Ada Choi Says She Let Fame Go To Her Head… Until She Found Herself Unemployed For A Year
Former TVB actress, Ada Choi, 48, may be known now for her appearances in Chinese variety shows like My Dearest Ladies and Viva La Romance, but back in the day, she was one of Hongkong’s brightest stars.
In her recent interview on talk show Girls Go Home, the actress revealed how she received a wakeup call about popularity in showbiz, and she had her ego to thank for it.
Ada was just 17 when she came in third in the 1991 Miss Hong Kong beauty pageant. She was offered a TVB contract and quickly became one of their most favoured artistes.
Just a year after the pageant, she scored her first lead role in TVB drama Revelation of the Last Hero alongside Aaron Kwok. In 1994, Ada successfully made the leap from TV to movies when she starred in blockbusters Hail the Judge and Fist Of Legend opposite Stephen Chow and Jet Li respectively, both of whom were two of the biggest names of that era.
She followed that up the next year with a role in Stephen’s A Chinese Odyssey and its sequel A Chinese Odyssey Part Two: Cinderella.
Ada & Stephen Chow in Hail the Judge
According to Ada, her swift and easy ascent to fame was why she got big headed.
“I was pretty arrogant before 1995 because I was co-stars with Stephen Chow and Jet Li. I was also in music videos… I really had a lot of work then,” said Ada, adding that she thought she was at the peak of her career.
“I thought that the world was already mine,” admitted Ada.
Little did she expect her career high would quickly devolve into an all-time low for her.
"For an entire year, no one would cast me in any show,” said Ada. “It made me realise that when you think you are at your peak, don’t actually believe in it, because everything can suddenly disappear.”
That was also when she learnt the harsh reality of showbiz.
"When people look for you, you will have work. When no one wants you, you don't even have a choice. It’s very pragmatic", she said. "Once they see that you are no longer at the top, everything changes."
Ada in Girls Go Home
Photos: Ada Choi/ Instagram, Chinapress
