Athena Chu (born 25 October 1971) is a

Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delta i ...

actress and singer. She is best known for her role as Zixia Fairy in ''

A Chinese Odyssey ''A Chinese Odyssey'' is a two-part 1995 Hong Kong fantasy-comedy film directed by Jeffrey Lau and starring Stephen Chow. The first part is titled ''A Chinese Odyssey Part One: Pandora's Box'', while the second part is titled ''A Chinese Odyss ...

'' (1995).

Early life and education

On 25, October 1971, Chu was born in Kowloon,

. Her father was a mathematics teacher who later started a business with her mother. Chu attended

The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (HKAPA) (Chinese: 香港演藝學院) is a provider of tertiary education in Hong Kong. Located near the north coast of Wan Chai on Hong Kong Island, the main campus also functions as a venue for pe ...

from 1990 to 1992, during which she hosted children's shows on the television station

TVB Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB) is a television broadcasting company based in Hong Kong SAR. The Company operates five free-to-air terrestrial television channels in Hong Kong, with TVB Jade as its main Cantonese language service, and ...

Career

After graduating in 1992, Chu made her film debut in ''

Fight Back to School II ''Fight Back to School 2'' () is a 1992 Hong Kong comedy film directed by Gordon Chan and starring Stephen Chow, Ng Man-Tat and Cheung Man. It is a sequel to the 1991 film ''Fight Back to School''. As per the original ''Fight Back to School'' ...

'' (1992), which earned her a nomination at the

Hong Kong Film Award for Best New Performer The Hong Kong Film Award for Best New Performer is an annual Hong Kong industry award presented to an actor or actress for the best performance by a new artist. The performance is often, but not obligatory, the debut role of the artist. Histor ...

. Chu started to attract public attention with her interpretation of Huang Rong in the remake of Wuxia drama ''

The Legend of the Condor Heroes ''The Legend of the Condor Heroes'' is a wuxia novel by Chinese writer Jin Yong (Louis Cha). It is the first part of the '' Condor Trilogy'' and is followed by '' The Return of the Condor Heroes'' and '' The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber''. I ...

'' (1994). Chu worked again with Stephen Chow in ''

'' (1995). The role of Zi Xia (also known as Daisy Fairy) shot Chu to widespread fame in Hong Kong and parts of Asia. Another one of Chu's most notable films is ''The Boss Up There'' (1999). Her portrayal of a drug addict who finds God earned her a nomination for Best Actress at the

Golden Horse Film Awards The Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival and Awards () is a film festival and awards ceremony held annually in Taiwan. It was founded in 1962 by the Government Information Office of the Republic of China (ROC) in Taiwan. The awards ceremony is us ...

. Regarded by many as a sex symbol, Chu has generally been cast in flower vase roles. She even made two appearances in Wong Jing’s ''Raped by an Angel'' series. However, her role in '' Whispers and Moans'' (2007) won her recognition, despite not being nominated for any award. Chu was the first Hong Kong actress to be nominated at the

International Emmy Award for Best Actress The International Emmy Award for Best Performance by an Actress is an award presented annually by the International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (IATAS). The award honors the best performance by an actress in a made for-television ficti ...

, for her role as a disabled but inspirational women who overcomes all odds in the television series ''Wall-less World'' (2010). After a five years hiatus from the entertainment industry since 2011, Chu announced her comeback in 2016 with three upcoming films.

Personal life

Chu began dating singer and actor Paul Wong of

Beyond Beyond may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Beyond'' (1921 film), an American silent film * ''Beyond'' (2000 film), a Danish film directed by Åke Sandgren, OT: ''Dykkerne'' * ''Beyond'' (2010 film), a Swedish film directed b ...

since 1998; and married him in 2012. Chu and Wong have a daughter Debbie (b. 2012).

Filmography

Discography

References

External links

* *
HK Cinemagic entry
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chu, Athena 1971 births Living people Hong Kong television actresses Hong Kong film actresses Alumni of The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts 21st-century Hong Kong women singers