Born in a well-established family, Maggie is the second child out of her parents' four daughters. In her early years, Little Maggie had shy away from the spotlight in the face of strangers. She was often perceived as the one who spoke so soft you could hardly hear her. Little Maggie tends to hide herself quietly by the corner and observes people until they approached her. But at home, Little Maggie was a wild animal.

Maggie at age 4

Her sisters account that Maggie was always the troublemaker at home. Even worse than boys, she would knock down things and go to her sisters and Dad for cover from Mum.

"My mum has always been very strict, especially to me, because I was such a rough girl to discipline," says Maggie. Whenever she wanted to hide from her mum, the naughty tomboy would refuge in her dad's office room. 

(L to R) Mrs. Cheung, her 3 sisters, Maggie

Maggie had a cameo role in the highly acclaimed A Better Tomorrow III – Love And Death in Saigon alongside with Chow Yun Fatt and Anita Mui. Other performances included Spy Games and TVB series Family Squad.

The girls’ dream of stardom was doused when their recording company went into bankruptcy. The band fell apart soon after. On a lighter note, the disbandment of PP Gals could be considered a blessing in disguise, because Maggie thought it was a mistake to join the group.

She stayed on in Hong Kong for a little while and tried out on other jobs but she decided to return to London Stock Exchange (LSE) eventually. At that point of time, she met a man who changed her life forever.

2002 - Frederick Tung, a Shanghainese
corporate CEO and her boyfriend of 9 years

He is none other than Frederick Tung Bo. Back then, Frederick was a business college student who obtained his graduate degree at a university. He worked at the stock exchange center to gain experiences.

It was love at first sight for Maggie and Frederick and soon they became an item. Feeling that Maggie has what it takes to be Miss Hong Kong, he secretly obtained an application for ‘Miss Hong Kong Pageant 1994’.

Maggie hesitated initially; but was finally convinced to give it a try since she had nothing to lose. The application has been filled and was only waiting for her signature.

As expected, versatile Maggie made it into the top 5 of the pageant and bagged “The Most Talented contestant award”.

It seemed like Maggie has almost everything a young girl yearns to have. She has the brain, the looks, the talent, the man and the luck. In 1995, Maggie officially launched her acting career. She started with a supporting role because she felt that it would be easier for a newcomer to take on a bite-sized role.

Maggie’s dazzling charm won her many fans. By 1996, Maggie had completed five TV series, and she played each character distinctively. Although not all five performances were superb, she surpassed everybody's expectation as a beauty pageant finalist who had absolutely no training in the past.

With her accumulated experience in acting, Maggie was finally ready to take on her first leading role in One Good Turn Deserves Another. Opportunities continued to pour in and in a short span of time; Maggie became a frequent cover girl for various magazines.

1997 - Old Time Buddy

Today, Maggie tells her fans that she has always been proud of her achievements in the showbiz because she built her whole career with her own hands. She has never depended on “exerting influence” before landing into a role.

Being a daughter of a successful entrepreneur, she was bent on outdoing her father with her own ability. Indeed, Maggie did it successfully.

Maggie’s father’s disliked her to be in the showbiz. He didn’t like the way people judge and see his little girl. However, having such a talented actress as a daughter is indeed his pride and joy; so he would cut out every single news article about her and put it in his scrapbook, records every program and series that has Maggie.

Meanwhile, Maggie continues to take on leading roles in drama serials and her popularity continues to soar.

By the end of 1997, TVB made an anniversary-comedy series with a leading role for Maggie. A Recipe of the Heart consists of an all-star cast, with a theme combination of Old Time Buddy and 1996's success, Food of Love.

1999 - Hair loss after returning from Guangxi

Some time later, Maggie was approached for a lead role in Plain Love II. Having read the script, she accepted it. In March of 1999, the cast of Plain Love II left Hong Kong for Guangxi, China. It took them two months to complete filming. Many endured illnesses and even stroke because of the spine-chilling weather. Maggie returned to Hong Kong in April with measles and hair loss. It was a big prize for the actors to pay, but for the sake of a good script and the good times with friends, no one regretted.

1999 - Plain Love II

Both Plain Love II and At the Threshold of an Era completed their editing procedures in time for TVB 32nd Anniversary. Both were named to be anniversary series. However, Plain Love II starring Maggie and Gordon Lam received much better ratings than At the Threshold of an Era.

Plain Love II brought her even more fruitful feedback from fans and critics than Maggie ever needed. Her character in Plain Love II was nothing like the roles she had played thus far. Ah Poon(Maggie) is a headstrong person who believes in her own values. In many ways like Maggie herself, Ah Poon is physically competent, competitive, and very straight-forward. Maggie may have Po Chu on her resume because of their coincidental resemblance, but Ah Poon on her resume is an essential part in her acting career.

2000 - Kindred Spirit Now

Having tried many different roles in drama serials, Maggie decided to venture out of TVB temporarily to further gain experiences.Throughout 2000, Maggie took part in many overseas concerts, movies, a 20-shows musical play and a number of commercials and ads.

Maggie was selected for a musical The Kindred Spirit by Nancy Sit. She was confident that Maggie is the right choice for she can act, sing, dance, and has a keen stage presentation that is needed for the musical production. In Hong Kong, few young commercial actresses like Maggie get to do musical productions simply because they lack the package for stage performance. This is Maggie's second musical, the first was Old Time Buddy the Musical.

Some time later, Maggie returned to TVB for a new seriesThe Awakening Story, a series which won her much praise.

Maggie's story suggests that if there’s a will, there’s a way. In Maggie’s case, she knows what she wants and decided to explore the commercial world instead of pursuing her degree. Without taking the risk of pursuing her dream, there will never be a Maggie Cheung Ho Yee in the Hong Kong entertainment circle.

As a child, I have never thought of appearing on the silver screen. I have never dreamed of becoming an actress simply because I was never complimented as beautiful when I was young. Furthermore, I have never thought of myself as beautiful. At that time, I was actually hoping to become a fashion designer since I love to draw very much. I wanted to take up fashion design in school but had to turn the chance down due to my parents objecting it. At the age of eighteen I was discovered on the street and signed a contract with a film company. I took on some TV advertisement jobs and recorded an album. However, it was only after I joined the ‘Miss Hong Kong Pageant 2004’ that I began acting for TVB and finally find my dream career.

Maggie Cheung Ho Yee entered the circle at the age of 19 through the movie and music industries. Though she left the circle for a while, her attainment of the "Miss Talented and Prominent Star" award in the Miss Hong Kong Pageant 1994 pulled her back into the entertainment circle. Her superb portrayal of Chan Po Chu also earned her the title of "A Natural Born Actress."

Better Halvesis the first time we worked together. Two to three years ago, we acted together in the movie ‘When A Man Loves A Woman’. From memory, she was a very punctual person. In the previous movie, we didn't have many scenes together. In this series, we saw each other day and night, and I realize that she is not only punctual but also very straightforward.

One Friday afternoon, we met at a restaurant in Clear Waters Bay to have lunch and to do an interview. Ho Yee really ate and talked freely.

"Can we take some photographs?" I asked. "Yes, yes!" She looked at my expression and laughed, "Ay, so serious! Even your breathing is different!"

Serious? Not very serious. Sometimes, when Ho Yee has her photographs taken, she is quite uneasy.

"You look as if you are a born-actress. Do you think it is unfair for people to make such a comment?" I asked.

"Yes, I have heard such comments before. They analyzed that whatever you are thinking in your head, people around you can tell by just looking at your expression." I think they are not unjustified in their analysis. There are both pros and cons about my character. Whether I am troubled, sad or embarrassed, my expression shows immediately."

"That means betraying one's anger!" I didn't expect my addendum would cause a great reaction from Ho Yee. "That's why, I kept hitting obstacles."

For someone who doesn't hide her feelings, she respects her own feelings too. She often does the things she enjoys, like drinking tea and reading by the seaside. For things that she doesn't quite like to do but needs to be done, she will still brace herself and do them.

"My friends comment that except for my appearance, my actual lifestyle is not suited for the acting circle. I agree with them. I don't like to entertain, attend previews or balls; I don't know how to get to be in the limelight and I don't know how to create headlines. Though I have been in this industry for 8 years, I still feel uneasy in public functions."

When Ho Yee talks about acting different roles, she is very excited.

"In these 8 years, which character do you like most or which character best reflects yourself" I asked.

"I like each character to some extent, and each character has a little of me inside. Otherwise, the acting won't be good. Take for example Chan Po Chu. Everyone says I acted very much like her. There is also a little of me inside her, but unfortunately, it is not that which sells."

Ho Yee loves acting and she takes this job, the one she has been in longest, seriously.

"I was young then and wanted to try everything. I was in the fashion industry, in antiques business, and in shares but I wasn’t interested in them. I wasn’t sure of what I wanted then. Perhaps, everyone goes through this phase of being lost before finally understanding oneself!" Cheung Ho Yee, today, believes she is no big deal and that acting is what she has most confidence in.

"Each role that I have undertaken has given me something new. Adding something new frequently has made my life more interesting," she smiled.

Ho Yee said that every time she takes up a new role, she feels some pressure. For someone who takes her career seriously, she also has her bad days.

"In 1997, after completing Old Time Buddy, I started to feel lost and unsure of what I should do next. Be commercialized or be artistic? To be commercialized is to follow what the audience wants – continue to play Chan Po Chu. However, I wasn’t convinced. Must I only act as Chan Po Chu? I was very troubled then. On the one had, I started to doubt my own acting skills and on the other hand, I didn’t want to become a machine."

Not wanting to remain trapped, Ho Yee left her manager and the TV screen. She took up roles in movies and musicals until one day, Poon Ka Tak, a producer from TVB, called her.

"She told me that she is preparing to shoot The Awakening Story and wanted me to be in it. Initially, I was hesitant. At one stage, I even turn down the offer. Fortunately, I accepted it in the end. That serial was very different from the ones I had acted in. During the filming I managed to sort out my thoughts and feelings. Previously I would be exhausted after acting in two serials. This year, I took part in four serials, one after another but it was smooth sailing. I am now back on the right path!' Her eyes are shifting, as if she is thinking of something.

Ho Yee said that those in acting love to think, and her source of her thinking is philosophy.

"I feel that books on philosophy are like the bible. Every time I am troubled, I will look through these books and they will reveal something to me…” She was in high spirit as she talked. On a thought, I said, “Is it like they are radiant? I have some books written by a few teachers that I keep on my shelves and they gave me the feeling that they are shining!"

"Recently, I am reading a book by K---. It’s a book of prose containing quotes from presidents, generals and some renowned persons, categorized into various topics. For instance, I have been thinking of love matters recently, and I would turn to the chapter on love to read. It helps to direct your thinking so that you don’t get stuck in a dead end." Ho Yee’s eyes were shining as she spoke.

'There is a famous saying about courage. Being brave is like a soldier who is about to step into the war zone; to face imminent death requires courage."

Philosophy has helped Ho Yee to face problems bravely and to resolve problems better. It has also breathed a fresh breath of air into her life. A balanced life has both ins and outs and needs sufficient rest. This attitude of treasuring oneself is one that has been passed down from her parents.

"Mum is a housewife while Dad is a civil servant. They gave birth to four, one each year! I don’t know how they managed to bring all of us up." A tremendous task has been completed and elder sister has married. Ho Yee’s mum and dad can now retire graciously.

"Ever since young, the relationship between the four of us (sisters) has been very good. As our sizes are similar, the clothes and shoes that we buy can be shared. Though we are now busy with our own work, we still meet every Sunday to have a meal together. We are still very close to each other. However, it can be difficult at times to meet up with my parents. Dad may be busy with watching horse-racing while mum may be having an appointment. Seeing them being able to pursue their own delights and having each other for care and support, I am really glad that they are not like some couples who will break up when they meet problems in their marriage."

As Ho Yee talked about her parents, her eyes are filled with comfort and longing. Just as she grows up in a happy family, she naturally also longs to build a happy family.