Maggie Cheung

Maggie Cheung (born 20 September 1964 in Hong Kong) is a Hong Kong actress widely regarded as one of Asia’s most accomplished and internationally recognized performers. She has won six Hong Kong Film Awards and five Golden Horse Awards—more Best Actress prizes than any other actor in those ceremonies. On the global stage, she earned the Silver Bear for Best Actress at the Berlin International Film Festival for *Center Stage* (1991) and the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actress for *Clean* (2004). She was the first Asian actress to win at Cannes and remains the only Asian actress to have taken Best Actress honors at two of Europe’s three major film festivals.

Cheung first gained attention in the 1980s, especially through her role as May, Jackie Chan’s long-suffering girlfriend, in the *Police Story* series. She soon moved beyond action and comedy into dramatic parts, appearing in films such as *As Tears Go By* (1988), *Days of Being Wild* (1990), *Irma Vep* (1996), and *Comrades, Almost a Love Story* (1996). Her international breakthrough came with Wong Kar-wai’s *In the Mood for Love* (2000), which brought her worldwide acclaim and was ranked fifth on *Sight & Sound*’s 2022 list of the greatest films ever made. *Entertainment Weekly* also included her performance in that film on its list of 51 Oscar-snubbed performances from the Academy’s 86-year history—one of only two Asian performances selected.

Since the late 2000s, Cheung has largely stepped away from acting, appearing only occasionally at festivals, fashion events, and industry ceremonies. Outside of film, she has taken on selective creative and philanthropic roles, including serving as a UNICEF ambassador.

**Early life** Cheung was born in Hong Kong to Shanghainese parents. She attended St. Paul’s Primary Catholic School in Happy Valley from primary one. When she was eight, her family moved to the United Kingdom. She spent part of her childhood and adolescence in Bromley, London, and attended St Edmund’s School in Canterbury. At 18, in 1982, she returned to Hong Kong for a vacation but stayed for modeling work and other commitments, briefly working as a salesperson at Lane Crawford department store. In 1983, she entered the Miss Hong Kong pageant, finishing as first runner-up and winning the Miss Photogenic award. That same year, she was a semi-finalist in the Miss World pageant. After two years as a TV presenter, she signed a contract with TVB, the television arm of Shaw Brothers Studio.

Cheung is a polyglot, a result of growing up in Hong Kong and England, living in Paris for ten years, and spending five years in Beijing. In *Center Stage*, she performed fluently in Cantonese, Mandarin, and Shanghainese, switching between them with ease. In *Clean*, she performed in fluent English, French, and Cantonese.

**Career: 1984–1987** Shortly after her debut, Cheung broke into film with the comedy *Prince Charming* (1984), a box-office hit. Her performance caught Jackie Chan’s attention, leading to her casting as May in *Police Story* (1985). The film’s success made her a star across Asia.

**1988–1994** Despite her popularity, Cheung was often typecast as comedic or weak characters. To break away, she sought dramatic roles. Wong Kar-wai cast her in *As Tears Go By* (1988), the first of many collaborations. Cheung has called that film the true start of her serious acting career, earning critical praise. In 1989–1990, she won Best Actress at the Golden Horse Awards and Hong Kong Film Awards for *Full Moon in New York* and *A Fishy Story*, respectively. She also won a Golden Horse for Best Supporting Actress for *Rolling Red Dust*.

In 1992, she became the first Chinese performer to win a Best Actress award at the Berlin International Film Festival for *Center Stage* (1991). That film also earned her Best Actress at the Golden Horse and Hong Kong Film Awards. She showed versatility in action roles, impressing in *The Heroic Trio* (1992) and its sequel *Executioners* (1993) with her martial arts skills. She played a beautiful, vicious femme fatale in *New Dragon Gate Inn* (1992) and a snake demon in *Green Snake* (1993), a character torn between good and evil. In Wong Kar-wai’s *Ashes of Time* (1994), she conveyed deep emotion through stillness—eyes, gestures, and silence—without dramatic conflict.

**1996–2004** After making more than 68 films—mostly action—in under a decade, Cheung took a two-year sabbatical to reflect on her interests. She explored art and music, traveled, and improved her language skills. Upon returning, she carefully chose co-productions and directors.