Teresa Mo on Mirror’s Keung To and Hong Kong cinema today: the award-winning actress talks motherhood, maturity, Mama’s Affair and following Tony Leung and Andy Lau – exclusive interview

Feb 2 , 2023

After four decades gracing our screens, actress Teresa Mo Shun-kwan is now happiest channelling her maternal instincts into supporting the emergence of young talent. Photo: Joe Kwong

Teresa Mo Shun-kwan is one of the city’s most enduring actresses – from 80s TVB stardom to modern cinema classics 2 Young, Hong Kong Family, Tomorrow is Another Day

Mo is best remembered for All’s Well, Ends Well with Stephen Chow and Leslie Cheung – today she’s championing rising starlets Jennifer Yu , Angela Yuen and Hedwig Tam

Teresa Mo Shun-kwan is undoubtedly among the most respected Hong Kong actresses of her generation – a familiar face that has served as a reassuring presence on our screens for more than four decades. While many of the other top actresses from the city’s golden age of cinema retired years ago, Mo has continued to hone her craft, evolving in front of our eyes – and is arguably now at her peak.

After a string of hit TV shows and popular films throughout the 80s and 90s, Mo’s status was secured in 2006 when she won best supporting actress at both the Hong Kong Film Awards and Golden Bauhinia Awards, for her portrayal in 2 Young of a mother whose son gets his teenage girlfriend pregnant.

I think [Keung To] has yet to find his niche in films, which he needs in order to develop his passion for the industry

Teresa Mo

More high-profile award nominations followed, but it wasn’t until 2018 that Mo earned her second Hong Kong Film Award, this time winning best actress for Tomorrow is Another Day.

It was like a dam had opened, and the accolades keep topping up. In December 2022, Mo received the Salento Cinema Actor Award for her artistic excellence, professional accomplishments and dedication to cinema.

“I was very surprised when I first received the notice about the award, as I never expected my achievements to be recognised beyond Hong Kong,” admits Mo, with a sincere smile, speaking to STYLE at The Peninsula hotel.

Perched on the edge of an armchair, there’s a restrained energy about Mo, as if, although now calmly chatting, she could flip a switch and instantly transform into one of her old roles. For now, though, she remains thoughtful and speaks in the reserved tones of an elder statesperson.

Louis Koo Tin-lok with Teresa Mo Shun-kwan in 2015 film An Inspector Calls, directed by Raymond Wong Pak-min and Herman Yau Lai-to. Photo: Pegasus Motion Pictures

“When I saw great peers like Tony Leung Ka-fai and Andy Lau Tak-wah receiving this award, I found it fascinating that Hong Kong actors were being internationally recognised,” adds Mo, perhaps a little rueful that the city’s best thespians have never enjoyed the same recognition bestowed on its martial artists.

“I feel more than grateful and honoured that it has come to my turn,” she concludes.

Born in Hong Kong in 1960, Mo made her cinematic debut in 1977 in What Price? Stardom, a comedy about the film industry itself. She then pivoted to television, joining TVB in the early 80s, at a time when it was a hothouse of talent, giving an early break to future greats including Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Andy Lau Tak-wah, Carina Lau Ka-ling and Maggie Cheung Man-yuck.