Kara Wai Ying-hung BBS () is a Hong Kong actress best known internationally for her roles in wuxia films produced by the Shaw Brothers Studio in the 1970s and 1980s.
Wai has since portrayed a wide range of roles on screen and on television with much success. She is the inaugural and a three-time recipient of Hong Kong Film Award for Best Actress. Her portrayal of a mother in the 2009 film At the End of Daybreak won her acting awards at the Hong Kong Film Awards, Hong Kong Film Critics Society Awards, Changchun Film Festival, Pacific Meridian, Asian Film Awards, and Golden Horse Awards. In following years, she went on to win multiple acting trophies throughout Asia Pacific from film roles, making her one of the most celebrated Hong Kong actresses.
On 1 July 2018, she was awarded Bronze Bauhinia Star (BBS) by the Chief Executive of Hong Kong Special Administration Region, in recognition of her contribution to the Hong Kong film industry and acting performances.
Personal life Born in Hong Kong, she is the fourth oldest out of six children. She is of Manchu descent. Her elder brother was Austin Wai. In her early years, Wai's family resided in the poor shanty town of Rennie's Mill. She did not continue her education beyond completing primary school.[Be My Guest, Episode # 157, 20 March 2010] In her interview on Be My Guest, Wai revealed her family lost their savings due to her father's business acquaintances. Left penniless, Wai's mother, herself, and her siblings were forced to peddle goods on the streets of Hong Kong. As a teen, she often sold gum and souvenirs in Wan Chai to sailors.
At the age of 14, she began taking dance lessons at the now defunct Miramar nightclub and Northern style weaponry lessons from Donnie Yen's mother, Bow-sim Mark. Wai performed Chinese dance in a nightclub for three years from age 14 to 17. Director Chang Cheh is her godfather.
In 1999, she suffered from depression, and her career was at a low ebb. She attempted suicide at the age of 40. In 2003, with the help of friends and relatives, Wai began to recover.
In March 2021, Wai expressed her support for cotton produced in Xinjiang after several companies announced they will stop purchasing cotton from the region due to concerns over forced labour from Uyghurs; a move echoed by most Chinese celebrities.
Career 1977–1987: Shaw Brothers Studio During the film shoot for Dirty Ho (1979), the lead actress quit due to the strain of the martial arts stunts. Wai was then an extra in the film. Director Liu Chia-Liang had seen Wai's audition tape for The Brave Archer (1977) and decided to substitute her in as the lead actress. This was their first time working together. Impressed by her performance, Liu would go on to cast Wai in his other projects.
Wai reached her career apex with My Young Auntie (1982), for which she earned the Award for Best Actress at the 1st Hong Kong Film Awards.
Wai's last film with Shaw Brothers was The Eight Diagram Pole Fighter (1984).
1988–2002 In 1987, Wai traveled to Paris, France, to conduct a nude photoshoot for Playboy. The photos were taken by Byron Newman. The photo book was published in 1989.
2003–2010: Return and TVB In 2005, she quietly returned to the Hong Kong entertainment industry. In addition to film, she joined television network TVB and was nominated for a TVB Anniversary Award for Best Supporting Actress in 2009 for Rosy Business and in 2010 for A Fistful of Stances.
In 2009, Wai won the 46th Golden Horse Awards for Best Supporting Actress for her role as a possessive mother in At the End of Daybreak. The film has also won the 16th the Hong Kong Institute of Film Critics award for Best Actress, the 4th Asian Film Awards for Best Supporting Actress, the 29th Hong Kong film awards Best Actress, the 10th Chinese movie media awards "best actress", the 10th China Changchun film festival Best Actress in Vladivostok, Russia international film festival has won seven awards Best Actress.
2011–present Wai made her first mainland TV appearance in the series The Glamorous Imperial Concubine. She took a pay cut to play Wu Zetian in her next mainland drama, Women of the Tang Dynasty. The role garnered her a Best Supporting Actress nomination at the 13th Huading Awards.
In 2012, Wai officially transferred to the king of the arts and is now a contract actress. In 2013, Wai signed a one-year drama contract with HKTV. Her first role with them was as the Black Rose on Incredible Mama. She won Best Supporting Actress for the Malaysian film The Wedding Diary (2011) at the 2013 Golden Wau Awards, a ceremony celebrating Chinese language films in Malaysia.
In 2014, Wai won the Best Supporting Actress award at the 33rd Hong Kong Film Awards for her film Rigor Mortis. In 2017, she won the Best Actress Award at the 36th Hong Kong film awards for Happiness. In March 2018, Wai won the Excellence In Asian Cinema Award at the 12th Asian Film Awards. In October 2018, she was awarded the Bronze Bauhinia Star for her outstanding achievements in the performing arts industry by the Chief Executive Carrie Lam. In 2018, Wai starred as the conservative wife of a closeted transgender woman in Tracey. The film earned Wai the Award for Best Supporting Actress at the 38th Hong Kong Film Awards and the Award for Best Supporting Actress at the 13th Asian Film Awards. In 2019, Wai earned critical acclaim with her role as Chief Superintendent Man Hei-wah (Madam Man) in the TVB crime drama The Defected, for which she won the Best Actress award at the 2019 TVB Anniversary Awards.
In 2021, Wai and Hugo Ng Doi-Yung starred in the movie "Sunshine of my life" as a blind parent of a normal child, played by Karena Ng. HK01. 2021-05-23 In the same year, she starred in the TVB crime thriller Murder Diary, in which she portrayed Yeung Bik-sum, a mental hospital assistant with schizophrenia, and was once again highly praised for her acting skills.
Filmography
Film
1970s Year Title Role 1976 Challenge of the Masters 1977 Chinatown Kid Girl in brothel 1977 The Brave Archer Mu Nianci 1977 Teenager's Nightmare: The Criminals Part 5 1977 The Dream of the Red Chamber Sheyue 1978 Invincible Shaolin Xiu Yin 1978 Heaven Sword & Dragon Sabre Part II 1978 The Voyage of Emperor Chien Lung 1978 Swordsman and Enchantress 1978 The Cunning Hustler 1978 The Brave Archer 2 Mu Nianci 1978 Clan of Amazons 1978 Shaolin Handlock Li's student 1979 The Tigress of Shaolin Tsai Chiao 1979 The Last Judgement 1979 Life Gamble Xiao Hung 1979 The Scandalous Warlord Concubine 1979 Mad Monkey Kung Fu Miss Chen 1979 The Deadly Breaking Sword Xiaoqin 1979 The Ghost Story 1979 Dirty Ho Choi Hung
1980s Year Title Role 1980 Return to the 36th Chamber Hung 1980 The Swift Sword 1980 Emperor Chien Lung and the Beauty 1980 Heaven and Hell Lin Wei-Gang's Girlfriend 1980 Clan of the White Lotus Mei-Hsiao 1981 Sword Stained with Royal Blood 1981 Return of the Sentimental Swordsman Sun Hsiao Hung 1981 My Young Auntie Cheng Tai-Nan 1981 The Brave Archer 3 1981 Martial Club Chu Ying 1981 The Tiger and the Widow 1981 The Duel of the Century 1982 The Emperor and the Minister 1982 Cat vs Rat Chan's sister 1982 The Brave Archer and His Mate 1982 Legendary Weapons of China Fang Shao-Ching 1982 The 82 Tenants 1982 Buddha's Palm 1983 Demon of the Lute 1983 The Lady Is the Boss 1984 Three Stooges Go Undercover 1984 New Tales of the Flying Fox Yuan Tzu-yi 1984 The Eight Diagram Pole Fighter Yang No.8 1984 Family Light Affair 1984 Double Decker 1984 The Return of Pom Pom Yuen Hung/Mimi 1984 Long Road to Gallantry Li Sai Nan 1985 Twinkle, Twinkle, Lucky Stars Tour Girl 1985 Why Me? Woman Whose Husband Gambles 1985 Journey of the Doomed 1986 The Story of Dr. Sun Yat-sen 1986 Rosa Lei's Sister 1986 Naughty Boys Chuan 1986 The Seventh Curse Inspector Chiang 1987 Rouge Actress Portraying Ghost 1988 Peacock King 1988 The Inspector Wears Skirts May 1988 Pretty Women at War Ah Phoh 1988 The Dragon Family Wai's wife 1989 Burning Ambition Chau Siu-Hong 1989 They Came to Rob Hong Kong Inspector Shang 1989 Red Lips 1989 Widow Warriors Sister-in-law 1989 The Inspector Wears Skirts II
1990s Year Title Role 1990 Stage Door Johnny 1990 Angel Terminators Hon 1990 Raid on Royal Casino Marine May 1990 Lethal Angels 2 1991 The Banquet The Servant 1991 Heart of Danger 1991 Who Cares! 1991 Queen of Gambler 1991 The Roar of the Vietnamese Yuen Wan-Yin 1992 The Inspector Wears Skirts IV May 1992 Behind the Curtain 1992 Guys in Ghost's Hand 1992 Zen of Sword Ha Hou's Aunt 1992 Mega Force from Highland 1992 Legend of the Drunken Tiger Leela 1993 Madam City Hunter Siu-Hung 1993 Tattoo Girl 1994 Sharpshooters Kan Nam 1995 The Vengeance 1996 Dragon from Shaolin 1996 Xiu hua da dao
2000s Year Title Role 2000 High K 2000 Fist Power 2001 Visible Secret Siu Kam's mother 2003 The Park Mrs. Yu 2003 Infernal Affairs II Hau's sister 2003 The Secret Society – Boss Fai's ex-wife 2003 Night Corridor Sam's mother 2004 Blood Brothers Wing's mother 2005 A Chinese Tall Story 2005 Crazy N' the City Rachel 2008 Legendary Assassin Boss 2008 L for Love L for Lies Bobo's mother 2009 At the End of Daybreak Tuck's mother
2010s Year Title Role 2010 72 Tenants of Prosperity 2010 Kung Fu Wing Chun Master Ng Mui 2011 A Chinese Ghost Story Lao Lao, the tree demon 2011 Dragon Knife fighter 2011 The Wedding Diary 2011 Turning Point 2 2012 Diva Sister Dan 2012 Happiness Me Too 2013 Midnight Train 2013 7 Assassins 2013 The Wedding Diary 2 2013 The Fox Lover 2013 Rigor Mortis Yeung Feng 2013 Control 2014 Lock Me Up, Tie Him Down 2014 The Midnight After 2015 Lovers & Movies 2015 Kungfu Taboo 2015 Daughter 2016 Book of Love Ling 2016 Horrible Masion In Wild Village Granny 2016 Happiness Tse Yuen-fan 2016 The Warriors Gate Mountain Spirit 2016 Mrs K Mrs K 2017 77 Heartbreaks Eva's mother 2017 The Mysterious Family Mother 2017 The Bold, the Corrupt, and the Beautiful Madame Tang 2018 Tracey Anne 2018 House of the Rising Sons 2018 A Life of Papers 2018 Catching Crazy 2019 77 Heartwarmings 2019 Mr. Monster 2019 My People, My Country
2020s Year Title Role 2020 Monster Run Lady Lotus2021 77 Heartwarmings Eva's Mother 2022 Sunshine of My Life Gan Xiaohong2023 Śakra (Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils) Ruan Xingzhu Ciao Zhang Qianying Love Never Ends Li Huiru Last Suspect Lin Shu'e
Television dramas