Louise Lee on a Mother’s Love
Louise Lee (李司棋) has been a staple in the Hong Kong entertainment industry for four decades. Older viewers will remember the former Hong Kong Princess as a heavily promoted TVB fadan from the 1970s, while younger viewers will identify with her strong maternal roles in recent dramas. Louise’s ability to win over audiences is not only due to her persuasive acting skills, but also a reflection of her caring personality and real-life role as a mother to her daughter and owner of two dogs.
Currently in Reality Check <心路GPS>, Louise plays the biological mother of Owen Cheung (張振朗) and the adopted mother of Ruco Chan (陳展鵬). However, her relationship with Ruco is better than her relationship with her biological son in the drama. Louise feels that blood connections may not necessarily be thicker than water when it comes to relationships. It eventually depends on the interaction and communication between people, which is to be cherished and shaped by one’s own actions.
To add on to her point, Louise mentioned her close relationship with her sister. Although the sisters live far apart, they took the effort to plan a long-distance vacation together to enjoy each other’s company. Louise had taken time off her filming in Macau to go back to Hong Kong to meet with her sister who flew in especially from New Zealand. The sisters then took off on a short holiday in Taiwan before Louise rushed back to Macau to continue filming. Despite the scuttling back and fro, Louise was happy she could meet up with her sister whom she hardly sees.
Comfort in Daughter’s Independence
Louise’s family is scattered throughout the world. After a brief stint as a news anchor in Toronto’s Chinavision Canada station, Louise went back to Hong Kong to act for TVB. Her daughter, Leslie Yip (葉子青), remains in Toronto working as a DJ. Although the mother and daughter live in different continents, they are in each other’s hearts. Fortunately, Leslie only brings comfort and relief to her mother. Louise elaborated, “For many years, I never had to worry about her. The only time she needed me by her side was when she was divorced. Now that she has remarried and the couple is happily working together at A1 Chinese Radio, I don’t have to worry. She never asked me for a single cent.”
Even when it comes to work, Leslie never asked Louise to use her celebrity connections. Louise related, “Once Leslie wanted to invite Ron Ng (吳卓羲) to her radio station for an interview. Even though he lives on the same block as me, I asked Leslie to approach TVB instead.”
Deep Feelings
A decade ago, while recuperating from cervical cancer, Louise adopted two dogs to keep her company at home. Without her own family by her side, the two dogs provided much companionship to her. Her two dogs, Milk Tea and Man Man, are now 10 and 8 years old respectively. Most pet owners will easily understand that one almost becomes a parent to the animals over time due to the emotional attachment.
After recovering from cancer, Louise resumed work and hardly had time to rest, let alone play with the dogs. It was Louise’s thoughtful domestic helper of many years who played with the dogs and brought them to her own room, so that Louise could have her rest. Now that her helper is retiring, Louise felt sad as she and her dogs will miss her dearly. She also worries who will care for her two dogs.
Work and Charity
Since her magnificent comeback in Heart of Greed <溏心風暴>, which secured her the TVB Best Actress award in 2007, Louise has filmed one to two dramas each year. “As long as it’s not too tough, I can still continue to work. It’s odd that I have not been approached to film in China. Actually, I’m from northern China and I’ve done dubbing in Mandarin before.” After a pause, she added, “Or maybe I haven’t actively looked for opportunities there.”
Aside from her dedication to acting, the 62-year-old is tireless and full of heart, especially when it comes to charities helping others. Louise regularly donates to small organizations. Not only does she support the donation drive to give coal to northern Thailand, she has also bought stationery supplies of her own accord and offered them to children of new immigrants. The simple pleasure of watching faces light up is what motivates Louise to continue her charity work.
Source: Apple Daily via ihktv.com
This article is written by Karen for JayneStars.com.
There’s plenty of heart in Louise Lee’s performances. She appears to be a very genuine person and very believable as a loving mother with good chemistry among artists who portray her children onscreen.
I think I came across news in the past of Louise’s unhappy divorce? Although I am not clear about the personal details in her marriage.
I am not either but i do see her in some of the dramas. But to me she always seem to play the overly nice mother wife characters. Sometimes it’s a bit boring to me. But she can act well and convincing in her roles.
I heard about it, but it is a long story.
Louise Lee married a pathologist (medical graduate of the University of Hong Kong) in 1971 while she was one of the 4 top fadans in TVB. She immigrated to Toronto in 1984 by herself because her husband refused to leave Hong Kong. In order to get Canadian citizenship, she had to stay in Toronto all by herself. Later she found out that her husband had a mistress in Hong Kong during her stay in Toronto. She went back to Hong Kong to file her divorce. She even got a letter from her 1st husband at her daughter’s wedding (1st marriage) saying that he had never loved her in his life. Louise was so heart-broken after reading the letter.
Also Leslie Yip was not close to her mother when she was young because of her father who talked badly about Louise. Leslie later found out about the truth and returned to Louise.
Louise had a second marriage after she went back to Hong Kong, but that one did not last either. They did not lead the same type of life, so they broke up peacefully. Her 2nd husband passed away about two or three years ago.
Sandcherry,
Thanks for the details over Louise Lee’s marriages. I had scanned some interviews in the past and remember they ended sadly, but did not recall how.
Why is it necessary for her first husband to send that horrid letter saying he never loved Louise and to choose his own daughter’s wedding? What a selfish man!
I know and I agree totally. Louise Lee had an interview with Ming Pao shortly after her daughter’s wedding and Louise mentioned it to the reporter. I think I read about it in Ming Pao.
Thanks for the info Sandcherry! It is sad that some women and men as well never find true love in their lives while some are lucky to find it. We all just have different luck and fate…
I feel so sorry for Louise Lee. She married her “not-good-looking” husband at her young age. She was only 21 when she married her first husband. Their marriage lasted for 18 years and she got a letter from him 18 years later saying that he had never loved her. No wonder she was so heart-broken.
Louise immigrated to Toronto, Canada, in 1984 and returned to Hong Kong in 1990.
Her two marriages:
Yip Chi-Pang (Pathologist) – 1971 to 1989. Their daughter, Leslie Yip, was born in 1974.
Ho Wai-Kuen (business man) – 1992 to 1999. Separated after 3 years and divorced officially in 1999.
@Sandcherry,
Thanks for all of your info and I feel bad her too. However, I really wonder why she went to Canada by herself if her husband refused to go with her? If I were her, I would not have done so because long periods away from each other can easily break a marriage even if you loved each other. I do agree with you that it is so painful to know that your husband did not ever love you even after 18 years of marriage and with a daughter too. How sad is that??? Her second marriage did not work out either… Very sad and like I have said, some are great people but yet have such a sad life while some aren’t so great people but get the best things in life. Life is just not fair and everyone has a different fate.
Yeah, everyone has a different fate.
I agree, too, that she shouldn’t have come to Toronto, Canada, if her husband did not want to go with her. First, her husband is a pathologist in Hong Kong (M.D.). A medical doctor is not qualified to practise medicine in North America. It is a 5-year B.Sc.(Med.) program in Hong Kong (undergraduate) while it is a graduate program (Dr.) in Canada (same as the States). So I don’t blame him for not coming.
Lots of people from Hong Kong lost their marriages due to the “one-spouse immigration”. I know a few. People wanted to leave Hong Kong because of its takeover by Mainland China. They were not sure of the future of Hong Kong.
However, it was still her husband’s fault. He should have talked to Louise more about the consequences before living with another woman. It was even more cruel to give her a letter saying that he had never loved her in those 18+ years (many years after the divorce), and the letter was given some 28+ years later (shortly after her daughter’s wedding). They both attended Leslie Yip’s wedding of her first marriage in Toronto.
@Sandcherry,
Oh yea, I know what you mean about everyone being scared about the future of HK after the handover in 1997. I was scared myself after hearing about it all. It was still her husband’s fault for doing what he did though. He should have talked more to her about it instead of cheat on her like that… Life is just so sad and unfair… But we must make the best of what we have since there are many others that are way worse off.
Sorry. I made one mistake. I think Louise Lee found out about the third party in her bedroom in Hong Kong …….. some woman’s lipsticks, jewellery, etc., when she went home.
In Reality Check she is not the adopted mother but foster parent for Ruco’s character.
Whilst I immensely enjoy Reality Check, I somehow feel Louise Lee is a wrong person to cast as a woman who married a soon as she graduated from high school, never worked, etc. She doesn’t give me that impression, perhaps I see her as too elegant.
So a staying at home mom bringing up her children can’t be elegant? I think she’s perfect for the role & her acting is superb
Doesn’t fit the image.
That depends on the family…she’s portraying a middle class housewife & I think the image fits the role.
I haven’t watched Reality Check but I always liked Louise Lee’s acting. She can act well 🙂
I hate her son in those series. He’s an ugly Bosco look alike. And his gf in here is super annoying. I wish they gave Louise a better looking son.
Puke!!!
Haha… so I’m not the only one who thinks Louise’s son is a lesser-groomed version of Bosco.
so am I
To be fair he has better teeth 😀
I HATE HIS SON’S GIRLFRIEND. she doesn’t act at all like a real person. she acts ad talks like a little kid and she’s meant to be of age to get married. she’s way too clingy, she’s the real life hk version of the clingy girlfriend meme. and i don’t think her son’s too bad…but the girlfriend definitely reduces my opinion of him.
yah, louise lee was very pretty, more than sammi cheng, cecilia chung, kenix kwok, fala, myolie, kate, linda, travia, jamie chik, lau kar ling, she had natural beauty, not because of plastic surgery
I agree, she is very pretty and elegant even after all these years. I’ve seen her daughter Leslie in person a few times and she’s pretty just like her mother. But Leslie isn’t as pretty on screen as her mother is, so I can only imagine Louise being very pretty in person.
Agree. Louise looks prettier than her daughter, Leslie Yip, whose father is not good looking at all unfortunately. However, their voices are almost identical.
I don’t think Fala, Myolie or Linda got any plastic surgery…………………..
I do not think any of them (Linda, Fala, Myolie) got surgery!
No, I think Fala and Myolie did have some kinds of plastic surgery. Fala ….. trimming of her chins, and Myolie ……. double eye lids and may be more. Not too sure about Linda Chung. She might not have any plastic surgery …… she did not even want to change her hair styles over the years.
Myolie always had double eye lid since I saw her days in eternal happiness. Fala is probably due to her tremendous weight loss kind of like kenix. Both had baby fat…and then went skeleton mode.
Even Myolie Wu had double eye-lids, they were not that pretty when she first started with TVB. Her eyes looked prettier after her winning.
Oh yeah, that’s Bosco Wong lookalike. I first noticed him in the lawyer series, FF I think. His acting is not bad, actually. The gf in the series is that girl embroiled in that hoo haa ‘director abused her’ case, right? I think she can’t act at all.
Bosco Wong lookalike haha. Didn’t really notice that before but now that you said it….He’s quite a good actor actually. Comes across as pretty natural. The actress that plays his gf is terrible though.
That’s strange I didn’t see Louisee Lee at her daughter’s wedding in photos (her second marriage)….
Haven’t watched this series yet but she also played the mother of Ruco in Ruse Of Engagement which was filmed in late 2011 and has yet to be aired maybe that’s why they get along so well. I was a bit surprised she took on a quite violent victim role in the Other Truth she did very well in there.
Btw I think the guy who plays her son was also a guest in Friendly Fire the one where he made the girl jump off the building.I think he’s a singer, a pretty good actor for a newcomer
Louise is such a strong and amazing woman. I am glad that she did not allow the downs of life to truly get her down and still continues to act and do charity work. Great to see her acting after many years.
I notice cancer survivor are strong & compassionate . Beside Louise, Liza Wang another amazing and strong women.
I am so glad that they are survivors of cancer illness. Not every one is able to do it though, like Jacqueline Law, Michelle Yim’s boyfriend, Roman Law, Anita Mui, etc.
I think cancer survivors are strong and compassionate because they have been through a lot and have to fight harder to live.Therefore, they become stronger and value life more than others would. Cancer is supposedly a deadly disease in many cases, but so glad that many still survived it. I think it depends on when it was discovered, what type,etc… Glad that there are many cancer survivors though.
I think it depends on when it was discovered, what type,etc.
————————————————————————
Agree. Some kinds of cancerous illnesses will not be noticed until at their final stages (like ovarian, uterus, skin, liver, etc.), while some of them can be treated if they are discovered at early stages (like breast, thyroid, prostate, colon, etc.). An annual physical checkup will help a lot detect health problems. It should surely be done when a person reaches 45 years old.
I lost one of my close friends to colon cancer since he did not discover it early enough. He did not have health insurance so just ignored it until it was too late… So sad…