Chingmy Yau
Born May 16, 1968 as Yau Suk Ching, Chingmy Yau get her start in the entertainment industry by participating in beauty pageants. It was after her appearance at the Miss Hong Kong beauty pageant in 1989 (where she took the "Miss Photogenic" trophy) that she began to get film offers. Most of her early work consisted of her playing goody-two-shoes roles in romantic comedies until notorious film-maker Wong Jing took Yau under his wing -- and into his bed, even though he was married at the time. Yau became one of the queens of Category III (Hong Kong's version of the NC-17 rating, given to movies with high doses of sex and/or violence) films, through her roles in movies such as the deliciously sleazy Naked Killer (1992). However, unlike most Cat III actresses, she never appeared fully nude. Rumors abounded that Wong Jing (who either directed or produced almost every film Yau was in at the time) had strict control over what Yau could or could not show. Despite Wong's restrictions, Yau continued to heat up the screen in her roles. She even lent a bit of "real" sensuality to the usually sexually tame Jackie Chan in 1992's City Hunter (where she sports almost the exact same outfit as worn by Lara Croft in the hit video game "Tomb Raider"). Gambling never seemed as sexy as when Yau combined kung-fu with wagering in God of Gamblers Returns (1994). Yau provided excellent comic relief (and got back a bit at the hounding Hong Kong press) as well as providing a nice bit of "eye candy" by portraying an annoying tabloid TV reporter in High Risk (1995). Despite her attempts to diversify her acting portfolio, she is still best known for her roles in ultra-sleazy exploitation flicks such as Raped by an Angel (1993). The Hong Kong tabloid press is well-known for being rabid, especially towards actresses, and Chingmy Yau was no exception. Almost from the beginning of her film career, Yau was hounded by reporters claiming that she had slept her way into the film industry, and critics were always quick to cut her down. By 1997, when she publicly announced her and Wong Jing's breakup, no one was really surprised and most people expected her to retire outright. She has continued to work -- albeit at a much slower pace, now doing about one movie a year. But it seems as if Yau is following the lead of many other Hong Kong actresses who shot to fame and left just as quickly. She recently tied the knot to a fashion designer, and if the marriage goes well, she may never work again.
Known For
Credits
- 1999 · Left Right Love Destiny as Carol
- 1999 · Raped by an Angel 4: The Rapist's Union as Yau Yuk-Nam (archival footage)
- 1998 · Hold You Tight as Ah Moon / Rosa Gao
- 1997 · Lawyer Lawyer as Lotus Shui
- 1996 · Feel 100%... Once More as Gobby
- 1996 · 4 Faces of Eve as Nurse/Cherry Chan
- 1996 · Bodyguards of Last Governor as Siu Dau
- 1996 · Street Angels as Tung Yen
- 1996 · Satan Returns as Chan Shou-Ching
- 1996 · Young and Dangerous 2 as Ding Yiu
- 1996 · Blind Romance as Yim Tung Tung
- 1995 · I'm Your Birthday Cake as Cher Lo
- 1995 · Legendary Couple as Lui Chi Lan
- 1995 · High Risk as Helen
- 1995 · The Saint of Gamblers as Yuen-Fan
- 1995 · Lover of the Last Empress as Hui Yu Lan/Empress Tzu Hsi
- 1994 · 1941 Hong Kong on Fire as Law Mong-Dai
- 1994 · God of Gamblers' Return as Hoi Tong
- 1994 · Return to a Better Tomorrow as Chili
- 1994 · Modern Romance as Chanel
- 1994 · The Modern Love as BoBo
- 1994 · Legend of the Red Dragon as Red Bean
- 1993 · The Kung Fu Cult Master as Siu Chiu
- 1993 · Ghost Lantern as Siu Fu Yung
- 1993 · Boys Are Easy as Ching Siu Sze
- 1993 · Future Cops as Chun May
- 1993 · Psycho Killer as
- 1993 · Raped by an Angel as Yau Yuk-nam
- 1993 · Legend Of The Liquid Sword as Flowerless
- 1993 · City Hunter as Saeko Nogami / Anna
- 1993 · Millionaire Cop as Shun
- 1992 · Naked Killer as Kitty
- 1992 · Royal Tramp 2 as Princess King Ning
- 1992 · She Starts the Fire as Wendy
- 1992 · Deadly Dream Woman as Jane
- 1992 · Casino Tycoon II as Mrs Ho Mei
- 1992 · Royal Tramp as Princess King Ning
- 1992 · The Modern Love Story as
- 1992 · Lee Rock III as
- 1992 · Casino Tycoon as Mei
- 1992 · Truant Heroes as Kwan Tak Hing / Ng Siu Yuen
- 1991 · Lee Rock II as Rose / Ha
- 1991 · Lee Rock as Rose
- 1991 · Money Maker as Koh Tau Tau
- 1991 · Tricky Brains as Banana Fung
- 1990 · My Neighbours Are Phantoms as Sandy
- 1989 · The Romancing Star III as Ching
- 1989 · Ghost Busting as Yip Ling
- 1989 · Happy Together as Cherry's housemate
- 1989 · Mr. Fortune as Cha Kit Ching
- 1989 · Perfect Match as Gynaecologist
- 1989 · Celebrity Talk Show as 邱淑贞
- 1989 · They Came to Rob Hong Kong as Jenny Tung
- 1988 · The Crazy Companies II as Tau Tau / Amy
- 1988 · How to Pick Girls Up! as Xiao Beibei
- 1988 · Mr. Possessed as Wawa
- 1988 · Behind Silk Curtains as
- 1988 · The Crazy Companies as Beanie
- 1988 · The Under-Cover Story as 郑婉华
- 1988 · 灵幻天师 as
- 1987 · 新扎师兄1988 as 方敏盈
- 1984 · Police Cadet as