Adam Cheng Siu-chau (born 24 February 1947; formerly known as Cheng Chong-sai and Wong Ho-chung) is a Hong Kong

TVB Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB; zh, t=電視廣播有限公司) is a television broadcasting company based in Hong Kong. The company operates five free-to-air terrestrial television channels in Hong Kong, with TVB Jade as its main Canton ...

actor and

Cantopop Cantopop (a contraction of "Cantonese pop music") is a genre of pop music sung in Cantonese. Cantopop is also used to refer to the cultural context of its production and consumption. The genre began in the 1970s and became associated with Hon ...

singer.

Career

Cheng started his career in the 1970s, where he gained a reputation for playing the lead roles in

Wuxia ( , literally "martial arts and chivalry") is a genre of Chinese literature, Chinese fiction concerning the adventures of martial artists in ancient China. Although is traditionally a form of historical fantasy literature, its popularity ha ...

'' drama series based on the works of Louis Cha and

Gu Long Xiong Yaohua (7 June 1938 – 21 September 1985), better known by his pen name Gu Long, was a Hong Kong-born Taiwanese novelist, screenwriter, film producer and director. A graduate of Cheng Kung Senior High School and Tamkang University, Xio ...

, such as ''

The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber ''The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber'', also translated as ''The Sword and the Knife'', is a wuxia novel by Jin Yong, Jin Yong (Louis Cha) and the third part of the ''Condor Trilogy'', preceded by ''The Legend of the Condor Heroes'' and ''The Re ...

'' and '' Chor Lau Heung''. He also performed some of the theme songs of the TV series he starred in, such as '' The Greed of Man'' and '' Cold Blood Warm Heart''.

Ting Hai effect

In 1992,

released the TV series '' The Greed of Man'', based on the central theme of the

stock market A stock market, equity market, or share market is the aggregation of buyers and sellers of stocks (also called shares), which represent ownership claims on businesses; these may include ''securities'' listed on a public stock exchange a ...

and explored the schemes and plots used by people to make their fortune in the market. Cheng played Ting Hai (丁蟹) in the series, who made an immense fortune by

short selling In finance, being short in an asset means investing in such a way that the investor will profit if the market value of the asset falls. This is the opposite of the more common Long (finance), long Position (finance), position, where the inves ...

derivatives and stocks during a

bear market A market trend is a perceived tendency of the financial markets to move in a particular direction over time. Analysts classify these trends as ''secular'' for long time-frames, ''primary'' for medium time-frames, and ''secondary'' for short time ...

. Many people went

bankrupt Bankruptcy is a legal process through which people or other entities who cannot repay debts to creditors may seek relief from some or all of their debts. In most jurisdictions, bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the de ...

while Ting Hai's family became richer until they were defeated by their nemesis. Cheng became popularly associated with the Ting Hai effect, named after his character in the series. The effect involves a peculiar and unexplained phenomenon, in which global stock markets will fall whenever a new Hong Kong TV drama series, starring Cheng, is aired.

Personal life

Adam's parents are both university lecturers. He has four daughters. The oldest, Cheng On-yee, was from his first low-profile marriage that ended in divorce. He married well-known actress

Lydia Shum Lydia Shum Din-ha or Lydia Sum Tin Ha (; 21 July 1945 – 19 February 2008) was a Hong Kong-Canadian comedian, Master of Ceremonies, MC, actress and singer. Known for her portly figure, signature dark-rimmed glasses and bouffant hairstyle, she w ...

in 1985 after 14 years of cohabitation, and Shum brought him to fame. Adam and Shum had a daughter, Joyce Cheng in 1987. In 1988 they divorced eight months after their daughter's birth in bad terms. In 1989, Cheng married a Taiwanese actress named Koon Jing-wah. Cheng and Koon have two daughters, Winnie Cheng Wing-yan and Cecily Cheng Wing-hei. Adam graduated from the

Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (HKAPA) 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 performances. Béthanie (Hong Ko ...

(

diploma A diploma is a document awarded by an educational institution (such as a college or university) testifying the recipient has graduated by successfully completing their courses of studies. Historically, it has also referred to a charter or offi ...

Filmography

Film

Television

References

External links

Adam Cheng Siu-Chow at hkmdb.com

Adam Cheng at senscritique.com
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Cheng, Adam People from Xinhui District 1947 births Living people Cantopop singers Hong Kong male film actors Cantonese people Hong Kong Mandopop singers People from Panyu District Hong Kong male singers Hong Kong male television actors Hong Kong male dancers Hong Kong dancers Hong Kong television presenters TVB veteran actors 20th-century Hong Kong male actors 21st-century Hong Kong male actors Hong Kong Buddhists Adoptees Hong Kong idols