Kate Tsui Tsz-shan is a former Hong Kong actress, known for her work with Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB). She was crowned Miss Hong Kong in 2004. In December 2019, she announced her retirement from the entertainment industry, expressing plans to move to Europe and pursue further education.[1]
Before winning her beauty pageant title, she aspired to become a professional dancer.[2] She began studying ballet at the age of four, but was forced to stop at the age of eleven after sustaining an ankle injury. At fourteen, she took up Jazz dance, salsa, and Argentine tango.
Tsui graduated from the University of California, Davis with a degree in psychology.[3] After completing her studies in the United States, she returned to Hong Kong and worked as a translator and project coordinator at an engineering firm.
In 2004, she entered the Miss Hong Kong pageant and won, also receiving the titles of Miss Photogenic, Miss International Goodwill, and the Slimming Beauty Award. Following the competition, she signed with TVB and began her acting career.
TV career
After guest appearances in The Zone and When Rules Turn Loose in 2005, Tsui made her official TV debut in the TVB drama La Femme Desperado (2006). Taiwanese film critic Mai Ruoyu remarked that Tsui displayed strong charisma and held her own in the series alongside veteran actresses Sheren Tang and Melissa Ng.[4] Her portrayal of Ida earned nominations for Best Supporting Actress and Favorite Female Character at the 2006 TVB Anniversary Awards.
From 2009 to 2010, Tsui focused on film work, returning to television in 2011 with six dramas. Her role as Paris Yiu in Lives of Omission received significant attention, winning her the My Favourite TVB Female TV Character award at the StarHub TVB Awards, as well as nominations for Best Actress and Favourite Female Character at the 2011 TVB Anniversary Awards and Outstanding Actress in Television at the Ming Pao Anniversary Award.
In Highs and Lows (2012), Tsui portrayed a character facing substance abuse, sexual assault, and eventual involvement in drug trafficking. She described filming the role as emotionally draining.[6] Producer Lam Chi Wah called it the greatest breakthrough in her career, noting her departure from the beauty pageant image to take on a complex role. [6] Director Patrick Kong also praised the maturity of her acting in emotional scenes.[7]
In 2014, Tsui appeared in the TVB microfilm A Time of Love, starring in the “sorrow” segment opposite Taiwanese actors James Wen and Chris Wang. TVB reported receiving 39 viewer statements commending her performance, and columnist Ko Leung of Macao Daily likened her acting to Bai Baihe in The Stolen Years.[8]
Her management contract with TVB ended in 2015.[9][10] Tsui maintained a good relationship with the broadcaster, which arranged jobs for her until early February 2016.[11] She stated she would not sign a new management contract until completing her jewelry design courses.[11]
In 2009, she starred in I Corrupt All Cops, a Hong Kong crime drama, directed by Wong Jing, who was impressed with the success of her debut performance in Eye in the Sky.[15]Eason Chan, who plays her husband in the film, said Tsui's character is based on Shuang'er from The Deer and the Cauldron.[15]
In 2011, Tsui reprised her role as Paris Yiu Ho from the TVB series Lives of Omission in its film sequel, Turning Point 2, in which she starred opposite Francis Ng. Playing a character with a mental disorder in the film, she said while collaborating with Ng, was a valuable experience because he was extremely willing to teach and give her suggestions about her acting and performances.[16] From working with Tsui, Ng had openly praised her for her acting potential.[17]
In 2013, she took part in a comedy film, I Love Hong Kong 2013. It is also the first film that veteran actress, Veronica Yip, has taken part in since her retirement in 1996.[18] In the film, Tsui plays the younger version of Yip's character. The producer of the film, Eric Tsang, specifically praised her for providing the best performance out of the entire cast, referring to it as a "Best Actress performance".[19] In the same year, Tsui was also cast in Giddens Ko film, A Choo, alongside Ariel Lin and Kai Ko.[20]
In 2015, Tsui was cast in the thriller film, Knock Knock, Who's There? The film is the first directorial effort by veteran actress, Carrie Ng. She said she had intended to reject the role upon receiving the script because of the frightening content.[21] However, she eventually agreed to the role due to Francis Ng's persistence and persuasion.[21][22] With reference to collaborating with Tsui, Ng said that she is a very professional and admirable actress.[23]
Jewelry design career
In December 2015, Tsui launched a fine jewelry line with K.S. Sze & Sons Ltd. Her debut collection, "Rabbit-Duck Illusion", was a success.[24] She indicated that her designs were inspired by Ludwig Wittgenstein's concept on seeing with different perceptions, using the ambiguous image of a "duckrabbit".[24] She spoke of the concept behind her jewelry designs, "It's something that I like to remind myself of, that there are many situations in life that aren't worth splitting hairs over, and if I simply adjust the angle that I'm viewing things from, I can easily see a different perspective."[24]
Won — StarHub TVB Awards 2012 — My Favourite Female TV Character Nominated — TVB Anniversary Award for Best Actress (Top 15) Nominated — TVB Anniversary Award for My Favourite Female Character (Top 15) Nominated — Ming Pao Anniversary Award for Outstanding Actress in Television
Won — TVB Anniversary Award for My Favourite Female Character Won — My AOD Awards for My Top 15 Favourite Characters Nominated — TVB Anniversary Award for Best Actress (Top 5) Nominated — My AOD Awards for My Favourite Actress in a Leading Role Nominated — My AOD Awards for My Favourite On-Screen Couple (Raymond Lam & Kate Tsui)
Nominated — TVB Star Awards Malaysia 2014 for My Favourite TVB On-Screen Couple (Dayo Wong & Kate Tsui) (Top 3) Won — StarHub TVB Awards 2014 for My Top 6 Favourite TVB Female TV Character
Nominated — StarHub TVB Awards 2015 for My Favourite TVB Actress Nominated — StarHub TVB Awards 2015 for My Favourite TVB Female TV Character Nominated — TVB Star Awards Malaysia 2015 for My Favourite TVB Actress in a Leading Role Nominated — TVB Star Awards Malaysia 2015 for My Top 15 Favourite TVB Drama Characters Nominated — TVB Anniversary Awards for Best Actress 2015
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
