Christy Chung
Encyclopedia
Christy Chung is Chinese-Canadian actress. She was born in Montreal
to a Chinese
father and a Vietnamese
mother.
Chung grew up in Brossard
, Quebec
, a suburb of Montreal
, with French
and Vietnamese
as mother-tongues. She later learned English
, Mandarin and Cantonese
.
While studying for a career in the tourism industry at the Université du Québec à Montréal
(UQAM), she entered and won the "Miss Chinese Montreal" contest in 1992. She then went to Hong Kong
, in her first trip away from home, to participate in the Miss Chinese International pageant in January 1993, in which she won despite not knowing a single Chinese word. This opened doors for her to launch her acting career there, despite not speaking a word of Cantonese at the time, and despite her extremely limited acting experience (an uncredited ten-second non-speaking role as a gum-chewing prostitute in Denys Arcand
's Love and Human Remains
). She had to choose between acting in Hong Kong and becoming the weather-forecast presenter at Société Radio-Canada, the French-language government television network in Canada
.
A role in The Bride with White Hair 2 brought her instant recognition, and she became a well-known star in Chinese-language popular culture, acting in a large number of films including some films starring Stephen Chow
, as well as The Bodyguard from Beijing
starring Jet Li
. She was married for a time to Glen Ross, and gave birth to daughter (Yasmine) in Montreal in the middle of the 1998 Ice Storm. Chung and Ross were divorced in 2002, but remain on good terms. Chung has sole custody of Yasmine.
Giving birth to Yasmine temporarily had a negative effect on her career because of a stereotypical impression that a mother could not function as a sex symbol, but her career recovered in 2000. More recently, she had roles in Samsara
and Jackie Chan
's movie The Medallion
. She added Thai
to her language repertoire when she starred in Nonzee Nimibutr
's 2001 film Jan Dara
. Singapore FHM
magazine voted her the "Sexiest Woman in Asia" in 2000.
She is a brand ambassador and spokeswoman to slimming service Marie France Bodyline, prominently appearing on billboards and print ads, and is also known to be a fan of English football club Chelsea.
Despite her success, she remains mostly unknown in Quebec
, where she was born and grew up, because she has done most of her film work in Cantonese.
Chung was recently seen at the 2007 Sina Awards and is currently working on an album.
In 2003, Chung married to music producer Jon Yen. They have two daughters, Jaden Chloe Yen, who was born on August 2008, and Cayla Janie Yen (3.3 kg) on February 8, 2010. Chung and Jon Yen divorced in 2011, citing pressures on Jon Yen from her success in showbiz.
She has also since retired from showbiz, and has been living in Beijing. Chung is now a restaurant owner. She recently starred in Bruce Lee, My Brother
playing the role of Bruce Lee
's mother and Aarif Lee
portrayed Lee.
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
to a Chinese
Han Chinese
Han Chinese are an ethnic group native to China and are the largest single ethnic group in the world.Han Chinese constitute about 92% of the population of the People's Republic of China , 98% of the population of the Republic of China , 78% of the population of Singapore, and about 20% of the...
father and a Vietnamese
Vietnamese people
The Vietnamese people are an ethnic group originating from present-day northern Vietnam and southern China. They are the majority ethnic group of Vietnam, comprising 86% of the population as of the 1999 census, and are officially known as Kinh to distinguish them from other ethnic groups in Vietnam...
mother.
Chung grew up in Brossard
Brossard
Brossard is a suburban area, located on the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River, opposite the island and city of Montreal.Brossard is subdivided into many smaller sections. These sections are characterized by having street names that all begin with the same letter of the alphabet...
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, a suburb of Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, with French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
and Vietnamese
Vietnamese language
Vietnamese is the national and official language of Vietnam. It is the mother tongue of 86% of Vietnam's population, and of about three million overseas Vietnamese. It is also spoken as a second language by many ethnic minorities of Vietnam...
as mother-tongues. She later learned English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, Mandarin and Cantonese
Standard Cantonese
Cantonese, or Standard Cantonese, is a language that originated in the vicinity of Canton in southern China, and is often regarded as the prestige dialect of Yue Chinese....
.
While studying for a career in the tourism industry at the Université du Québec à Montréal
Université du Québec à Montréal
The Université du Québec à Montréal is one of four universities in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.-Basic facts:The UQAM is the largest constituent element of the Université du Québec , a public university system with other branches in Gatineau , Rimouski, Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec City, Chicoutimi, and...
(UQAM), she entered and won the "Miss Chinese Montreal" contest in 1992. She then went to Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, in her first trip away from home, to participate in the Miss Chinese International pageant in January 1993, in which she won despite not knowing a single Chinese word. This opened doors for her to launch her acting career there, despite not speaking a word of Cantonese at the time, and despite her extremely limited acting experience (an uncredited ten-second non-speaking role as a gum-chewing prostitute in Denys Arcand
Denys Arcand
Georges-Henri Denys Arcand, is a Canadian film director, screenwriter and producer. He has won an Academy Award for Best Foreign Film in 2004 for The Barbarian Invasions...
's Love and Human Remains
Love and Human Remains
Love and Human Remains is a 1993 Canadian film directed by Denys Arcand and based on Brad Fraser's stage play Unidentified Human Remains and the True Nature of Love. Fraser also wrote the screenplay for the film adaptation...
). She had to choose between acting in Hong Kong and becoming the weather-forecast presenter at Société Radio-Canada, the French-language government television network in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
A role in The Bride with White Hair 2 brought her instant recognition, and she became a well-known star in Chinese-language popular culture, acting in a large number of films including some films starring Stephen Chow
Stephen Chow
Stephen Chow Sing-Chi is a Hong Kong actor, comedian, screenwriter, film director and producer.- Professional career :Stephen Chow began as a temporary actor for TVB. He entered TVB in early 1980s, and was trained there, although he had few opportunities to appear in films. Chow graduated from...
, as well as The Bodyguard from Beijing
The Bodyguard from Beijing
The Bodyguard from Beijing , also known as The Defender in the United States and the United Kingdom, is a 1994 Hong Kong action film directed by action choreographer Corey Yuen, and starring Jet Li, Christy Chung, Collin Chou, and Kent Cheng....
starring Jet Li
Jet Li
The fame gained by his sports winnings led to a career as a martial arts film star, beginning in mainland China and then continuing into Hong Kong. Li acquired his screen name in 1982 in the Philippines when a publicity company thought his real name was too hard to pronounce...
. She was married for a time to Glen Ross, and gave birth to daughter (Yasmine) in Montreal in the middle of the 1998 Ice Storm. Chung and Ross were divorced in 2002, but remain on good terms. Chung has sole custody of Yasmine.
Giving birth to Yasmine temporarily had a negative effect on her career because of a stereotypical impression that a mother could not function as a sex symbol, but her career recovered in 2000. More recently, she had roles in Samsara
Samsara (2001 film)
Samsara is a 2001 independent Indian/Italian/French/German film which tells the story of a Buddhist monk's quest to find Enlightenment. The film stars Shawn Ku as the monk Tashi, and Christy Chung as Pema...
and Jackie Chan
Jackie Chan
Jackie Chan, SBS, MBE is a Hong Kong actor, action choreographer, comedian, director, producer, martial artist, screenwriter, entrepreneur, singer and stunt performer. In his movies, he is known for his acrobatic fighting style, comic timing, use of improvised weapons, and innovative stunts...
's movie The Medallion
The Medallion
The Medallion is a 2003 action-comedy film co-written and directed by Hong Kong filmmaker Gordon Chan, and starring Jackie Chan, Lee Evans, and Claire Forlani...
. She added Thai
Thai language
Thai , also known as Central Thai and Siamese, is the national and official language of Thailand and the native language of the Thai people, Thailand's dominant ethnic group. Thai is a member of the Tai group of the Tai–Kadai language family. Historical linguists have been unable to definitively...
to her language repertoire when she starred in Nonzee Nimibutr
Nonzee Nimibutr
Nonzee Nimibutr is a Thai film director, film producer and screenwriter. Best known for his ghost thriller, Nang Nak, he is generally credited as the leader among a "New Wave" of Thai filmmakers that also includes Pen-Ek Ratanaruang, Wisit Sasanatieng and Apichatpong...
's 2001 film Jan Dara
Jan Dara
Jan Dara is a 2001 Thai erotic-period-drama film directed and co-written by Nonzee Nimibutr and co-starring Hong Kong cinema actress Christy Chung. It is based on a novel by Utsana Phleungtham. The film premiered at the 2001 Toronto International Film Festival...
. Singapore FHM
FHM
FHM, originally published as For Him Magazine, is an international monthly men's lifestyle magazine.- History :The magazine began publication in 1985 in the United Kingdom under the name For Him and changed its title to FHM in 1994 when Emap Consumer Media bought the magazine, although the full For...
magazine voted her the "Sexiest Woman in Asia" in 2000.
She is a brand ambassador and spokeswoman to slimming service Marie France Bodyline, prominently appearing on billboards and print ads, and is also known to be a fan of English football club Chelsea.
Despite her success, she remains mostly unknown in Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, where she was born and grew up, because she has done most of her film work in Cantonese.
Chung was recently seen at the 2007 Sina Awards and is currently working on an album.
In 2003, Chung married to music producer Jon Yen. They have two daughters, Jaden Chloe Yen, who was born on August 2008, and Cayla Janie Yen (3.3 kg) on February 8, 2010. Chung and Jon Yen divorced in 2011, citing pressures on Jon Yen from her success in showbiz.
She has also since retired from showbiz, and has been living in Beijing. Chung is now a restaurant owner. She recently starred in Bruce Lee, My Brother
Bruce Lee, My Brother
Bruce Lee, My Brother is a 2010 Hong Kong biographical martial arts drama film based on the life of Bruce Lee in his teenage years to part of his adult years. Directed by Raymond Yip and Manfred Wong, film stars Aarif Lee as Lee and Tony Leung Ka-fai and Christy Chung as his parents...
playing the role of Bruce Lee
Bruce Lee
Bruce Lee was a Chinese American, Hong Kong actor, martial arts instructor, philosopher, film director, film producer, screenwriter, and founder of the Jeet Kune Do martial arts movement...
's mother and Aarif Lee
Aarif Lee
Aarif Lee is an actor and Cantopop singer from Hong Kong. After singing "普通朋友" at a gathering, he was signed by Alvin Wang and Leon Lai of East Asia Record Production and became one of the new artists in 2009...
portrayed Lee.
Filmography
- Bruce Lee, My BrotherBruce Lee, My BrotherBruce Lee, My Brother is a 2010 Hong Kong biographical martial arts drama film based on the life of Bruce Lee in his teenage years to part of his adult years. Directed by Raymond Yip and Manfred Wong, film stars Aarif Lee as Lee and Tony Leung Ka-fai and Christy Chung as his parents...
(2010) - Hong Kong Express (2005) (TV)
- Astonishing (2004) - Mandy
- Fantasia (2004) - Jane Lam, aka Little Britney
- Demi-Gods and Semi-DevilsDemi-Gods and Semi-Devils (2003 TV series)Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils is a Chinese television series adapted from Louis Cha's novel of the same title. It was first broadcast on CCTV in China in 2003.-Cast:*Hu Jun as Qiao Feng / young Xiao Yuanshan*Jimmy Lin as Duan Yu*Gao Hu as Xuzhu...
(2003 TV series) - Kang Min - The MedallionThe MedallionThe Medallion is a 2003 action-comedy film co-written and directed by Hong Kong filmmaker Gordon Chan, and starring Jackie Chan, Lee Evans, and Claire Forlani...
(2003) - Charlotte Watson - Never Again (Lee Soo Young Music Video) (2001) - the Mother in the Video
- SamsaraSamsara (2001 film)Samsara is a 2001 independent Indian/Italian/French/German film which tells the story of a Buddhist monk's quest to find Enlightenment. The film stars Shawn Ku as the monk Tashi, and Christy Chung as Pema...
(2001) - Pema - Jan DaraJan DaraJan Dara is a 2001 Thai erotic-period-drama film directed and co-written by Nonzee Nimibutr and co-starring Hong Kong cinema actress Christy Chung. It is based on a novel by Utsana Phleungtham. The film premiered at the 2001 Toronto International Film Festival...
(2001) - Khun Boonlueang - Asian Charlie's AngelsAsian Charlie's AngelsAsian Charlie's Angels is a Taiwanese version of the successful 1970s American television show, filmed in Mandarin. Produced in 2004 and airing on ImaginAsian in the United States, the show stars Annie Wu as Annabelle, Kelly Lin as Cindy and Qu Ying as Betty. Christy Chung also appears in the film...
(2001) (TV) - Gen-Y Cops (2000) - Inspector Chung
- Conman in Tokyo (2000) - Banana
- Tau mung (2000) - Sophia
- Troublesome NightTroublesome NightTroublesome Night is a 1997 Hong Kong horror comedy film produced by Nam Yin and directed by Steve Cheng, Victor Tam and Herman Yau. It is the first of 19 films in the Troublesome Night film series.-Plot:...
(1997) - Mrs. To - All's Well, Ends Well 1997All's Well, Ends Well 1997All's Well, Ends Well 1997 is a 1997 Hong Kong comedy film directed by Alfred Cheung, starring Stephen Chow, Raymond Wong and Francis Ng.-Cast and roles:* Stephen Chow - Lo Kung* Raymond Wong - Lo Leung* Leslie Cheung - Youngest brother...
(1997) - Little Shien - '97 Aces Go Places (1997) - Li Lai-Shen
- The God of Cookery (1996) - High School Fantasy Girl
- Tai Chi Boxer (1996) - Rose
- Twinkle Twinkle Lucky Star (Yun cai zhi li xing) (1996) - Christie Lee/Angel of Nine Heavens
- Red Wolf (1995) - Lai
- Doctor Mack (1995) - Jamie
- Passion 1995 (1995) - Tina
- Faithfully Yours (1995) - Miss Tang
- Man WantedMan WantedMan Wanted is a 1932 romance film starring Kay Francis as a married magazine editor who hires a handsome secretary .-Cast:*Kay Francis as Lois Ames*David Manners as Thomas Sherman*Una Merkel as Ruth Holman*Andy Devine as Andy Doyle...
(1995) - Yung - Love on DeliveryLove on DeliveryLove on Delivery is a 1994 Hong Kong comedy film directed by Stephen Chow and Lee Lik-Chi, starring Stephen Chow, Christy Chung and Ng Man Tat.-Plot:...
(1994) - Lily - Hail the JudgeHail the JudgeHail the Judge is a 1994 Hong Kong comedy film directed by Wong Jing, starring Stephen Chow, Cheung Man, and Ng Man Tat.-Plot:Bao Zheng’s corrupt descendant, who’s hated by the public for his money-digging ways. He has a change of heart when he sees rape victim Cheung Man get framed by other...
(1994) - Stone Mansion - Modern RomanceModern Romance-Cast:* Albert Brooks .... Robert Cole* Kathryn Harrold .... Mary Harvard* Bruno Kirby .... Jay-Plot:Robert Cole is a Hollywood film editor right in the middle of cutting a new science fiction film with George Kennedy. His relationship with very patient bank executive Mary Harvard is caught...
(1994) - Ady - Mermaid Got MarriedMermaid Got MarriedMermaid Got Married is a 1994 Hong Kong film based on the film Splash, directed by Norman Law Man. There is no plans for a DVD release.-Plot:...
(1994) - Wong Siu May, the mermaid - I Wanna Be Your ManI Wanna Be Your Man"I Wanna Be Your Man" is a Lennon–McCartney-penned song that was recorded separately by The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. The Rolling Stones' version was released a few weeks earlier...
(1994) - Ron - The Bodyguard from BeijingThe Bodyguard from BeijingThe Bodyguard from Beijing , also known as The Defender in the United States and the United Kingdom, is a 1994 Hong Kong action film directed by action choreographer Corey Yuen, and starring Jet Li, Christy Chung, Collin Chou, and Kent Cheng....
(1994) - Michelle Yeung - Whatever You WantWhatever You WantWhatever You Want is the twelfth studio 1979 rock album by the British band Status Quo. It features 10 tracks including the title track....
(1994) - Pearl Ko - The Sting 2 (1993) - Lily
- The Bride with White Hair 2The Bride with White Hair 2The Bride with White Hair 2 is a 1993 Hong Kong film directed by David Wu. It is the sequel to The Bride with White Hair, with Brigitte Lin and Leslie Cheung reprising their roles as Lian Nichang and Zhuo Yihang...
(1993) - Moon
External links
- hkcinemagic entry
- Interview
- La Presse article
- http://www.montrealmirror.com/ARCHIVES/2002/010302/cover.html