Gloria Yip

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Gloria Yip Wan-Yee

Chinese name 葉蘊儀
Chinese name 葉蘊儀 (Traditional)
Chinese name 叶蕴仪 (Simplified)
Pinyin Ye Yun-Yi (Mandarin)
Jyutping Yip Wan-Yee (Cantonese)
Origin Hong Kong
Born January 13, 1973 (age 35)
Occupation actor, singer, sculptor
Genre(s) Cantopop, Mandopop
Instrument(s) voice
Voice type(s) mezzo-soprano
Label(s) Music Impact
Years active 1988-1994
2001-present
Spouse(s) 陳柏浩 (Chen Baihao) (1995-2000) (divorced)
Children 2 (紹臻/Shaoyen and 衍衍/Yanyan)
Parents Yip Shao, Yip Fu
Official site http://www.abcde.com.hk/gloria/index.html

Gloria Yip Wan-Yee (Chinese: 葉蘊儀, born January 13, 1973 in Hong Kong, the elder of two sisters) is a Hong Kong actress and singer of Guangdong ancestry, best known for her four films with director Lam Ngai Kai, and to Western audiences, her "special appearance" in Lam's Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky and principal supporting role in the cult classic [1] Saviour of the Soul. As a singer, she toured in Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and South Korea.[2] In her homeland, she retains a reputation for wholesomeness, and the philandering of her husband, leading to a divorce, caused a media stir.

Contents

[edit] Discovery by talent scout

During secondary school at Saint Ma Jiali Women's Academy, she went to Japan, and was discovered at the age of thirteen (though she claimed at the time to be fourteen), took a Japanese name,[3] and appeared in television commercials for McDonald's and TDK. Her career continued from there. In 1987, at age 14, she appeared in the play, 呷醋大丈夫 (To Sip Impoverished Scholar Husband).[4] At age 19, she appeared in another play, 洗腳水 (The Water for Foot Washing) (1992).[5]

[edit] Film career: first phase

She frequently appears in comedian supporting roles, such as Ron, an acrobatic acupuncturist in The Legend of the Liquid Sword, or the just slightly-too-young bounty hunter Fung Ling ("Little Bewitchment") in Flying Dagger. Her most noted role is Ashura the Hell Virgin, a supporting role in Peacock King (her screen debut at age 15.[6]) and a starring role in Saga of the Phoenix. This role is also quite comic and often slapstick. She plays a mischievous but essentially innocent offspring of devils. She possesses great power, but essentially as a vessel for others to wield, or for her to use when she is not really trying, and thus she is a source of great danger without any malice. In both films, her character is redeemed when she helps her friends Peacock King/Kujaku (Yuen Biao) and Lucky Fruit (played by different actors in the two films), who act as her guardians, destroy major demons. The role was more demanding in the second film, in which her childlike innocence and mischief is somewhat quelled by a mystical death sentence that attacks her like a disease.

She often plays roles that are younger than she is in real life, abetted by the fact that she is just under 5'2". In Saviour of the Soul, she played Andy Lau's 12 year-old kid sister, Wai Heung, when she was eighteen.

Her other roles include Judy in Chicken and Duck Talk, the young bride, Belle, in Jackie Chan's Miracle, Siu-Yi in Demoness from Thousand Years, Gucci in The Blue Jean Monster, the Alien Girl in The Cat, Ann in Pink Bomb, and a cameo as Ricki's murdered girlfriend, Keiko, in Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky.

[edit] Marriage, retirement, and arts and crafts

Her goal was to make a film that she herself would particularly like, and as such she is not particularly prolific as Hong Kong film actors go. She retired from the screen after appearing in the 1994 film, The Gods Must Be Crazy V: The Gods Must Be Funny in China, to get married to toy businessman 陳柏浩 (Chen Baihao) in 1995, and the birth of a son, 陳紹臻 (Chen Shaozhen), followed in 1996. The couple had a daughter, 陳衍衍 (Chen Yanyan), whose name translates "Spread Out," November 30, 1999. Yip continued to appear on television to demonstrate her hobby of embroidery, and she also wrote a magazine column on arts and crafts. In 1997, she enrolled at Causeway Bay School to study clay sculpture.[7]

[edit] Divorce and return to film

In 2000, Yip and Chen were divorced at Chen's suggestion after he had an extramarital affair and was visiting brothels.[8] She returned to the screen in 2001 with a cameo role in Heroes in Love after Chen failed to pay her allowances.[9][10] Details of the affair were exposed to the media in 2002, including Yip publishing excerpts of her own diary about her feelings.[11]. After nearly a ten-year absence, Yip had the leading role in the horror film, Death Melody (2003), followed by another horror film, Double Face Girl. She also returned to stage plays.

During this later period, she has largely abandoned her comedic persona. In 2004, while Mark Six Comedy places her in a comic foil role as the manager (named Gloria[12]) of an office of immature twentysomethings, deriving humor though being serious, in both Boxer's Story, a drama, and Osaka Wrestling Restaurant, a comedy, she plays ex-wives of unsuccessful men, each with a son. In the latter film, she is not involved in any of the comic antics whatsoever, and structurally, her role, a "special appearance" with only four scenes, is designed to give the film an emotional core it might otherwise lack. In the former film, she plays the ex-wife of a character played by Yuen, and much of the film is about regaining her son now that she is married to a cardiologist and has a successful career of her own in automotive sales, primarily to English-speaking clients. In Breezy Summer, her role, again eponymous, is a tragic performance.

For television later that year, she was reunited with Story of Ricky star Terry Fan Siu Wong and The Cat star Christine Ng in the television miniseries, Magic Sword of Heaven and Earth, as the goddess Guanyin, which aired in 2005. This role, again serious, is a figure of divine intervention at the second act turning point, and a brief visit in the film's finale. Most of these were low budget productions shot on digital video rather than on film.

In 2007, she appeared in Magic Boy.

She is fluent in Cantonese, Japanese, Putonghua, and English and is a fan of Jackie Chan, Tom Cruise, Rie Miyasawa, and Madonna.[13] Her roles in Mark Six Comedy and Boxer's Story include brief passages of English dialogue.

[edit] Discography

with Ricky Ho, Belinda Foo, Iskandar Ismail (keyboards), Eddie Marzuki, Jonathan Koh, Shah Tahir (guitars), Stephen Rufus (saxophone), Larry Lai (flute), Jimmy Lee (cymbals)


This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.
  • Gloria Yip
  • Ashura
  • S.O.S.
  • Seoul
  • Cheat Your Heart (March 1992)
  • (September 1992)
  • Don't Hurt Me If You Love Me (April 1993)
  • Have You Ever Thought About Me? (October 1993)
  • Promise (Winter 1993) (94931-2)
  • Truly Clean (1994) (97129-2 MIM-9416C)

[edit] Filmography

(in order of earliest release (when dates are available))

The official English titles of the first three and are essentially literal translations. Otherwise, translations are provided when available.

Footnotes indicate that Yip's appearance in the film is not verified, but is based only on information on a particular site that is not backed up with images, or at least a character name.

  • 雞同鴨講 Gai tung aap gong/Chicken and Duck Talk (7/1988) ... Judy
  • 孔雀王子 Hung cheuk wong ji/Peacock King (12/1988) ... Ashura
  • 奇蹟 Ji Ji/Miracles (6/1989) ... Belle Kao
  • 阿修羅 A Xiu-lo (Ashura)/Saga of the Phoenix (2/1990) ... Ashura
  • 香港パラダイス/Hong Kong Paradise (4/1990) ... Chin's Assistant
  • 祝福 Zhu Fu (Blessing)/Promising Miss Bowie (6/1990) ... Pinky (Bowie's niece)
  • 千年女妖 Chin nin lui yiu (Millennium Female Monster)/Demoness from Thousand Years (9/1990) ... Siu-Yi
  • 力王 Lik wong (King of Strength)/Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky (4/1991) ... Keiko (Ricky's girlfriend)
  • 著牛仔褲的鍾馗 Zhuo niu zi ku de Zhong Kui/The Blue Jean Monster (5/1991) ... Gucci
  • 豪門夜宴 Haomen yeyan (Rich and Powerful Family Evening Banquet)/The Banquet (11/1991) ... Party Guest
  • 九一神鵰俠侶 Gau yat: San diu hap lui ('91 God Eagle Hero Couple)/Saviour of the Soul (12/1991) ... Wai Heung (Benefit Fragrance)
  • 新孖寶妙探 Jeung Bo Miu Taam (New Valuable Twin Searches Marvelously)/The New Marvelous Double (1992)
  • 衛斯理之老貓 Wai Si Li zhi Lao Mao (Wisely's Old Cat)/Wisely in The Cat (10/1992) ... Alien Girl
  • 霧都情仇 Wu du qing chou (Fog Rival in Love)/Misty (11/1992)
  • 笑俠楚留香 Siu hap Cho Lau Heung (Smiling Hero Cho Lau Heung)/The Legend of Liquid Sword (3/1993) ... Su Ronrong "Ron"
  • 人生得意衰盡歡 Ren sheng de yi shuai jin huan (The Happily Faded Life Has a Good Time)/Pink Bomb (3/1993) ... Ann
  • 神經刀與飛天貓 Shen Jing Dao yu Fei Tian Mao (Nerve Knife and Flying Cat Apsara)/Flying Dagger (5/1993) ... Fung Ling (Little Bewitchment)
  • 開心華之裡 (Happy in China)/Mind Our Own Business (1993) (TV series)[14][15]
  • 非洲超人 Fei zhou chao ren (Africa Exceeds Others in Ability)/The Gods Must Be Crazy V: The Gods Must Be Funny in China (3/1994)
  • 包青天I Bao Qing Tian/Justice Pao (1995) (TV series)
  • 戀愛起義 Lian'ai qiyi (Love Revolt)/Heroes in Love (4/2001)[16]
  • 雪地裡的星星 (Star in Snowy Area)/Starry Starry Night... (2001) (TV series)[17]
  • 愛情白皮書寫真樂譜集 (Love White Paper Portrait Music Collection)/Tomorrow Photo Album (8/2002) (TV series)[18][19]
  • 連鎖奇幻檔案之死亡音樂 (Death of Music Chain-like Singularly Varied File)/Death Melody (2003) ... Xiao Xue
  • 傷生兒 (Is Injurious to Life)/Double Face Girl (2003) ... Tung
  • 多重彩 (Multi-Serious Wounds)/Mark Six Comedy (2003) ... Gloria
  • 赤子拳王 Chek ji kuen wong (Newborn Baby Boxing Champion)/Boxer's Story (2004) ... Susan
  • 夏之春 (Spring of the Summer)/Breezy Summer (2004) ... Gloria
  • 大阪撻一餐 Daai Baan Taat Yat Chaan (Osaka Flogs One Meal)/Osaka Wrestling Restaurant (5/2004) ... Maye
  • 天地神劍 Tian di shen jian (World God Sword)/Magic Sword of Heaven and Earth (2005) (TV) ... Goddess Guanyin (Episodes VII, VIII, X)
  • 魔術男 Mor suit nam/Magic Boy (2007)

[edit] References

  1. ^ John Charles, Video Watchdog #40, page 64: "Saviour of the Soul has developed a cult following for its sensational action sequences, which feature futuristic weapons like "The Breathless Bullet," a projectile that sucks all the atmosphere out of rooms (an effect accomplished by having all the color drain out of the image)." A recent DVD release quoted him with the paraphrase "A Cult classic."
  2. ^ http://www.abcde.com.hk/gloria/profile.html
  3. ^ English-language bio screen, Saga of the Phoenix DVD, Universe Laser & Video
  4. ^ http://ueno.cool.ne.jp/sankyoh/profile.htm
  5. ^ http://big5.cri.cn/gate/big5/gb.cri.cn/9964/2006/11/13/114@1299634_4.htm
  6. ^ English-language bio screen, Saga of the Phoenix DVD, Universe Laser & Video. It should be noted that Chicken and Duck Talk premiered in July 1988 and Peacock King in December 1988, but the latter, being a special effects film, probably took longer to complete. Also, in the former, she is seventeenth billed, has no lines, and has less than a minute of screen time.
  7. ^ http://www.mingpaosf.com/htm/News/20070215/HK-mca1.htm Article by Kei Mei
  8. ^ http://big5.cri.cn/gate/big5/gb.cri.cn/9964/2006/11/13/114@1299634_4.htm
  9. ^ Hong Kong Cinemagic - Gloria Yip Wan Yi
  10. ^ http://gd.sohu.com/20041227/n223660697.shtml
  11. ^ http://big5.cri.cn/gate/big5/gb.cri.cn/9964/2006/11/13/114@1299634_4.htm
  12. ^ spelled "Goria" in the only two subtitles that name her, but contradicted by the attempts at proper pronuinication on the soundtrack
  13. ^ English-language bio screen, Saga of the Phoenix DVD, Universe Laser & Video
  14. ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rp8IVWyXLQs
  15. ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjORF3nEKPg
  16. ^ http://sensasian.com/catalog.php/movies/a-actor/p-1115/
  17. ^ http://global.yesasia.com/en/PrdDept.aspx/aid-11627/section-videos/code-c/version-all/pid-1002316594/
  18. ^ http://us.yesasia.com/b5/artIdxDept.aspx/code-c/section-posters/aid-39303/
  19. ^ http://us.yesasia.com/en/artIdxDept.aspx/code-c/section-posters/aid-39303/

[edit] External links

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Persondata
NAME Yip, Gloria
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Yip, Wan-Yee
SHORT DESCRIPTION Hong Kong actor and singer
DATE OF BIRTH 13 January 1973
PLACE OF BIRTH Hong Kong
DATE OF DEATH
PLACE OF DEATH
Languages