How Charlie Young, actress and singer, became one of Hong Kong’s most versatile stars, and worked with Donnie Yen, Leon Lai and Wong Kar-wai
- Known for her versatility, Hong Kong actress and singer Charlie Young has taken on a wide variety of film roles, from a lesbian prostitute to an assassin seeker
- Young has worked with internationally known actors including Donnie Yen and Tony Leung Chiu-wai, and calls it ‘very rewarding’ to work closely with such stars
But Young, who achieved fame as a teenage model before making it big as a Cantopop idol, did not let her image limit the kind of roles she played.
Young has often checked in with the Post, and these are some of the things she told us over the years:
On her aspirations to be a performer as a child, in 1994:
“In my youth, my mother rarely complimented me. I would always hear about her friends’ daughters and how pretty or talented they were. My mother encouraged me but never stroked my ego.”
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On being given the opportunity to work with Wong Kar-wai in Ashes of Time:
“I know I have to cherish every chance and put more effort into everything. I am afraid I can’t live up to other people’s expectations of me.”
On being a star in both the film and music industries:
“I do hope I can balance my film work and my singing career. I have little time for rest but I have to use any leisure time I have to practise my singing. The idea to pursue these two lines together was my manager’s, although it was I who made the final decision.
“In this business, opportunities do not come often and when they do, I should grab each one. That is always better than missing out on chances.”
On keeping her wholesome image while experimenting with her movie roles:
“I do not have much experience in the entertainment business and seldom get the chance to meet all my fans, so some of them might not know me well. They just know me from magazine interviews and that is just by my appearance.
“I am afraid that they might not be able to differentiate between the real me and the one they see in movies. That might affect my career. But I believe this is just a temporary thing.”
On advice she received from Tsui Hark during the filming of The Lovers:
“He said you cannot just concentrate on stealing the show. It’s a collective work and the key thing is whether it touches the audience or not. If you stand out, but other people don’t, it’s still a failure.
“I think this is why I can easily mix with different actors now. I want to be in harmony with the people on the screen.”
On working with Leon Lai Ming and Donnie Yen Ji-dan on Tsui Hark’s acclaimed wuxia movie Seven Swords, in 2005:
“It was very rewarding to work closely with so many accomplished actors. Leon was very encouraging and shared the difficulties he experienced in the past and how he overcame them.
“Whenever Donnie Yen was set to film a fight scene, we would all get excited and gather around to watch.”
On playing a wide variety of roles as an actress:
“Being an actress is a constantly evolving process, paralleling the experiences one accumulates in real life. The more you feel in life, the more types of characters you can empathise with.
“Not once have I ever regretted my acting choices. Gaining experience is an integral part of every project … I am always growing, learning and enriching my life.”
On wanting to work in sci-fi films:
“I’d like to star in a science fiction movie, something along the lines of X-Men or The Fifth Element. These roles have a lot of room for creativity and improvisation.”
On how she has never been a “flower vase” – just decoration – in a film, in 2006:
“I have never looked very pretty in a film. I was very dirty in Seven Swords, and in The Lovers and Intimates I wore no make-up.
“I have never repeated myself when it comes to roles. When you are 17, you can only take up roles of 17-year-olds. When you grow older, you can be someone’s girlfriend or wife. If you don’t have enough life experience, you can only imagine. I feel like I can fit into many more roles now.”
On her hopes for more serious scripts like Patrick Tam’s After This, Our Exile:
“I’m very meticulous about acting. Once I am involved, I can hardly pull myself out of it. Any future film has to be a serious project. The director and the script are the backbones. Then I look at whether I could fit into the character.”
On scripting and directing Christmas Rose, a film about sexual abuse:
“I’m not trying to use this film to tell people who is wrong and who is right. It’s just in my heart. I always feel that it’s hard to come out and take a wide view of what’s going on. Not many people try to understand why something has happened. But there’s always a story behind an action.”
On having worked with many of Hong Kong’s most successful directors:
“I feel of course that I’m very blessed already. The filmmakers I’ve worked with have all taught me so many things – don’t forget that I was a total rookie when I made Ashes of Time with Wong Kar-wai.”
In this regular feature series on the best of Hong Kong cinema, we examine the legacy of classic films, re-evaluate the careers of its greatest stars, and revisit some of the lesser-known aspects of the beloved industry.
