ProfileHow Hong Kong’s wuxia drama ‘princess’ Michelle Yim has kept her star shining for 55 years

This is the 78th instalment in a biweekly series profiling major Hong Kong pop culture figures of recent decades. At a press conference on April 20 at Hong Kong’s MacPherson Stadium, the warm, easy banter onstage between veteran Hong Kong actors Michelle Yim Wai-ling and Ricky Lau Wai-man was the kind that can only be produced by decades of shared history. Yim – better known by her stage name, Mai Suet, which phonetically inspired her English moniker – was there to announce a June music concert, titled “Friends, You Have Rice 55 Party”, marking a steady 55 years in the entertainment industry. Meanwhile, fellow former Commercial Television (CTV) star Lau, who has acted together with Yim in several drama series, had the room laughing as he joked about their early days. “If we had been lucky 55 years ago, today would be our 55th wedding anniversary, but Mai Suet ignored me back then,” he teased. It was a grounded, lighthearted moment that perfectly captured Yim today, who, at 70, remains a highly active presence in Hong Kong showbiz. No longer relying on strict diets to maintain her health, she credited fellow actor Chow Yun-fat, who famously ran a half marathon in 2025 at the age of 69, for her recent vitality. “I want to thank Fat gor [big brother Fat] for taking me running,” Yim said. “I now insist on running every day, so I can eat whatever I want with no problem!” An accidental wuxia breakthrough Yim’s relatable star image is the culmination of decades of prolific work. Born in 1955 as the fourth of nine siblings, she did not initially set out to become a television star. Her journey began in 1969 in a highly pragmatic way: her mother clipped a newspaper advertisement for a joint acting programme run by Shaw Brothers and Hong Kong broadcaster TVB. “My mother applied for the acting programme and took my first headshots for me,” Yim recalled during a 2020 interview with TV and concert producer Gary Yeung Siu-hung for Hong Kong public broadcaster RTHK. “She was strict, but also allowed me to be my own person.” Graduating alongside actors like Danny Lee Sau-yin, Yim was initially groomed for cinema. But her trajectory shifted in 1975 when she signed with the newly formed broadcaster CTV and starred in the 1976 small-screen adaptation of The Legend of the Condor Heroes, a wuxia classic by martial arts novelist Louis Cha Leung-yung. Cast as the intelligent heroine Huang Rong, Yim brought a memorable blend of girlish mischief and physical grace to the role. The series was a major hit, becoming Hong Kong’s first drama to reach 1 million viewers and turning her into a household name. The show’s impact stretched far beyond Hong Kong. “The Legend of the Condor Heroes was dubbed in a lot of languages, and it was very well received in Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand,” Yim said to Cutie Mui Siu-wai on the TVB talk show Friendship Has No Limits in 2025. Yim has since fostered a lifelong connection with Thailand, where she even recorded a Thai-language album and continued to serve as a tourism ambassador as recently as 2023. Even as she conquered the television market across Asia, Yim maintained a prolific output for the big screen throughout the late 1970s and early 1980s. She starred in a string of features, including Li Han-hsiang’s Huangmei Opera musical take on The Dream of the Red Chamber (1977) and Tsui Hark’s Hong Kong New Wave classic The Butterfly Murders (1979). Surviving the network wars When CTV collapsed in 1978, Yim simply kept working. She moved to rival network Rediffusion Television (RTV) – which later became Asia Television (ATV) – where she continued to build her résumé in the wuxia genre. Steady performances in TV series such as The Dynasty, Fatherland (II): Radical City and Tai Chi Master – all released in 1980 – earned Yim the title of Hong Kong’s “princess of wuxia drama”. She endeared herself further to audiences playing strong characters in the 1981 shows Princess Cheung Ping and The Legendary Fok. In a practical move for the era, after her RTV contract ended, Yim navigated the intense rivalry between ATV and TVB by working as a freelance actress – a testament to her industry clout. This flexibility allowed her to take on roles across different networks without being tied down by exclusive contracts, leading to notable appearances in TVB’s The Legend of Master So (1982), starring Chow Yun-fat and Andy Lau Tak-wah, and ATV’s martial arts series Tiger Hill Trail (1983). Yim then formed a memorable partnership with Damian Lau Chung-yan in the 1985 ATV wuxia series Chronicles of the Shadow Swordsman, which cemented their status as one of the most beloved on-screen couples in Hong Kong television history. Stage records and award-winning villainy Alongside her television work, Yim consistently pursued opportunities in live theatre to hone her craft. Hand-picked by the late Cantopop icon Roman Tam, she made her musical debut in 1982’s Madame White Snake, playing the vivacious Green Snake opposite Liza Wang Ming-chun. Yim’s stage work expanded in 1990 with a lavish local adaptation of the French play Cyrano de Bergerac, starring opposite Adam Cheng Siu-chau. After she wrapped her TVB sitcom Mind Our Own Business (1993-4), Yim took on heavy stage commitments in 1995, which included a 70-show run for I Have a Date with Spring, as well as three other comedy plays, totalling 100 performances in that year alone. On television, she continued to secure impactful roles. She delivered a stand-out performance as the scheming Yan Hung in TVB’s 2008 hit Moonlight Resonance, in which her portrayal of the manipulative villainess helped draw a peak rating of 50 points and earned her the TVB Anniversary Award for best actress. Yim has continued to adapt to the changing industry and has been involved with the boom of Chinese short-form dramas in recent years. Sisterhood, resilience and giving back Yim has maintained a close relationship with her family throughout her career, particularly her sister, Shirley Yim Wai-ming, widely known as Suet Lei. The younger Yim has built her own television legacy, notably starring in TVB dramas such as The Condor Heroes 95 (1995) and A Step into the Past (2001). The sisters share a tight, supportive bond; during their early days in the industry, Michelle Yim even managed her sibling’s finances. That sisterly support was again visible in the April press conference, when Shirley and her son, Chui Wai-dong, surprised Michelle on stage with flowers to celebrate her upcoming concert. Off-screen, Michelle Yim’s personal life has required quiet resilience. She was in a 26-year relationship with football player and actor Wan Chi-keung, and stood by him through his battle with nasopharyngeal cancer until he died in 2010 at age 53. “I would really like to thank him,” she said of Wan in the 2020 RTHK interview. “He was a really great person who knew how to handle any situation and had many, many friends. I learned a lot from him.” Following her husband’s death, her professionalism again came to the fore when she returned to shoot the TVB series Beauty Knows No Pain after taking only two days off work. Meanwhile, she also used her public platform to support cancer patients and raise awareness for mental health. In 2017, for instance, she starred in the stage play ’Night, Mother, earning praise for her sensitive portrayal of a woman dealing with severe depression. From her early days in wuxia dramas to maintaining a steady working presence on the modern stage and screen, Michelle Yim’s career has been defined by adaptability and a desire to contribute. It is a testament to those attributes that the coming concerts on June 12 and 13 mark her first-ever attempt at performing solo. “I have been the recipient of so much grace and kindness throughout my career,” she said in the 2025 TVB interview. “So I vowed that whenever I can, I will try my best to give back.”

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}After her wuxia TV roles wowed viewers across Asia in the 1970s, Yim moved to movies and plays. Now 70, she will hold her first solo concert

After her wuxia TV roles wowed viewers across Asia in the 1970s, Yim moved to movies and plays. Now 70, she will hold her first solo concert