Maggie Cheung, whose full name is Maggie Cheung Man-yuk, was born on September 20, 1964, in Hong Kong. She is a Hong Kong actress and former model who has worked in Chinese, Hong Kong, and French cinema. After beginning her career in commercial films alongside Jackie Chan, she appeared in dramas directed by Wong Kar-wai, Stanley Kwan, Peter Chan, and Olivier Assayas. Her films include Police Story (1985), As Tears Go By (1988), Center Stage (1991), Irma Vep (1996), In the Mood for Love (2000), Hero (2002), and Clean (2004). She received the Silver Bear for Best Actress at the Berlin International Film Festival in 1992 and the Best Actress Award at the Cannes Film Festival in 2004.

Early Life and Education

Maggie Cheung was born into a family with ancestral roots in Shanghai. When she was approximately eight years old, her family moved from Hong Kong to England. She spent much of her childhood in Kent and attended school in Britain.

Growing up in England, Cheung learned English while maintaining her connection to Chinese language and culture. After completing her secondary education, she worked briefly in a London bookshop.

In 1981, at the age of seventeen, she returned to Hong Kong, where she began working as a model and appearing in television advertisements.

Miss Hong Kong and the Beginning of Her Acting Career

In 1983, Maggie Cheung participated in the Miss Hong Kong Pageant and finished as first runner-up. Her performance in the competition attracted the attention of the television industry, and she signed a contract with Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB).

She began appearing in television productions including Rainbow 'Round My Shoulder and Police Cadet '84 in 1984. The latter series also featured Tony Leung Chiu-wai.

Her film debut came in Prince Charming (1984), followed by Behind the Yellow Line (1984) and Girl with the Diamond Slipper (1985).

During these early years, Cheung worked mainly in romantic comedies, action films, and commercially oriented productions. She appeared in numerous films over a relatively short period, gaining experience in different types of roles.

Police Story and Collaboration with Jackie Chan

In 1985, Maggie Cheung played May, the girlfriend of police officer Chan Ka-kui, portrayed by Jackie Chan, in the action film Police Story. The film combined police drama, comedy, and large-scale stunt sequences.

Cheung returned to the role in Police Story 2 (1988) and Police Story 3: Supercop (1992). These productions formed part of her continuing association with Jackie Chan during the early stages of her film career.

She also appeared in The Seventh Curse (1986), Project A Part II (1987), and several other action and comedy films.

Although she was initially cast frequently in romantic or supporting roles, her subsequent performances gave her opportunities to portray characters with more complex emotional and psychological experiences.

Wong Kar-wai and As Tears Go By

In 1988, Maggie Cheung worked for the first time with director Wong Kar-wai in As Tears Go By. She played Ngor, a young woman who becomes romantically involved with a small-time gangster portrayed by Andy Lau.

The film combined elements of crime drama and romance. Cheung's performance earned her a nomination for Best Actress at the Hong Kong Film Awards in 1989.

She reunited with Wong Kar-wai in Days of Being Wild (1990), portraying Su Lizhen, a woman involved in an emotionally difficult relationship with a young man played by Leslie Cheung. The film also featured Andy Lau, Carina Lau, and Tony Leung Chiu-wai.

Her collaboration with Wong continued in Ashes of Time (1994), an unconventional martial arts drama featuring Leslie Cheung, Brigitte Lin, Tony Leung Chiu-wai, and Tony Leung Ka-fai.

Golden Horse Awards and Center Stage

In 1989, Maggie Cheung won the Golden Horse Award for Best Leading Actress for her performance in Full Moon in New York, directed by Stanley Kwan. The film explored the lives of three Chinese women living in New York.

In 1990, she received the Hong Kong Film Award for Best Actress for A Fishy Story, a romantic drama directed by Anthony Chan. She also received the Golden Horse Award for Best Supporting Actress for Red Dust (1990).

In Center Stage (1991), also known as Actress, she portrayed Ruan Lingyu, a Chinese silent-film actress who died in 1935 at the age of twenty-four. Directed by Stanley Kwan, the film combined dramatized scenes, historical material, and interviews.

Her portrayal of Ruan Lingyu earned her the Golden Horse Award for Best Leading Actress in 1991 and the Silver Bear for Best Actress at the 1992 Berlin International Film Festival. She became the first Chinese actress to receive that acting award in Berlin.

She also won the Best Actress award at the 1992 Chicago International Film Festival and the Hong Kong Film Award for Best Actress in 1993 for the same film.

Action Films and the Early 1990s

Maggie Cheung continued appearing in Hong Kong productions throughout the early 1990s. In addition to the third Police Story film, she acted in Dragon Inn (1992), directed by Raymond Lee and produced by Tsui Hark.

In 1993, she starred alongside Michelle Yeoh and Anita Mui in The Heroic Trio, directed by Johnnie To. The film followed three women whose different backgrounds become connected through a criminal investigation and a confrontation with a mysterious antagonist.

She also appeared in Flying Dagger and Green Snake (1993). In the latter, directed by Tsui Hark, she played the Green Snake opposite Joey Wong as the White Snake.

After several years of frequent filming, Cheung took a break from acting in 1994. She used the period to travel and consider which types of films she wanted to make.

Return to Cinema and Irma Vep

Maggie Cheung returned to cinema in 1996 with Irma Vep, directed by French filmmaker Olivier Assayas. In the film, she played a fictionalized version of herself, a Hong Kong actress arriving in Paris to appear in a remake of the French silent serial Les Vampires.

The film examined filmmaking, cultural differences, and the working relationships between directors and performers. It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the Cannes Film Festival.

The same year, Cheung starred opposite Leon Lai in Comrades: Almost a Love Story, directed by Peter Chan. She played Li Qiao, a Chinese migrant who develops a relationship with another newcomer to Hong Kong.

Her performance won several awards, including the Golden Horse Award and the Hong Kong Film Award for Best Actress.

In 1997, Cheung portrayed Soong Ching-ling, the wife of Sun Yat-sen, in The Soong Sisters, directed by Mabel Cheung. Her co-stars included Michelle Yeoh and Vivian Wu.

She also appeared in Chinese Box (1997), directed by Wayne Wang and starring Jeremy Irons and Gong Li.

In the Mood for Love

In 2000, Maggie Cheung reunited with Wong Kar-wai in In the Mood for Love, playing Su Li-zhen, also known as Mrs. Chan. The film was set in Hong Kong in 1962 and followed two neighbors who discover that their spouses are having an affair.

Her co-star Tony Leung Chiu-wai played Chow Mo-wan. The relationship between the two characters developed through restrained conversations, shared meals, and repeated encounters in the apartment building where they lived.

Cheung's performance relied on limited dialogue and carefully controlled gestures. The film's visual design featured narrow corridors, patterned interiors, and a series of cheongsam dresses worn by her character.

In the Mood for Love premiered in competition at the 2000 Cannes Film Festival. Cheung won the Golden Horse Award for Best Leading Actress in 2000 and the Hong Kong Film Award for Best Actress in 2001.

The film was subsequently included in international critics' polls and retrospectives devoted to contemporary cinema.

Hero and 2046

In 2002, Maggie Cheung played Flying Snow in Hero, directed by Zhang Yimou. The historical martial arts film featured Jet Li, Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Zhang Ziyi, and Donnie Yen.

The film presented different accounts of an assassination plot against the ruler of the Qin state, using changes in visual style and color to distinguish the competing narratives.

Cheung also appeared briefly in 2046 (2004), another film directed by Wong Kar-wai. It continued themes and characters associated with In the Mood for Love, although her appearance was limited.

Clean and the Cannes Best Actress Award

In 2004, Maggie Cheung starred in Clean, directed by her former husband Olivier Assayas. She played Emily Wang, a woman struggling with drug addiction who attempts to rebuild her life and regain a relationship with her son after the death of her musician partner.

The film also featured Nick Nolte, Béatrice Dalle, and James Johnston. Cheung performed songs written with musicians including David Roback, known for his work with Mazzy Star.

Her performance earned her the Best Actress Award at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival. She became the first actress from Asia to receive the festival's Best Actress award.

In 2005, she was nominated for the César Award for Best Actress in France for the same film.

The New York Times included her performance in Clean in a selection of notable film performances published in January 2007.

Personal Life and Olivier Assayas

Maggie Cheung married French director Olivier Assayas on December 26, 1998. The couple had met through their work on Irma Vep in 1996.

The marriage ended in divorce in 2001. They subsequently worked together again on Clean (2004).

Cheung has lived in Hong Kong, England, and France. Her experience in several countries contributed to her ability to work in Cantonese-, Mandarin-, English-, and French-language productions.

Music and Later Activities

After Clean, Maggie Cheung substantially reduced her acting commitments. She made occasional screen appearances but did not resume the frequent film schedule she had maintained during the 1980s and 1990s.

She served as a member of the main competition jury at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival.

In 2014, she pursued an interest in music and performed at the Strawberry Music Festival in Shanghai. Her performance received mixed and sometimes negative reactions, which she later discussed publicly.

In 2025, Cheung began sharing videos on the Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu. In May 2026, media reports described her quieter lifestyle in the French countryside near Bordeaux, where she shared videos of cooking, gardening, and everyday activities.

Major Awards

• 1989 – Golden Horse Award, Best Leading Actress, Full Moon in New York
• 1990 – Hong Kong Film Award, Best Actress, A Fishy Story
• 1990 – Golden Horse Award, Best Supporting Actress, Red Dust
• 1991 – Golden Horse Award, Best Leading Actress, Center Stage
• 1992 – Berlin International Film Festival, Silver Bear for Best Actress, Center Stage
• 1993 – Hong Kong Film Award, Best Actress, Center Stage
• 1997 – Golden Horse Award, Best Leading Actress, Comrades: Almost a Love Story
• 1997 – Hong Kong Film Award, Best Actress, Comrades: Almost a Love Story
• 1998 – Hong Kong Film Award, Best Actress, The Soong Sisters
• 2000 – Golden Horse Award, Best Leading Actress, In the Mood for Love
• 2001 – Hong Kong Film Award, Best Actress, In the Mood for Love
• 2004 – Cannes Film Festival, Best Actress, Clean
• 2005 – César Award nomination, Best Actress, Clean

Selected Filmography

• 1984 – Prince Charming
• 1984 – Behind the Yellow Line
• 1985 – Police Story – May
• 1986 – The Seventh Curse
• 1987 – Project A Part II
• 1988 – As Tears Go By – Ngor
• 1988 – Police Story 2 – May
• 1989 – A Fishy Story
• 1989 – Full Moon in New York
• 1990 – Days of Being Wild – Su Lizhen
• 1990 – Red Dust
• 1991 – Center Stage – Ruan Lingyu
• 1992 – Police Story 3: Supercop – May
• 1992 – Dragon Inn
• 1993 – The Heroic Trio
• 1993 – Flying Dagger
• 1993 – Green Snake – Green Snake
• 1994 – Ashes of Time
• 1996 – Irma Vep – Maggie Cheung
• 1996 – Comrades: Almost a Love Story – Li Qiao
• 1997 – The Soong Sisters – Soong Ching-ling
• 1997 – Chinese Box
• 2000 – In the Mood for Love – Su Li-zhen
• 2002 – Hero – Flying Snow
• 2004 – 2046 – Su Li-zhen (special appearance)
• 2004 – Clean – Emily Wang
• 2010 – Hot Summer Days – Cameo appearance

Source: Biyografiler.com