Angie Chiu: A Successful Actress in China

Born in Hong Kong in 1954， Angie Chiu or Zhao Yazhi in Mandarin pronunciation is a legendary actress who has appeared in a number of classic TV dramas. With a beauty that seemingly has not faded a bit over decades， she is celebrated for her fabulous acting and graceful manner.

Angie Chiu has created a series of unforgettable characters: Feng Chengcheng in “Shanghai Grand” in 1980， Yao Mulan in “Moment in Peking” in 1987 and Lady White Snake in “The Legend of White Snake” in 1992. Her characterization in “Warriors of the Yang Clan” in 2003 and “Blue and White” in 2004 displays the absolute magic in her acting.

Angie Chiu grew up with four siblings in a family of seven. Early in her schooldays， she began to show an acting talent. A good singer， dancer and a ballplayer， she was a high-profile activist in school; a tomboy， she got along well with boys and competed with them. The pretty girl never expected to become a showbiz star. Instead she dreamed of working as an airline hostess and flying around the world.

Upon graduation from Shung Tak Catholic English College in 1971， this beauty achieved her stewardess dream without a hitch. In her pre-job training in Japan， she took lessons on Japanese， swimming， first aid as well as etiquette and protocol. After the training， she became an air stewardess for international flights. The training helped her stand out in the first Miss Hong Kong Pageant in 1973. She won the fourth place with her breathtaking appearance and polished manners. After the competition， she became an actress with Hong Kong TVB.

“Competing for Miss Hong Kong gave me plenty of experience，” said Angie Chiu after she became famous， “I learned how to face the audience， how to cope with unexpected problems， and how to be honest with both myself and the public.”

Angie has a diligent and independent personality. Before starring in “Shanghai Grand”， she had appeared in some entertainment programs at TVB. These jobs gave her necessary professional experience. She worked as an assistant director and even tried her hands at directing a film. Her hard work and her personality were favorably noticed. One day， she was asked if she was willing to act in drama. Her first stage role was a young student.

Her performance in the play was not something you would write home about. But she catapulted into stardom with her performance as the female lead in “Shanghai Grand” in 1980， which co-starred Chow Yun Fat and Lui Leung Wai.

At that time， Angie Chiu was new， but she was probably most experienced. The two male heroes were new graduates from a training course of TVB. What she had learned from the entertainment TV programs helped her a great deal.

“Shanghai Grand opened the door for me to get into showbiz and made me into a real star，” Angie reminisced. “Without doubt， it was the turning point of my showbiz career.” She has appeared in more than thirty television dramas and movies.

Marriages and Family

Her first marriage was with Huang Hanwei. It lasted a few years and then broke down. She met Huang Jinshen while shooting a television drama. The man was just back from United States. He cared for her while she was emotionally down and out. They got married in 1984 and they have been happy.

Angie Chiu is a family woman. In real life， Angie is a mother of three children， who are now all adults. Comparing with her acting career， the charming woman attaches much more importance to her family. After the success of “Shanghai Grand”， she did not take advantage of opportunities coming her way. Instead， she dropped out of sight and spent a few years at home taking care of her child. The reason was very simple: she wanted to take care of her baby. She thought it her duty to do it personally and witness every stage of the baby’s growth.

Angie Qiu comments that parenting is her primary job and acting is her secondary job. If not engaged in acting， she would have breakfast together with kids， walk them to the school bus， and greet them when they came home from school. She believes that a mother at home is the most important thing for children coming back from school. She has always managed to attend all the parents meeting at school.

She does not allow herself to miss any growth stage of her children. “Family is always and forever will be my lifelong career.” It is her strong conviction.

While shooting “Shanghai Grand”， she was already pregnant. When the pressure was too demanding， she had to make requests to the director to ease her workload a little bit so that the baby would not be affected negatively.

It is said that a happy marriage makes people young and energetic. Angie Chiu has proven this. She and her husband Huang Jinshen once received an award for their happy marriage. “Marriage is like a boat. A wife and husband should be of one heart and one mind to head for a happy harbor，” says Chiu. Her evergreen beauty is a miracle in the eyes of many people.

\"Moment in Peking\" and \"The Legend of White Snake\" have been remade in mainland in recent years. But Angie's characterization of the two lead women in the plays is indisputably regarded as classic. She is regarded by many as perfection itself.

Over the pat 30 years， she has worked hard. Whenever she works， she gets up at 4:00 every morning and has her makeup before seven o’clock， but she never complains. “I do lose my temper now and then，” smiles Angie， “but losing temper does not achieve anything. Moreover， it hurts me and hurts others. As nobody profits from emotional outburst， I know how to control my emotions.”□