Who is Golden Horse best actress Chung Suet-ying and how did she start out in Hong Kong?

Chung Suet-ying’s win for best actress at the Golden Horse Awards in Taiwan this weekend marks a turning point in the career of the young star who started out studying journalism in Hong Kong.

The 29-year-old beat out industry veterans such as Sandra Ng Kwan-yue, Sylvia Chang and Patra Au Ga-man to clinch the trophy for her portrayal of a deaf girl in The Way We Talk, and used sign language in part of her acceptance speech.

“I’d like to thank those who had faith in me when I was uncertain whether I had the ability to join my favourite industry - film. They took a chance on me and showed great patience with my brash behaviour,” she said.

The Way We Talk, by director Adam Wong Sau-ping, tells the story of three young deaf people in Hong Kong who each use different ways to communicate and navigate their daily lives in an examination of identity and social norms.

Chung’s ambitions in entertainment first became publicly known when she took part in the Asian Millionstar singing contest organised by the now defunct Hong Kong television broadcaster ATV in 2010 when she was 15.

She enrolled in the School of Communication at Baptist University, specialising in financial reporting and worked as a DJ at Commercial Radio between 2017 and 2020.