Cover Chung Suet-ying, best actress winner of Golden Horse Awards 2024 (Photo: Instagram/@goldenhorsefilmfestival)
Chung Suet-ying, best actress winner of Golden Horse Awards 2024 (Photo: Instagram/@goldenhorsefilmfestival)
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For her role in ‘The Way We Talk’, Chung Suet-ying surpassed Sylvia Chang and Sandra Ng to clinch the Golden Horse Best Actress honour
Although Hong Kong actor Chung Suet-ying has been in the film industry for less than five years, she’s already a force to reckon with. At the prestigious 61st Golden Horse Awards, which took place in Taiwan over the weekend, she was chosen as Best Actress, even surpassing veterans like Sylvia Chang and Sandra Ng. Chung received the award for her convincing portrayal of a deaf girl in The Way We Talk (2024). At the ceremony, she even used sign language—a skill she picked up while shooting—onstage to thank all those who had supported her.
This achievement follows her Golden Horse nomination last year in the same category for her role in The Lyricist Wannabe (2023). In 2020, she was nominated for Best Newcomer and Best Supporting Actress at the Hong Kong Film Awards for comedy film Time. She has also acted in several other movies such as Zero to Hero (2021), Anita (2021), The Sparing Partner (2022) and The Last Dance (2024).
Read on to find out more about this rising star.
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A champion of diversity
Chung won the prestigious Golden Horse for her role in the Hong Kong drama The Way We Talk (2024), which presents the fictional story of three deaf young people. Chung plays Sophie, who longs to blend in with people without audio impairment. The story explores how deaf people strive to find their place in society.
In her acceptance speech, Chung said her award is for those who may be struggling and suffering in life, and that she hopes the award will serve as a beacon of light to lead them towards their dreams.
The film also emphasised sound effects to immerse the audience in the world of those with hearing impairments and was nominated for Best Sound Effects at the Golden Horse Awards.
A Chanel girl
Above Chung at the 61st Golden Horse awards ceremony wearing Chanel (Photo: courtesy of Chanel)
Above Chung at the 61st Golden Horse awards ceremony wearing Chanel (Photo: courtesy of Chanel)
Chung at the 61st Golden Horse awards ceremony wearing Chanel (Photo: courtesy of Chanel)
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At the Golden Horse ceremony, Chung was seen wearing a white jacquard embroidered cloak with jewelled buttons, paired with a long honeycomb-textured tweed skirt—both from Chanel’s Cruise collection 2024/25. It seems Chung is a Chanel girl through and through, as she has been seen wearing the French brand on several occasions.
In case you missed it: Chanel Cruise 2024/25 show in Hong Kong: From Chanel Radio with Chow Yun-Fat and Penélope Cruz to after-party with G-Dragon and Angèle
From a lyricist to an actor
Above A still from ‘The Lyricist Wannabe’ (Photo: courtesy of IMDB)
A still from ‘The Lyricist Wannabe’ (Photo: courtesy of IMDB)
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Chung graduated from the Communication Department of Hong Kong Baptist University, where she studied under famed lyricist Chow Yiu-fai. She then launched her career as a lyricist, an experience which is partially reflected in her 2023 film The Lyricist Wannabe. Since 2019, she has written lyrics for singers such as Eason Chan, MC Cheung and Collar.
She has also starred in music videos, such as Chan’s single A Dance for Tomorrow (2020). One scene from the video is particularly memorable to many—because she shaved off her hair for real for that scene, showing her dedication to her craft from early on.
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.
