Joey Wong facts for kids

Joey Wong Cho-Yee (also known as Joey Wang) is a famous former actress and singer from Taiwan. She was born on January 31, 1967. Joey became very well-known across Asia, especially for her roles in Hong Kong movies. One of her most famous roles was in the film series A Chinese Ghost Story from 1987 to 1991. After her last movie, Shanghai Story in 2004, she decided to retire and moved to Canada.

About Joey Wong

Early Life and First Steps in Acting

Joey Wong was born and grew up in Taipei, Taiwan. She finished her high school studies there. Joey has an older brother, a younger brother, and a sister. Her father was a professional basketball player. He encouraged her to follow in his footsteps and become a basketball player too.

When Joey was 14, she appeared in a TV commercial for sports shoes. This commercial caught the eye of a film producer. The producer then offered her a main role in a movie called It'll Be Very Cold by the Lakeside This Year. This was her first movie! Her acting debut got the attention of another producer, Mona Fong, from Shaw Brothers studio. Mona Fong invited Joey to Hong Kong. There, Joey starred in the film Let's Make Laugh II.

Rise to Fame

Joey Wong became a huge star with her role as Nie Xiaoqian in Tsui Hark's movie A Chinese Ghost Story in 1987. This movie made her famous all over East Asia, including China, Japan, and South Korea. After this success, she acted in many more films. She often played characters that were supernatural or mythical, like ghosts.

In 1989, Joey also starred in a Japanese TV series called A Woman From Hong Kong. She started her singing career in 1992. She released a song called Hold You in My Arms Forever in both Japanese and Mandarin. The next year, in 1993, she played the White Snake in Tsui Hark’s movie Green Snake. This movie was a new version of the old story, Legend of the White Snake.

Retirement and Later Life

In 1994, Joey Wong announced that she planned to stop acting. She mostly stayed out of the public eye for a while. She made a short return to acting in 1997. She starred in the Japanese film Peking Genjin (Peking Man). She also released a song called Who Are You? that went with the movie.

In 1998, she released a Japanese music album called Angelus. She also released her first and only full-length Mandarin album, Isolation. After releasing this album, she went into semi-retirement. She returned to movies briefly in 2001 with Peony Pavilion. She announced her retirement again in 2002. Her final movie appearance was in Shanghai Story in 2004. After a sad event involving a close friend, she decided to leave the entertainment industry completely. She then moved to Vancouver, Canada, where she has lived as a Buddhist.

Personal Life

Joey Wong had a long relationship with Taiwanese singer Chyi Chin. Their relationship started in 1985 and ended in 2002.

Film Highlights

Joey Wong starred in many movies during her career. Here are some of her most notable films:

• It'll Be Very Cold by the Lakeside This Year (1984) - Her first movie role.
• A Chinese Ghost Story (1987) - This movie made her a big star. She was nominated for Best Actress at the Hong Kong Film Awards for this role.
• A Chinese Ghost Story II (1990)
• A Chinese Ghost Story III (1991) - She won the Best Actress award at the Catalonian International Film Festival for this film.
• Green Snake (1993) - She played the White Snake.
• City Hunter (1993)
• Shanghai Story (2004) - Her last film.

Music

Joey Wong also released music during her career.

• Hold You in My Arms Forever (1992) - Her first single.
• Who Are You? (1997) - A single released with her movie Peking Man.
• Angelus (1998) - A Japanese album.
• Isolation (1998) - Her only full-length Mandarin album.