appConfigEntityId

bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

isVideo

articlePageQuery

article

articleSchemaContent

content

hooksArticlePageAdvertisementConfigArticle

hooksArticlePageFloatingButtonConfigArticle

appConfig

filter

json

liveArticle

Charmaine Yu

This is the 82nd instalment in a biweekly series profiling major Hong Kong pop culture figures of recent decades.
Eight years after her sudden death shook music fans across Hong Kong, Taiwan and beyond, Ellen Joyce Loo Hoi-tung’s legacy as a cultural trailblazer continues to grow.
Shifting effortlessly between vulnerable lyricism and distorted power chords, the fierce guitarist lived boldly in an industry demanding conformity. An outspoken advocate for mental health and LGBTQ visibility, she used her craft as a lifeline.
“When I feel depressed, I write songs. It has become my soul-healing process,” she told HK Magazine in 2011, two years before being diagnosed with type 2 bipolar disorder.
Born in Toronto in 1986, Loo moved to Hong Kong at age four. Raised on her father’s musical diet of Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett, she found his guitar at age nine and “forced” him to teach her.
“I was so into it that I didn’t do my homework, I didn’t watch TV; I just practised and practised,” she told the South China Morning Post’s Post Magazine in 2017.

The meteoric rise of at17
In 2000, a 14-year-old Loo met Eman Lam Yee-man at an unplugged musical competition. Their chemistry – Lam’s folky voice and Loo’s rhythmic grasp – caught the attention of Cantopop veteran Anthony Wong Yiu-ming, who signed them to his label, People Mountain People Sea.
Loo and Lam, who was about three and a half years older than Loo, then formed at17, which was named after Janis Ian’s 1975 song “At Seventeen” at the suggestion of Lam’s brother, Chet Lam Yat-fung.
Disillusioned with traditional education, Loo lived up to the name of her new duo and dropped out at 17.
“I hated music at school. I hated the choir and the syllabus,” she told HK Magazine, recalling how a teacher had failed her for performing Radiohead’s “Exit Music (For a Film)” – Loo was a huge fan of the British band – at a school show.
Her mother was dismayed, but her father was supportive “because he always wanted to be a pilot but … he had to earn money for his family,” she told Post Magazine. “That’s the story he told me when I wanted to pursue my dreams.”


Committing full-time to her craft, Loo – affectionately known to fans by her nickname “Rockmui” – and Lam carved a distinct “folktronica” (folk and electronic music) niche in a Cantopop landscape dominated by ballads. Unlike the overtly feminine idol groups of the time, they projected a gender-neutral image.
Hits like “The Best Is Yet to Come”, from their 2002 debut album Meow Meow Meow, became generational anthems. Their 2003 follow-up album, Kiss Kiss Kiss, proved similarly popular.
From session player to solo star
By the mid-2000s, Loo was recognised as one of Hong Kong’s premier guitarists. She earned her first external composition credit on Miriam Yeung Chin-wah’s 2003 hit “Enter the Dragon” and worked as a session musician for top-tier artists including Yeung, Sammi Cheng Sau-man and Joey Yung Cho-yee.
In 2010, Eason Chan Yick-shun recruited Loo as lead guitarist for his massive DUO world tour.

She remained fiercely defensive of her instrument throughout. When asked in a 2014 SCMP interview if it bothered her that true pop stardom in Hong Kong required singing rather than just playing guitar, Loo countered by referencing the American guitar legend: “Like Steve Vai?”
She went on: “I think it’s good enough as long as you personally believe that you’re a star, though it’s true that there are way too few people who understand the importance of guitarists. I used to take that to heart when I picked my jobs, but I’ve realised it didn’t work that way.”
The pursuit of her own musical voice eventually led to a new chapter – at17 went on hiatus in 2010 after releasing four albums in total.
Relocating to Taiwan, Loo shifted the primary language of her songs from Cantonese to Mandarin and released her 2011 debut solo album, The Ripples, establishing a reputation not only as a guitarist but also as a songwriter, arranger and chorus singer.
Her pivot proved successful: her 2012 album You Hide Silently earned her nominations for best Mandarin female singer and best composition at Taiwan’s Golden Melody Awards in 2013.

Confronting bipolar disorder
Despite her career progress, the chronic perfectionist struggled with her mental health. She pinpointed preparations for her 2013 debut solo show at the Queen Elizabeth Stadium as the start of a rapid decline, suffering depressive episodes where she could not sleep, write or listen to music.
Diagnosed with type 2 bipolar disorder, Loo began taking medication and turned to painting as psychotherapy, subsequently showing almost 100 artworks at PMQ’s 2015 “Pillow Talk” exhibition and raising funds for the Early Psychosis Foundation.
“It taught me a lot. It gave me a lot of courage to face myself and my life,” she told Post Magazine about fighting bipolar disorder. “It ripped me open and taught me what it really is to be alive.”
Symbolising a new chapter of independence, Loo shaved her head on stage during her 2015 Rockmui 29 Live concert, even performing the once-rejected “Exit Music”. She later cited Irish singer Sinead O’Connor, who also lived with bipolar disorder, as her inspiration.

Advocacy, identity and a lasting legacy
Loo’s authenticity extended into her political beliefs. She co-recorded “Raise the Umbrella”, the unofficial protest anthem of Hong Kong’s 2014 Occupy movement – an act of advocacy that resulted in her being dropped from the Strawberry Music Festival in Guangzhou in 2015.
Equally courageous about her queer identity, Loo publicly came out while accepting an award for best arrangement at the Golden Melody Awards in 2017.
“Without her, I would not have written my first Mandarin song seven years ago,” Loo said at the awards as she revealed her marriage to Taiwanese cinematographer Fisher Yu Jing-pin in Canada the previous year. “Without her, I would not have developed my career in Taiwan. I have to thank my wife.”
She added: “I know the world is imperfect. So is my music and myself. But having you, who would still need perfection?”
In December 2017, Loo reunited with Lam to celebrate the 15th anniversary of at17’s formation with live shows at the Queen Elizabeth Stadium, a milestone she called a “reunion of two grown-up women” after seven years.
Though she appeared optimistic and active with new projects, Loo died by suicide on August 5, 2018, at age 32, after falling from her Happy Valley residence. Around a thousand mourners showed up at her funeral service, and her death triggered widespread discussions about the stigma surrounding psychological illness.

Beyond her discography, Loo was also an accomplished composer for cinema, having won best original film score at the 34th Hong Kong Film Awards in 2015 for The Midnight After. She was credited posthumously for composing “Fly” in the Oscar-nominated 2019 film Better Days, winning best original film song at the 2020 awards in Hong Kong.
In the final interview she gave to the SCMP, published in December 2017, Loo said, “At this time of my life, I feel that I’m more inspired by gender and political issues as a musician and as an artist. I want to speak up for women and sexual minorities.”
As the eighth anniversary of her death approaches, Loo is remembered not merely as a fearless guitarist, but as an artist who proved that vulnerability and strength are not opposing forces. She carved out a space for countless others to exist without compromise.
If you have suicidal thoughts or know someone who is experiencing them, help is available. In Hong Kong, you can dial 18111 for the government-run Mental Health Support Hotline. You can also call +852 2896 0000 for The Samaritans or +852 2382 0000 for Suicide Prevention Services. In the US, call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org for the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. For a list of other nations’ helplines, see this page.


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

The legacy of Ellen Joyce Loo, trailblazing Hong Kong guitarist who spoke her truth

Ellen Joyce Loo, a Hong Kong guitarist, singer, songwriter, mental health advocate and LGBTQ pioneer who died in August 2018 aged 32, at an interview with the South China Morning Post in 2014. Photo: SCMP

Ellen Loo (right) performs with her at17 bandmate Eman Lam in August 2002. Photo: SCMP

Loo (right) performs during Clockenflap at Hong Kong’s West Kowloon Cultural District in 2013. Photo: SCMP

Loo (left) and Eman Lam at an interview with the SCMP in 2009. Photo: SCMP

Loo at an interview with the SCMP in August 2017. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Singer Denise Ho (standing, front of left row) and actor Anthony Wong (standing, front of right row) attend Loo’s funeral service with other mourners at the Hong Kong Funeral Home in North Point on August 14, 2018. 

Ellen Loo (right) and her at17 bandmate Eman Lam outside the Fringe Club in Central in 2002. Photo: SCMP

Eman Lam (left) and Ellen Loo of at17 perform at the Cattle Depot Artist Village, in Hong Kong, in 2003.

Ellen Loo (left) and Eman Lam at an interview with the SCMP in 2007. Photo: SCMP

Ellen Loo at an interview with the SCMP in 2013. Photo: SCMP

How Bowie Woo, 94, became Hong Kong’s ultimate evergreen entertainer over 7-decade career

Hong Kong actor and singer Bowie Woo with his Lifetime Achievement Award at the 41st Hong Kong Film Awards at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre in Tsim Sha Tsui, on April 16, 2023. Woo set a Guinness World Record in June 2026 as the oldest Chinese artist to hold a solo concert at the age of 94. Photo: Dickson Lee

Woo poses with his handprints during the Avenue of Stars’ launch ceremony at Hong Kong’s Tsim Sha Tsui promenade on April 27, 2004. Photo: K. Y. Cheng

Woo at an interview with the South China Morning Post in 1995. Photo: SCMP

Bowie Woo on the drums with (front row from left) Connie Chan, Nancy Sit and Josephine Siao in Colourful Youth (1966). Photo: Chi Luen Film Company

(From left) Marsha Yuan, Bowie Woo and Carol Cheng in a still from the popular sitcom War of the Genders (2000). Photo: TVB

Woo poses with his wife, Lui Wing-ho, and children at home in 1972. Photo: R. Yung

Woo carries his Lifetime Achievement Award statue and dances with actress Nancy Sit at the 41st Hong Kong Film Awards ceremony at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre on April 16, 2023. Photo: Sam Tsang

How Twins’ Charlene Choi went from Cantopop teen idol to top Hong Kong actress

Charlene Choi on the red carpet of the 34th Hong Kong Film Awards at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre, in Tsim Sha Tsui, in April 2015. Choi was nominated for the best actress award that year for her role in the film Sara. Photo: Sam Tsang

Twins members Gillian Chung (left) and Charlene Choi sign autographs for their fans at the New World Centre, in Tsim Sha Tsui, in 2001. Photo: Antony Dickson

Jim Chim and Choi in a still from Simply Actors (2007), which earned Choi her first best actress nomination at the Hong Kong Film Awards.

Chung and Choi at the opening of the Hong Kong International Film Festival at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre, in Tsim Sha Tsui, on March 22, 2005. Photo: David Wong

Chung (left) makes a statement as Choi looks on during a meeting with their fans on February 11, 2008. Photo: Robert Ng

Choi and Simon Yam in a still from Herman Yau’s 2015 film Sara. Photo: Emperor Motion Pictures

Choi in a still from The Lady Improper (2019), for which she received her third best-actress nod at the Hong Kong Film Awards.

Choi and Andy Lau in a still from The Goldfinger. Photo: Emperor Motion Pictures

Choi in a still from Ciao UFO (2026). Photo: Golden Scene

How Andy Hui went from Hong Kong Cantopop star to bombshell cheating scandal to redemption

Hong Kong singer and actor Andy Hui Chi-on in 1997. Hui, one of Cantopop’s “New Four Heavenly Kings”, was embroiled in a cheating scandal in 2019 that threatened to destroy his legacy. Photo: Dickson Lee

Andy Hui performs at Queen Elizabeth Stadium in Wan Chai, Hong Kong, in 1986. Photo: SCMP

(From left) Andy Hui, William So, Dicky Cheung and Edmond Leung at an interview with the SCMP in 2009. Photo: May Tse

Hui speaks at a press conference on April 16, 2019, after footage captured by a Hong Kong taxi’s on-board camera allegedly showed him getting intimate in the back seat with TVB actress Jacqueline Wong. Photo: Felix Wong

How Hong Kong’s wuxia drama ‘princess’ Michelle Yim has kept her star shining for 55 years

Michelle Yim has enjoyed a prolific career in television, movies and on stage, and recently announced her first solo music concerts, which will take place in June 2026. Photo: Instagram/mixue_michelleyim

Michelle Yim attends a police recruitment campaign in a traditional costume in 1977. Photo: Chan Kiu

Michelle Yim in a still from CTV’s 1976 adaptation of The Legend of the Condor Heroes.

(From left) Tsui Siu-ling, Lau Siu-ming and Michelle Yim in a still from The Butterfly Murders (1979).

(From left) Andy Lau, Michelle Yim and Chow Yun-fat in a still from The Legend of Master So (1982). Photo: TVB

Michelle Yim (right) and Alice Fung in a still from Moonlight Resonance (2008). Photo: TVB

Yim with her late husband Wan Chi-keung, who died in 2010 after a battle with nasopharyngeal cancer.

Lifestyle

Entertainment

Culture

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

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

Lau and his wife on the red carpet at the 32nd Hong Kong Film Awards. Photo: SCMP

Lau at an interview with the Post in 2015. Photo: SCMP

‘The other woman’, difficult: how Yammie Lam’s screen career soared before tabloid gossip and  personal blows brought her low

Hong Kong actress Yammie Lam Kit-ying rose to prominence in the 1980s and early 1990s – but her career was cut short and she was found dead aged 55 in 2018. Photo: Media Asia 

ProfileThe legacy of Ellen Joyce Loo, trailblazing Hong Kong guitarist who spoke her truth

Ellen Joyce Loo was a fearless musician who championed mental health and LGBTQ rights, and whose artistry continues to inspire

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Ellen Joyce Loo was a fearless musician who championed mental health and LGBTQ rights, and whose artistry continues to inspire

Ellen Joyce Loo was a fearless musician who championed mental health and LGBTQ rights, and whose artistry continues to inspire