By

Kara Hui in AT THE END OF DAYBREAK (2009)

Kara Hui, the top Hong Kong kung fu star of the 1980s was recently interviewed by HK-magazine. A former protégé of legendary kung fu filmmaker Lau Kar-leung and star of hits like MY YOUNG AUNTIE, Hui is makes a comeback, at least as an actress, by starring in the indie drama AT THE END OF DAYBREAK.

Hui talked about her humble beginnings as a poor “Hawker Girl” selling souvenirs to American G.I.’s heading off to Vietnam before she was discovered by a talent scout while performing as a dancer at a nightclub at the shocking age of 15.

“My mom refused to sign the actor’s contract with Shaw Studios for me though. She figured I made a pretty decent salary as a dancer. I was making around $800 a month. But I figured if I made it big as an actress, I’d earn way more than a dancer. So I got my sister to sign the contract instead. The first year at Shaw Studios I made $6,000. The next year it was $30,000,” said Hui.

Hui went on to reveal depression and thoughts of suicide that she suffered at age 40 when the roles she was being offered became more selective because of her age.

“My reaction to everything was, ‘No way…’ I couldn’t face reality. So I stopped everything for four years. I lost all self-confidence. I would change clothes a hundred times before going out, then decide not to go out.”

She eventually came to terms with the situation with the support of friends and family.

Although Hui admits that her kung fu fighting days are behind her, the spirit and enthusiasm she displayed in classics like MAD MONKEY KUNG FU, MARTIAL CLUB and THE LADY IS THE BOSS is still with her.

“I’d love to dropkick someone but my body just can’t take it anymore.”

A young Kara Hui as kung fu leading lady

Source: HK-magazine

Related Topics:

  • http://twitter.com/CirenzSonG CirenzSonG

    Sweet Lady…No one deserves to die by their own hand, yo!?

    Stay alive…Live Life…Tiz 2 precious to Give away That Easy!!!

    So yars…Enjoy it while it does last…Yars?

  • mistermjones2000

    I would like to ask Ms. Hui what she thinks of the common belief of her relationship with Mr. Lau. One, by the way, I have never heard her confirm. In fact in her interview on the extras on MY YOUNG AUNTIE released by Dragon Dynasty she said Mr. Lau diD NOT teach her kung fu but alluded to her family's previous experience in Southern style kung fu and how someone else on the set of the movie gave her action directions.

  • rcc

    ICON

  • Bill Mills

    I think I'd pay money to watch her read a book and drink a cup of tea. And she can kick me from any position that's good for her. Doesn't get any better!

  • Steve

    Kara needs to write a book and get an American publisher to print it in english. She's led a remarkable life and still has a fantastic career. I'll bet she has a terrific photo scrapbook and lots of stories to tell. I wish her health and happiness.

  • Steve

    Can't say I know for sure, but the are videos of Lau's “troupe” performing short sequences of martial art, apparently right after they hired Ching Ching Yueng, around 1979. Kara is seen performing from the Peking Opera version of The Monkey King. According to her, she did not go to Opera classes, but her brother and sister(s) did, she merely copied them, later being allowed to perform locally. She could perform backbends, leglifts, and frontsplits before she ever met Lau. Lau merely added to her natural gifts. Apparently they dated for several years before breaking up in 1984.

  • Fan of Shaw Brothers

    I would like read her whole interview. Does anyone know where I can do that? She is a Icon in my book.

  • mistermjones2000

    Steve, pay attention. You are just repeating rumors. No you DON'T know why she is not confirming (nor dening) the widely believed perception that Mr. Lau was her instructor or for that matter per your statement “apparently” dating Mr. Lau.. “Apparently”… what in your mind constitute “apparent”? Other than people (like yourself) spreading the same rumors. You could distinquish yourself apart from the other rumor spreaders by providing some sort of “apparent evidence” and then I would stand humbly corrected. As it is you are just using my comment to further spread what could be false information. Do me a favor and do it on your own dime.

  • mistermjones2000

    Steve, do not use my comment to continue to spread “apparent” rumors about people you don't know.

  • darrinkemp

    mistermjones,always good to read your post.The rumor of Kara and Lau sifu”dating”may have started with Mona Fong.Fong was Shaw Bros. chief producer and was legendary for being so cheap that she could squeeze a nickel until it confessed to being a member of alqaida.The story is that Kara was on a overseas promotional tour and found out just how popular she was and how much Shaws was making off her and demanded a pay raise.If the story is true it's particularly ironic considering that Mona Fong was Run Run Shaw's well know “jump off” for nearly two decades.

  • mistermjones2000

    Darrinkemp, my brother, good to hear from you also. I hope you have been well. Anyway “may” and “rumor” serves only to prove my point. If there is another question it must be why we need to believe stuff about people we don't know? “Fan” truly is short for “fanatic”.

    I tell you what else, what a missed opportunity at Dragon Dynasty to really influence the market they claimed to want to represent.It boggles the mind.

    (if you do any youtube my channel is misterjones2000.)

  • darrinkemp

    Good question.It may be precisely because we don't know them but want to think that we do.This may be the reason why myself and so many other people were disapointed by Jackie Chan's comments last year about how Chinese people had too much freedom and needed to be controled.Or maybe we fans are truly just not right in the head. :)

  • steve

    Relax Mr Jones, even autobiographies are co-written and are not truly tell all. All factoids about people and events are second and third hand, and yeah, become “history”, particulary in show buisness. I have found this article and much of the “facts” have been left out, this post was made to stimulate conversation and to see if any new “info” or interest about Kara's new movie was there.

  • steve

    Relax Mr Jones, even autobiographies are co-written and are not truly tell all. All factoids about people and events are second and third hand, and yeah, become “history”, particulary in show buisness. I have found this article and much of the “facts” have been left out, this post was made to stimulate conversation and to see if any new “info” or interest about Kara's new movie was there.

  • ramirezenrike

    kara hui ying hung is one the best actress .what i see in my short life .i have 28 year old but i see much of her work like and actress and martial artist . she have a great level in her kung fu style im practissing tae kwon do itf an an understand what she feel when she think in sucide but thank of good she didn't and she win the golden horse for best support actress their is and strong woman and now still beauthiful much more when she work for the shaw i hope she don't miss the path because is a woman have give too much she is the best never loose your confianse o como desimos en argentina no te des porvencido jamas. un beso para esta bella actriz