Stephy Tang / The Continuation of an Idol

To quote Denise Ho, it is difficult for the members of Cookies to stay out of the spotlight. In 2002, Cookies debuted as the “Hong Kong Morning Girls,” consisting of 9 young girls, and became the largest female group in Hong Kong’s history.

Starting as a singer, later on, she discovered a stronger affinity for acting. After receiving multiple acting awards, Denise Ho’s acting skills have become unique and her presence has gained more weight. The only thing that remains unchanged and she doesn’t want to change is her consistent appearance.

Cute idol

To this day, boy groups and girl groups have become a finger-countable phenomenon. In Stephy’s eyes, their debut is considered fortunate: “At least, they don’t have to worry about paparazzi.” Despite being around the same age, Stephy feels that contemporary boy and girl groups are much more mature and responsible compared to Cookies. “Every time Cookies goes out to work, even if they just take a few steps away from their teammates, they would be afraid. Afraid that once they are caught by reporters, it will be blown out of proportion, creating rumors of discord and loneliness. The authenticity of the reports will still be doubted among the members, which will definitely affect the team’s relationships and, of course, their work.” Hearing Stephy say that Cookies actually “don’t know anything” and stepped onto the stage without much training, the honesty that is absent from the idol’s mouth is quite surprising.

Just like her praised “good and obedient” personality, she has never failed in her role as the captain of Cookies. Although in the eyes of many, Stephy had a fairly successful first half of her idol career, with highly popular songs like “Light Bulb” and a box office hit movie “Love Undercover”, she always had doubts about whether she was suitable to be an idol. “Being an idol requires a lot of communication and interaction with the outside world, but I personally don’t enjoy having my private life involved too much. Look, I rarely update my personal social media even now. It’s not that being an idol necessarily comes with pressure, and I don’t resist being an idol, it’s just that ‘idol’ is not my favorite way to present myself.”

One-person film project

The outside world unanimously believes that Stephy’s luckiest achievement is successfully transitioning from a singer to an actress. In 2018, Stephy won 4 “Best Actress” awards for her role in “Karate”. On the surface, acting brings Stephy the greatest value, which is honor. However, it has not only expanded her creative scope, but also unexpectedly discovered the rhythm of her inner world.

“The film is a job that only needs to be silently completed, with an intimate connection between the actor and the character. There is no need to explain the results to the outside world, and the process cannot be revealed to the public in detail. Although making a film is a team effort, on the other hand, I can personalize my work. I really enjoy this working environment.” It can be affirmed that Stephy is not a naturally talented actor, at least before her appearances in “Blue Sky, White Clouds” and “Karate”, her acting skills still had a long way to go.

“Not an academic, nor did I take acting classes. ‘Blue Sky, White Cloud’ gave me a concept of acting for the first time. Director Zhang Jingwei has mostly filmed documentaries in the past, and he has a personal understanding of ‘reality.’ He taught me how to handle a look, an expression, and how to enrich the soul. Did my acting skills awaken? I’m not sure, but at that time, I felt that I could amplify and be bolder with my own acting style, and naturally continue to act in ‘Karate’ and ‘Lady Revenge’.”

In the year she became the queen of the screen, it was natural for people to define that period as a turning point for Stephy. However, Stephy firmly believes that no film could be the turning point for her. “Why didn’t ‘Karate’ appear earlier, otherwise I could have won awards ten or eight years earlier.” I cannot agree with this statement. An actor’s career cannot be planned out, all the key moments come from opportunities. The roles you get today, the type of movies you want to make, etc., are not achieved just by wishing for them. All I know is to keep moving forward. The so-called transformation as an actor is just a result that comes from adapting to the environment and seizing opportunities, because I believe the more you try to hold onto something tightly, the more it will slip away. That’s the law of life. What makes movies interesting is that actors and characters grow together. Will I erase ‘Nine Girls and a Ghost’? Definitely not. For me, I had to have that experience to become who I am today.”

The colorful has gone.

After 16 years, this November, Stephy will once again hold her second solo concert “Therefore I am”. Having been in the music industry for many years, Stephy feels that previous concerts were more formulaic, with singing and dancing, trying to make each segment colorful and lively. But along the way, with her recent identity as an actress, it’s probably time to provide a different sensory experience for the concert. “In recent years, after attending concerts by Tanya Chua or Gin Lee, I realized that concerts don’t need to be filled with entertainment to give the audience a different experience. I hope to integrate the role of an actress into the concert, not necessarily in a concrete way, but I want to provide a concert that requires heartfelt understanding, not just visual stimulation.” Singing K songs with friends in private entertainment, friends sing “Memory Cotton” with a friend as the MC, and she sings songs by Faye Wong and Sammi Cheng. Stephy, who used to sing love songs that touched people’s hearts, has rarely released personal singles in recent years. If she were to release a song at this time, a love song would definitely not be her first choice. What makes her hesitate the most is that she has done too many love songs in the past. “At this stage, the theme of love may not cover all my thoughts, whether it’s about the world or life. Being able to find spiritual inspiration in a song is more meaningful.”

Passionate about art, devoted to Van Gogh.

Stephy’s work team and friends in the industry are all old friends who come and go. “I am fortunate to be a loyal person. Work is not just work, it also includes various interpersonal exchanges and mutual support. I need this sense of familiarity to accompany me in my growth.” Being able to love wholeheartedly for many years, love is forever, just like Stephy’s love for art. After learning oil painting for the first time and painting Van Gogh’s “Starry Night,” it became the most significant painter in her heart. She not only looks for his exhibitions around the world but also incorporates her painting “Bell Drum Coffee Shop” into her songs.

In addition to portraits and animal paintings, Stephy is also immersed in the world of fluid painting. She describes abstract painting as often having no clue about the outcome, but she enjoys the process. Occasionally, friends encourage her to have an art exhibition, but Stephy declines, saying, “I have thought about it, but in order to rush the progress of painting for an exhibition, I would have to sacrifice the enjoyment of the painting process.” The introduction to the “Therefore I am” concert also mentions, “As time goes by and memories become more delicate, believe that everything remains unchanged.” Amidst the changes of spring and autumn, ultimately, Stephy understands herself deeply and firmly, and no amount of voices around her can shake her fundamental thoughts. This is Stephy’s exclusive secret to maintaining her original intention.

^{Executive Producer: @angusmok
Photographer: Olivia Tsang
Art Direction: Olivia Tsang & Mimi Kong
Styling: Mimi Kong assisted by Yoanah Chan
Videography: Kason Tam & Alvin Kong
Video Edit: Kason Tam & Alvin Kong
Interview: Ms. A
Makeup: Cyrus Lee
Hair: Ritz Lam @myös
Wardrobe: Giorgio Armani, Sportmax
Jewelry: EMPHASIS}