actresses-from-hong-kong

"The last time I won, I felt it was Charmaine Sheh who won. But this time, I believe it was Man Wai-sum who won. I didn't just play the role - I became the role. She guided me, and through the compelling storyline, I resonated with the audience once again. I'd like to say to Man Wai-sum, 'I love you, Man Wai-sum!'"

"I was also worried about playing the villainess. In the past, when I played the bad guy, I lost my chance at an endorsement because of my character in the drama. I was concerned that it would happen again. But I am glad that times are different now and the audiences have different ideas about television characters."

"Yet “Maggie” (as her fans affectionately call her) stands out against western clichés about Chinese actresses. No Orientalist fantasy, she is a modern Hong Kong woman, a complex mirror image of post-colonial dilemmas: displacement, racist misrepresentation and partial loss of cultural identity (she speaks English better than she can read Chinese characters). Unlike such mainland stars as Gong Li and Siqin Gaowa, she has never formally trained as an actress and her acting depends more on emotion than technique."

"I used to be an actress. After being away from film sets for 12 years, I no longer deserve to be called an actress!"

"To be honest, I really think a lot of Hong Kong actors/actresses aren't interested in European movies."

"I like the idea of writing and directing something. That would be my goal in life. But that would not be in the near future. I would have to write and direct at the same time because I don't think anyone could give me a script that I would want to direct."

"I have no regrets as an actress, even though I have been one for 15 years and don't think that all the films I've done are that good."

"Well first of all, in Hong Kong, I think they're still interested in the action films and I think in some ways in action films we still do it better than the Americans. I think that's the first interest that people have still on Hong Kong movies and, you know, the world is smaller now and it's time to open your eyes to other things."

"I think I started to have thoughts to really want to be serious about my work when I was about twenty five and I just kind of started to look into that direction and moved into it. But it didn't seem as though it was going anywhere because, you know, films without action or comedy are rare to find in Hong Kong, especially if the main character is a woman. But along the way, I've had a few good breaks."

"We were in Los Angeles. And we could go anywhere. No one had any idea who I was."

"You experience a lot more pain than normal people—your mom dies, your dad dies, your boyfriend chucks you, you live in the street, and you're really going through these emotions. You're trying to know what it feels like to watch a man die in front of you, as if you've really lived it. Once that division is gone, it gets blurry—you look back at a shoot and think, was I really that sad because in the film my boyfriend didn't like me—or was it something else, something real?"

"No matter where I'm going, I feel like I'm leaving something behind. Every time I get on a plane, I cry. The flight attendants on Cathay Pacific must think I'm mad."

"I mean for me, sometimes I can just picture things that I can't explain, and I think a snake just sort of wriggles along the way."

"Well I don't think any two different people can be compared, because for me as you see on my list I've worked with so many different kinds of directors, that I never try to compare two people. I think they are individuals, and because of their upbringing and background they become the way they are and it also affects what they want to say in a movie, I think that's the interesting part, to see the differences in them."

"I’m very honest to my work, to myself and my audience. I never pretend I am something I am not. And when I play a part, I always give it as much as I can. That’s honesty too. I’m proud of being me."

"My first dream was to be a hairdresser, then a model."

"I have nothing against commercial films, but if you’re in a movie, [and] you feel the script and everything else about it has no meaning – it’s just another production that the boss can add to his list – I don’t think you should do it."

"Comedies are written for men, and the women just stand around. But I do like the audience reaction to comedies. When they laugh, I feel good. You don’t get that sort of pleasure from making dramas."

"I have done all kinds of scripts, but I prefer working on dramas. They give me room to really act. Comedies are fun to work on, but I don’t get much satisfaction from them."

"If a film does well, other people want to work with you."

"Many people have the misconception that a pretty girl can only be a ‘vase’ in a film. I want people to consider me not just to be a film star, but someone who knows about acting."

"At that time, she didn’t have much ambition for her acting career, because of the kind of roles she was offered. I noticed that, if given a lot of dialogue, she would become very nervous; then I cut most of her lines, so she could concentrate on her body language, which is something she was very good at."

"I have liked fashion since I was small. Only after becoming the creative director of my fashion brand, did I realize that making a piece of apparel is nothing easy. The entire process starts from conceptualization, deciding on the materials, to production and sales and marketing, which are all very interesting to me. Most importantly, I believe fashion coexists with films. I actually have got many of my creative inspirations from films. Good fashion is timeless."

"I really get the hang of it when I feel like my soul is intertwined with the character I’m playing. That excitement is beyond what words could describe. I feel the character’s pain, her helplessness, her everything. When I’m there, I secretly feel happy for my own acting."

"I’d say never give up on your dreams. Destiny strikes you when you are least prepared, but as long as you are prepared your dream will come true."

"A hard-working person might not end up being successful, but a successful person is most definitely a hard worker."

"I had high expectations of myself from the start. I think I had a rather smooth journey in showbiz — I always had work opportunities knocking on my door, but rather than being stressed over a lack of work, I put pressure on myself because I wanted to do better. When you want to become better, you put more pressure on yourself as well."

"There were too many unknowns, and that caused me to doubt myself. At the time, I also took awards more seriously. But after some time in the industry, I realised that it’s more important to treat your job seriously every day. Everything else is just a bonus."

"I need to see charisma, X-factor or something unique about the person. Something that will make me go ‘Wow’ the moment he or she walks on stage. Just like how it was when I was a rookie."

"What attracts people is the aura that you exude, rather than just good looks."

"I’m still learning how to be a good person. I feel that sometimes, I’m not objective enough. When you think of situations from a different point of view, you’ll discover that it might be the reason why disagreements occur in the first place. Learning to be more accepting of different points of views and mindsets is very important."

"If you’re happier, you’ll be healthier, and you’ll live longer too."

"I think things have their own ways of operation in different period or times. [Formerly], each entertainer was well polished before they were shown to the public. They were well protected. Now, with the effect of social media platforms, each entertainer is expected to present themselves very honestly. Live interviews are getting popular on social media now. The good side of it is that you can let your audience know what you are really like."

"Being knowledgeable is a prerequisite, only then can you be good at acting. Otherwise, you are just a flower vase."

"I am CoCo Lee and it has been 27 years since my debut. No matter how big I stand on the international stage, I can still proudly say that I am Chinese and I am from Hong Kong, China."

"I will never forget your smile, voice, and dance! You are the most humble genius."

"Care about the suffering of others and try to help if you can, love our Mother Earth, be a good listener, gain wisdom and have abundance of love to give to others. Be the boss of your own life. Stand up for something you believe in. Be an influential figure to inspire people. And keep spreading Love & Positivity everywhere. Remember there’s only one of you in the world, you are one of a kind. Life can be too short so dare to dream big!"

"Be a caring person and help other people, have a kind heart and be very disciplined – because life is hard."

"I have learned that people can be very, very vicious."

"Everyone in China is saying this is unfair. We are Chinese. We know what’s right and wrong. We are very clever. We are reasonable. Our ears are not numb."

"My mom always said, ‘Don't forget your roots, don't forget where you came from.’ I'm Chinese, and I'm proud to be Chinese. I always remember that."

"For a fashion shoot, I always come up with ideas. I’ll share with the team what I’d love to explore. But it’s also important to let creative people have ideas."

"If you YouTube the song Bad Romance, there’s a cape I wear when I first walk on stage. I only wear it for about 20 seconds but we spent weeks on that cape, making sure it was just right, making sure it would come off fluidly when I needed it to."

"She’s my role model, my idol, my legend. She taught me to be a strong, independent woman. I grew up watching how hard she worked. She made me realise that if you want something in this life you have to work hard at it. You’ve got to make the effort. Because of her I was never afraid of hardship. After witnessing all the hardship my mum had been through for us, I was more determined to make it so I could give her a better life."

"I’d go to Lionel for a lot of advice. He was so supportive. He used to tell me: ‘CoCo, I never worried about you once. I always knew that you would kill it.’ He’s always been very sweet and supportive."

"I’m not afraid. I’m fearless. I dare to do things that people don’t expect me to do. Even before I became well known, I was this Chinese singer, singing ballads in Taiwan, wearing shorts and looking like one of the Spice Girls. I was different from everybody else. That was 1994. All the women singers were elegant, wearing dresses and speaking softly, whereas I was quirky and had a crazy loud laugh. I wasn’t afraid to be different and just be me."

"People were telling me the pressure was nothing like anything you’ve experienced before. But I felt if I was going to be afraid of the consequences I would never make a breakthrough. After all, it’s the same as breaking through in the United States. If I had been afraid of failure, I would never have taken that step. Sometimes in life you have to be brave and challenge yourself to do something that is so out of the ordinary and out of your comfort zone. Sometimes you have to be a little bit crazy to do this."

"I do love singing covers. Funny thing is, I have always preferred singing other people’s songs and making them my own. That’s why this show is perfect for me."

"I almost had a heart attack. I was going to be the first Chinese artist to perform at the Oscars. It’s that Chinese pride. I want people to know that we are talented in many ways: not only at kung fu, computers or cooking Chinese food. I felt like I had a lot to prove."

"Inside my solo album, there was a bio of me. Under ‘what is your goal?’ I said: ‘to be an international sensation.’ That is so crazy. A 19-year-old who has just started out – who the heck are you to dream that big? But you’ve gotta dream big. When you have a big goal, you can surpass yourself trying to reach it. If you don’t, you never grow."