Tuesday, April 22, 2014

"Never Dance Alone" Actresses

Many younger TVB fans (me included!) may not be familiar with the actresses in Never Dance Alone, who were active during the 1980s and 1990s. Here's a brief rundown of the seven actresses.


Carman Lee (李若彤)


Carman was an air stewardess before entering the entertainment industry. She became widely known after playing Xiaolongnü in TVB's 1995 remake of The Condor Heroes with Louis Koo. Her popularity was boosted further after she participated in another wuxia remake, Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils. Carman was known for her versatility in portraying many different types of characters. She largely retired from the television and film industry starting in 2005.

Last TVB series: Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils (1997)



Rachel Lee (李麗珍)


Rachel began filming commercials since high school. During her early career, she was a member of the “Happy Young Girls”, a group known for their young, cheerful image. Later, she made a drastic change and got a breakthrough from Category III movies. In 1999, she was awarded Best Actress in Taiwan’s Golden Horse Awards for her performance in the film Ordinary Heroes. Since then, she has been working mostly in the Mainland market.

Last TVB series: War of Genders (2000)



Gloria Yip (葉蘊儀)


Gloria entered the showbiz at the young age of 13 and quickly became a sensation. Based on her role in the film Peacock King, she was named “Most Popular Foreign Actress” in both Japan and Korea, the first Hong Kong actress to receive both awards in the same year. Her popularity streak continued throughout Asia as she released music albums in Japanese, Korean and Mandarin. She retired in 1995 after her marriage, though she made a brief comeback from 2001-2004.

Last TVB series: Justice Bao (1995)



Angie Cheong (張慧儀)


Angie represented Malaysia at the 1993 Miss Chinese International beauty pageant and was awarded a contract with TVB. She became a household name with her two roles in A Kindred Spirit. The death scene of one of her characters set a ratings record at that time. Her other notable role was the “Spider Demon” in Journey to the West. In 2006, she stepped away from the entertainment circle to focus on her healthy foods business.

Last TVB series: Armed Reaction IV (2004)



Fennie Yuen (袁潔瑩)


Fennie was discovered at the age of 16 by famed movie producer Raymond Wong. As a prominent member of the “Happy Young Girls” group, she starred in many comedies and had a part in the group’s three music albums. She also released two individual albums on her own. Beginning in 1992, she ventured onto the television scene. Her most notable work is her double role in Face to Face, where she played a pair of sisters with opposite personalities. She has been in retirement since 2003.

Last TVB series: Slim Chances (2002)



Flora Chan (陳慧珊)


Flora started as a news reporter for TVB’s English channel. She became an actress after being offered a role in File of Justice V. From there, she quickly became one of the top fadans and participated in numerous classics, such as Untraceable Evidence, Healing Hands and Triumph in the Skies. She was awarded Best Actress in 2002 for her role in Family Man. She has been in semi-retirement mode since her marriage and her daughter’s birth in 2007.

Last TVB series: Suspects in Love (2010)



Elvina Kong (江欣燕)


Elvina participated in the 1985 New Talent Singing Awards and was signed by TVB. She joined the long-running variety show Enjoy Yourself Tonight, where she gained recognition for portraying the Filipino domestic worker “Maria”. She took a hiatus in 2001 following her marriage, before returning to TVB in 2006. Upon her return, she has participated in the sitcoms Best Selling Secrets and Off Pedder and was brought on as a host of the Super Trio show.

Last TVB series: Let It Be Love (2012)

4 comments:

  1. thanks for such an informational post! i only know elvina and flora hahah, i honestly had a difficult time keeping track of them in the first episode, kept getting them confused =P man, even though i don't know most of them, still so nostalgic seeing the older pictures..

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  2. Can try to watch all those “Happy Young Girls” classic films online ... (it is everywhere from Youtube to other sites). I used to love the "Happy Yong Girls". Unfortunately, according to Raymond Wong, movies abt women doesn't do well in cinemas. The public, in general prefer stories that revolves around men

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  3. Fennie was and still is my favourite actress due to her role in Dragon's Love to which I fondly remember as a child and now as a young adult. As a 90's kid, I still remember who each actress is, and honestly, TVB has been lacking for the past year and this is the only TVB series that has got me watching their series again for reminiscence sake.

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  4. Me too, a big fan of Fennie after Dragon Love. I only know Fennie, Carman and Flora out of the 7 of them. It's quite a fun show; I'm just hoping Fennie gets more screen time.

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