocal cords has returned periodically over the years.

Yung credits her survival of scrutiny to her ability to block out vitriol.
“I kind of always knew that the only people who think you’re perfect are your own family,” she told Prestige magazine in 2025. “So when I made my debut, I knew inevitably there was going to be a lot of noise. I just don’t look at the forums, I don’t engage with [them].”
Instead, she poured her energy into her craft, and she expanded into television and film. She even subverted her glamorous image by playing an ugly duckling in the TVB comedy Not Just a Pretty Face (2003).
Later, in the 2012 film Diva, Yung played a pop idol grappling with industry manipulation – a role widely seen as being at least partly autobiographical.
Through it all, she has consistently filled the Hong Kong Coliseum – the ultimate dream stage for Cantopop stars – across multiple massive tours, culminating in her 2019 “Pretty Crazy” concert series.

Pragmatism across the border
Like many Hong Kong stars of her generation, Yung’s pivot towards the lucrative mainland Chinese market required her to navigate complex political sensitivities.
In early November 2019, she posted a selfie of herself wearing a face mask on social media, captioned “Just want to fly~”. Some mainland internet users saw this as support for Hong Kong’s anti-government protesters, sparking a firestorm on microblogging platform Weibo, and she was dropped from a planned appearance on a televised gala event on the mainland.
She quickly clarified that she had never supported “Hong Kong independence”, which Chinese state media claimed was the main aim of the protests, and issued a public apology.
To many in her home city, Yung’s standing has always been clear, as she has made countless appearances at official mainland events. The entertainer even voiced her support for Xinjiang cotton after it was sanctioned by the US in 2021.

This pragmatic approach allowed her to continue exploring the mainland market. Building on earlier successes, such as her run on season four of I Am a Singer in 2016, she introduced herself to a new generation on season two of Sisters Who Make Waves in 2021.
Yung’s enduring box-office power was further validated by her residency at the 5,000-seat Studio City Event Centre in Macau, where she held a spectacular 30-show run between 2023 and 2025.
Guarding the inner sanctuary
Behind the glittering accolades and public persona, Yung’s private life has been defined by familial devotion and painful estrangements.
Her fractured relationship with her father culminated in a 2014 scandal over a HK$300,000 debt. When creditors plastered posters across Hong Kong demanding money from the singer, Yung publicly severed ties with him to protect the rest of her family.
Her mother, conversely, remains her absolute anchor. When the matriarch was diagnosed with cancer in 2014 – enduring several relapses in the following years – Yung adjusted her demanding workload to become her caretaker.
This battle inspired Yung to elevate her philanthropic work. In 2015, with her mother’s encouragement, she established the Joey Yung Charitable Foundation. Underscoring her dedication to its cause, Yung eschewed a 45th birthday bash last year, choosing instead to take underprivileged children from her charity to Ocean Park, a theme park in Hong Kong.

When it comes to romance, Yung keeps her guard up. She has not publicly confirmed another relationship since her 2019 split from singer Wilfred Lau Ho-lung. Instead, she pours her offstage energy into her six-year-old niece, Sophia, and three-year-old nephew, Sean.
Reflecting on the drive that transformed a rejected teenager into a generational star, Yung attributes it all to her inability to say no to opportunities.
“I feel like I can do it all,” she noted in the Jinxing interview. “I feel that I can prove myself through work.
“That’s why the external feedback I’ve received has always been positive – everyone thinks I’m very easy-going because I don’t turn down any jobs. But I do wonder if that is a good thing.”
Yet, three decades on, that consistent determination – through public scandals, private heartbreaks and shifting cultural tides – remains the secret to her staying power.


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‘Not pretty enough’? Joey Yung became one of Hong Kong’s biggest Cantopop idols anyway

Singer Joey Yung at Lee Garden Two in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong, in 2006. The singer defied early career setbacks to become a Cantopop icon. Photo: Oliver Tsang

A 16-year-old Joey Yung (right) learning to sing in 1996. Photo: K. Y. Cheng

Yung performs in the JVC Awards Presentation ceremony by Metro Broadcast at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai in 1999. Photo: David Wong

Yung performs at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in 2003. Photo: Wan Kam-yan

Yung with Cantopop star Jacky Cheung and chairman of Emperor Group Albert Yeung at the Grand Emperor Hotel’s opening ceremony in Macau in 2006. Photo: Felix Wong

Yung in a still from the 2003 television drama Not Just a Pretty Face. Photo: TVB

Yung (left) performs with Beijing 2008 Olympic Games gold medallists Guo Jingjing (middle) and Wu Minxia (right) at Hong Kong Stadium in 2008. Photo: Felix Wong

Yung singing at Sha Tin Racecourse in 2025. Photo: Kenneth Chan

How Leslie Cheung broke all the rules to become Hong Kong’s greatest modern superstar

Hong Kong pop icon Leslie Cheung on the set of director Wong Kar-wai’s Days of Being Wild in 1990. Cheung was a trailblazing Cantopop icon who reshaped Hong Kong’s entertainment scene. Photo: SCMP

Leslie Cheung dances with a microphone stand at his concert in 1988. Photo: SCMP

Cheung (right), the first runner-up of RTV’s Asian Amateur Singing Contest, receiving his trophy in 1977. Photo: SCMP

Cheung in a still from A Chinese Ghost Story (1987), one of his most popular films. Photo: Cinema City

 Cheung on the set of Farewell My Concubine (1993). Photo: SCMP

Cheung at an interview with the SCMP in 1988. Photo: SCMP

Fellow pop icons and friends Anita Mui (left) and Cheung in 1986. Photo: SCMP

Fans of Cheung gather outside the Mandarin Oriental hotel to mourn their idol with flowers and photos on April 1, 2025. Photo: Elson Li

How Carol ‘Dodo’ Cheng went from acting with Chow Yun-fat to interviewing Hollywood stars

Carol “Dodo” Cheng at an interview with the SCMP in 2004. We examine the Hong Kong star’s journey from actor to content creator on YouTube. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Carol Cheng at an interview with the SCMP in 1992. Photo: SCMP

Carol Cheng with her friend and fellow actor Chow Yun-fat, in Tsim Sha Tsui, in 1992. Photo: SCMP

Cheng (left) and Alfred Cheung in a still from Her Fatal Ways (1990). Cheng won the Hong Kong Film Awards best actress honour for her role in the film.

Cheng and Dayo Wong proved immensely popular with their starring roles in the TVB drama series War of the Genders (2000). Photo: K. Y. Cheng

(From left) Liza Wang, Sir Run Run Shaw and Carol Cheng during TVB’s 40th anniversary celebration in 2007. Photo: Oliver Tsang

Cheng with Hollywood actor Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson at the Hong Kong press conference for his movie Skyscraper in 2018. Photo: Aydee Tie

Why Michael Tse, Hong Kong actor behind Laughing Gor, is a lesson in resilience

Michael Tse at an interview with the SCMP in 2009. Tse’s remarkable entertainment journey has led him from backup dancer to the iconic Laughing Gor, viral memes and mainland China stardom. Photo: SCMP

(From left) Jordan Chan, Michael Tse, Ekin Cheng Yee-kin, Jason Chu and Jerry Lamb Hiu-fung in a still from Young and Dangerous (1996).

Michael Tse (front) as Laughing Gor in a still from the film Turning Point (2009), a prequel to the TV series E.U.

Pop group Wind Fire Sea members (from left) Michael Tse, Jason Chu and Jordan Chan, pictured in 1995. Photo: SCMP

Michael Tse at an interview with the SCMP in Causeway Bay in 1998. Photo: SCMP

Michael Tse pictured leaving Eastern Court on March 11, 2009. Photo: SCMP

Tse in a still from Golden Job (2018).

Tse (left) and Pakho Chau in a still from the crime thriller The Infernal Walker (2020).

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

Music

Film & TV

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

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

Lau and Anita Yuen in a still from “C’est la vie, mon cheri” (1993).

Lau at the 41st Hong Kong Film Awards in 2023, where he won best actor for a third time. Photo: Sam Tsang/SCMP

Bowie Lam (left) and Lau in a still from “The Greed of Man” (1992).

Lau at the 18th Hong Kong Film Awards with his wife, Amy Kwok, in 1999. Photo: SCMP

Profile‘Not pretty enough’? Joey Yung became one of Hong Kong’s biggest Cantopop idols anyway

From rejected teen singer to Cantopop legend, Joey Yung’s grit, voice and unwavering work ethic have outlasted her critics

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}From rejected teen singer to Cantopop legend, Joey Yung’s grit, voice and unwavering work ethic have outlasted her critics

From rejected teen singer to Cantopop legend, Joey Yung’s grit, voice and unwavering work ethic have outlasted her critics