Cover Patra Au sits down with Tatler to talk movies and more (Photo: courtesy of Ray Yeung and Patra Au)
Patra Au sits down with Tatler to talk movies and more (Photo: courtesy of Ray Yeung and Patra Au)
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Hong Kong teacher-turned-actor Patra Au says acting gives her the same thrill as an orgasm and shares why older women’s stories should not be overlooked
Hong Kong actor Patra Au, who is celebrated for her touching portrayal of poignant characters, has been nominated for Best Actress at this year’s Golden Horse Awards for her role in Ray Yeung’s All Shall Be Well (2024). In the film, she plays Angie, a lesbian widow whose life is turned upside down by society’s pressures and the lack of legal protection for same-sex couples.
“I am taken aback [by the prestigious nomination], because I’m very new to movies,” says the actor, who debuted in films in a supporting role in Twilight’s Kiss (2019). “It’s an encouragement for me, [and makes me realise that] as long as you produce good work, the possibilities are limitless.”
Don’t miss: Why Hong Kong director Ray Yeung wrote another LGBTQ+ film ‘All Shall Be Well’ after ‘Suk Suk’
Above Patra Au at Berlinale International Film Festival (Photo: courtesy of Ray Yeung)
Patra Au at Berlinale International Film Festival (Photo: courtesy of Ray Yeung)
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This realisation carries special meaning for the 72-year-old teacher-turned-actor, who feels that opportunities for older women in the local film industry are limited. Getting a lead role and being recognised at such a prestigious event in her second career—one she had dreamt of but abandoned for the stability of teaching—is something she never thought possible.
“When I was at university, my father said, ‘Get a teacher certificate to make sure that you have something to rely on when I’m gone’,” she recalls. “But afterwards, not only was I bored; I was also fed up with the [education] system.” Back then, the Hong Kong Repertory Theatre was looking for a full-time stage actor. Encouraged by her students, she quit teaching and took the opportunity in 1979.
“It may not be decent to say something like this in an interview, but when I am on stage, it feels like all your sexual energy and everything is well spent. It’s like having an orgasm and it’s great,” she says. “Every time you finish acting, you feel so alive.” Her love for acting shows through her vast interest in different theatrical genres such as comedy, tragedy and historical plays.
Above From left: Lin Lin Li and Patra Au in “All Shall Be Well” (Photo: Instagram/@allshallbewell.movie)
From left: Lin Lin Li and Patra Au in “All Shall Be Well” (Photo: Instagram/@allshallbewell.movie)
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She stayed with the theatre until 1987, when she moved to the US with her family—and with that, she thought she was also leaving behind her acting career.
When, years later, she came back to Hong Kong, she was already 50. “I was already past my golden age, and I didn’t think anyone wanted a 50-year-old actor,” she says. “Hong Kong has always been young people-oriented in stage and movies. I didn’t think I’d earn a living. Conversely, teaching in Hong Kong pays decently well, so I decided to put my certificate to good use.”
But she didn’t give up acting altogether, picking up roles at theatres, for which she also won in the best actress category at the Hong Kong Drama Awards in 1994, 2000 and 2008.
Above From left: Patra Au and Ray Yeung (Photo: courtesy of Ray Yeung)
From left: Patra Au and Ray Yeung (Photo: courtesy of Ray Yeung)
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The All Shall Be Well offer came much later. “Ray [Yeung] didn’t want to have TVB [local television channel] or any TV personalities. People are familiar with their faces and their style of acting. He wanted an unfamiliar face.”
Au said yes, not only because it’s a complex role but also because the story underlines a bigger social topic of inclusion. “It’s more like a journey these two people take together. Suddenly, one of them is no longer there and the other thinks the only challenge that she will face is [bereavement]. Yet she realises that there’s more: her family is not really family. Same-sex marriage is not allowed in Hong Kong. If Angie were a man, she and Pat would have been married already ago, but they’re not, so they’re not together [in the eyes of their families].”
Above A film still of “All Shall Be Well” (Photo: Instagram/@allshallbewell.movie)
A film still of “All Shall Be Well” (Photo: Instagram/@allshallbewell.movie)
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Au feels that stories about older women are hardly ever presented onscreen, but these stories need to be told all the same. “There should be a better percentage of more mature actors to display their skills and experience to share on the screen. People past their golden age have a lot to offer. But if you look at the local movie scene today, there are very few meaningful roles for older women. There might be appearances, but they’re either mothers or grandmothers who yap, yap, yap.”
She is fully aware of the challenges of ageism but that doesn’t discourage her from acting. If anything, she sees her sunset years as a beautiful period to keep pursuing her dream. “I don’t limit myself to certain roles, onstage or onscreen. If there is an interesting offer in the future, I’ll consider it,” she says.
“Don’t be afraid in your [sunset] years. If it is your second career, that means you already have a first career, and you have something to fall back on. So take risks and enjoy them, as taking risks can be fun.”
Zabrina is the Senior Editor, Arts and Culture of Tatler Hong Kong. She specialises in performing arts, visual art and film. Her wanderlust was first fuelled by the Mighty Rovers Antarctica Expedition 2010. Over the years, she has interviewed A-list artists and filmmakers, including Oscar winners Chlóe Zhao and Tim Yip, Golden Horse winner Sylvia Chang, In the Mood for Love cinematographer Christopher Doyle, Pachinko author Min Jin Lee, and Coachella’s first Chinese solo singer Jackson Wang. She won gold at the WAN-IFRA Asian Media Awards for her 2021 feature on the waves of hate crimes targeting Asian Americans.
