Profile | ‘Mesmerising’: Hong Kong actress Ada Choi’s rise to fame, how she dealt with her mother’s gambling addiction, and her life in China today

Ada Choi, second runner-up in the 1991 Miss Hong Kong beauty pageant, won praise for her acting – ‘nothing short of mesmerising,’ a critic wrote of a 2011 role

Her personal life had its upsets – she cut ties with her mother in 2000 and her marriage was scrutinised in the tabloids – but is ‘so good’ now, she has said

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Ada Choi made her name as a versatile actress on television and in film in Hong Kong after being named second runner-up in the 1991 Miss Hong Kong beauty pageant. Her success belied a troubled family life, which she put behind her before moving to mainland China, marrying and bearing three children. Photo: Instagram/adachoi9800

Lisa Cam

Published: 7:15am, 16 Feb 2024Updated: 8:14am, 16 Feb 2024

This is the 18th instalment in a biweekly series profiling major Hong Kong pop culture figures of recent decades.

Ada Choi Siu-fan, known for her compelling performances on television and in film, established herself as one of Hong Kong’s more versatile actresses since getting her start at city broadcaster TVB.

Born in 1973 in Hong Kong, she got her big break as an actress after being named second runner-up in the 1991 Miss Hong Kong beauty pageant. She was just 17 at the time.

Choi underlined her star status when she was named best actress in the second TVB Anniversary Awards in 1998 for her part in the high-society melodrama series Secret of the Heart.

Miss Hong Kong 1991 Amy Kwok (centre) is flanked by first runner-up Valerie Chow (right) and second runner-up Choi. Photo: SCMP

She was lauded as one of the four divas of TVB in the early 2000s alongside Kenix Kwok Ho-ying, Jessica Hsuan and Flora Chan Wai-shan. The actress’ versatility has seen her take on roles in a variety of genres, from period dramas to contemporary thrillers.

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