Tavia Yeung: I Was Never Frozen By TVB
After starring in 2018 drama Another Era <再創世紀>, it was another 6 years before Tavia Yeung (楊茜堯) starred in Darkside of the Moon <黑色月光>. Since leaving TVB in 2016 and forming her own family, Hong Kong audiences saw a lot less of Tavia in these eight years.
Overcoming Fear of Playing Baddie Roles
Having started out at TVB in 1999 after graduating from training class, she had stayed at TVB for a long 17 years, slowly working her way up to become the only publicly-voted Best Actress award winner, yet her departure from the station was marred by rumors of being frozen back then.
When asked if it was her role Hong Tsz-kwan in Silver Spoon, Sterling Shackles <名媛望族>, which won her the Best Actress award at 2012’s TVB Awards Ceremony, that became the key turning point in her career, she shook her head and denied the suggestion.
“You feel that the turning point was because I’ve won yet another award, but it made me yearn for another challenging role even more, it was really Beyond the Realm of Conscience <宮心計> which allowed me to undergo a career transformation, because there was no way I didn’t do so, I could not play the guileless girl, youth or a good person all the time. That period of time turned out more cathartic for me, because of Realm my thinking opened up and I let go of my choosiness in roles. Although I wasn’t an idol, I also had my baggage and was afraid of being pelted rotten eggs if I started to play villainous roles,”
On Taking a Calculated Risk Rather than a Job Stability
Yet another turning point was leaving TVB. “I felt that it was time to walk out, because one became akin to a frog in a well after too long a time at TVB, and you’d be unable to see the outside world. Having a stable job and having to do the same thing everyday, but there were no chances of scoring a breakthrough, it happened so that I felt that I could advance to another phase of life, to plan my own wedding and see if I could form a family; I also wanted to have another shot in the entertainment circle, to see how things would turn out,” While TVB was like a protective shield, Tavia much preferred freedom and wanted to see how far she could still go.
Responding now to rumors back then of her having been frozen by the station, she confidently expressed, “I was never frozen, to be honest, there’s no need to lie about this, I’d be less tired if I had been frozen! My contract had simply ended, so I could think about other matters, and plan out my life, take a rest, and spend time with my family,”
After leaving TVB, Tavia Yeung quickly settled down with Him Law, whom she met while filming The Hippocratic Crush <On Call 36小時>. She describes their love as never being dramatic or intense — they simply met the right person at the right time. The couple now has two children, and even her husband often agrees that love akin to “a steady, long-running river” is all they need.
“There’s nothing particularly dramatic between us,” Tavia shared. “And now, even less so. He always says, ‘We don’t need to do anything special; a steady flow is enough.’ But I tease him, saying, ‘I’m about to turn off your tap!’
Of course, Tavia isn’t genuinely dissatisfied; she simply hopes to add a little more “nourishment” to their steady relationship. “A long-running river doesn’t have to be boring. You need to add a bit of color to it, right? If it’s too bland, it’s not great either,” she laughed.
Source: HK01
