Maggie Cheung: ‘I Was a Pain to Work With Before’

By Jayne on April 10, 2009

Suffering from thyroiditis and depression earlier, Maggie Cheung Ho Yee took a filming break for two years. Last year, she resumed part-time work and hosted 《更上一層樓》. The big challenge may be ahead, as Maggie prepares to film “The Pride for My Husband” opposite Michael Miu Kiu Wai. Maggie said that she is fully prepared mentally and physically in her comeback. She has confidence that she will present her best form before the audience.

Maggie was one of TVB’s most popular actresses and received the Favorite Actress Award in 2003, acknowledging her talent. Unfortunately, while filming the mainland production, “Everlasting Regret,” Maggie suffered from thyroiditis and depression. This forced her to take a hiatus from acting; the audience felt much pity for her.

Many people are worried whether Maggie will be able to cope with physical and mental strain of filming full-time in her comeback series, “The Pride for My Husband.” Maggie said confidently, “Since I accepted this role, it means that I am ready. I believe that the producer and my co-stars will be understanding of my situation and the condition of my my body.”

”My co-star in ‘The Pride of My Husband’ is Michael Miu. If I did not get ill, we would have cooperated earlier in ‘Au Revoir Shanghai’ 《上海傳奇》. Since Michael happens to be my co-star again in my comeback series, I am particularly looking forward to working with him and would like to start as soon as possible.”

Just Want to Enjoy the Working Process

Since recovering from her illness, Maggie’s work attitude has changed dramatically. “While filming outdoor scenes in the past, I tried to avoid using outdoor toilets. Thus I would not eat nor drink the entire day. I had high demands for myself and people that I worked with, such as the make-up artists, hairstylists, lighting crew, etc. Many people felt that I was a difficult person to work with. I did not spare other people, nor did I spare myself. I put myself under immense pressure.”

“However, my health turn a drastic turn. At the time, if there was ‘gold on the ground,’ I wouldn’t have been able to pick it up. Designer handbags were no longer necessary. At that point, I realized you can not be so stubborn in life. You need to look at things from multiple angles. If ‘A’ does not work out, it is necessary to try ‘B,’ perhaps there might be better results. When I go back to the TVB studios, I treat myself like a newcomer and maintain an open mind. I believe that work will be more enjoyable that way.”

Since her health recovered, Maggie wanted to try different jobs to broaden her scope of vision. She accepted a role in a movie and filming is expected to start within two months. However, her new filming projects are an attempt to satisfy her own desires, without the ambition to win awards. “Of course awards would make me happier. This indicates that your work is not bad, but I do not want to dwell too much on awards. Currently, I will just enjoy the process of acting.”

Maggie has become more health conscious now. Aside from focusing on skin whitening, she will set aside time to detoxify her body. “Every night, I make sure to sleep before 12 midnight, to allow my liver to detoxify my body properly. Each month, I will set aside one or two days for full-body detoxification. I will only drink juice and not eat other food. If I become hungry, then I will just go to sleep. My skin improved as a result too!”

While filming 《更上一層樓》, Maggie met and fell in love with current boyfriend, Tsang Anbang, who works in the financial industry. Since the exposure of their relationship, marriage rumors have circulated multiple times. Maggie said, “We have not been dating for long. Unlike other couples who have marriage plans, it is too early for us to consider right now.”

Does Maggie intend to become an older mom and have a baby later in life? “Each time I see my younger sister’s son, I feel that babies are very cute. There will be a moment of impulse to have a baby. But I can not get married just because I want to have a child. You can not be impatient with marriage matters. It is best to let God decide!”

Article Source: Singtao

Jayne: While not a diva, Maggie Cheung does sound like someone with very high expectations when it came to work in the past. Don’t know too much about her current boyfriend, but apparently he is quite successful in the financial industry.