Sammi Cheng has been in the film industry for 30 years and has come close to winning awards multiple times. She has been nominated for Best Actress at the Hong Kong Film Awards 9 times and this year marks her 10th nomination. Finally, she has won the Best Actress award at the 41st Hong Kong Film Awards for her role as a foster mother in the film “Lost and Love”. It is well-deserved! Sammi Cheng entered the film industry in 1992 and her first film “The Tigers” was a collaboration with Jacky Cheung. At just 20 years old, Sammi was nominated for the Best New Performer award at the 12th Hong Kong Film Awards in 1993, marking a new chapter in her career.
In 2000, the romantic comedy “Need You” that I collaborated with Andy Lau became a key success, gaining attention for its natural and humorous image. With a standout performance, I received my first nomination for Best Actress at the Hong Kong Film Awards, Best Actress at the Taiwan Golden Horse Awards, and a nomination for Best Actress at the Hong Kong Film Critics Society Awards. This helped me gain recognition and popularity in Asia.
Sammi Cheng was once known as the “Hong Kong film box office queen” from 1997 to 2007. It was thought that her career would continue to flourish, but she developed depression after filming the movie “Everlasting Regret” in 2006. She took a two-year break before making a full comeback. After overcoming depression, she returned to acting in 2008 with the film “Lady Cop & Papa Crook” and achieved a breakthrough with her role in “Murderer,” reaching new heights in her career.
In the past, Sammi Cheng has been nominated for “Best Actress” in ten films, including her first nomination in 2001 for “Needing You”; in 2002, she was simultaneously nominated for “Love Undercover”, “Marry a Rich Man”, and “Infernal Affairs”; she was also nominated for “Everlasting Regret” in 2006, “Love in the Buff” in 2013, “Blind Detective” in 2014, “Flavors of Youth” in 2019, and “The White Storm 2: Drug Lords” in 2020. Unfortunately, despite being nominated nine times, she has yet to win the award.
Further reading:
- Highlights of the Hong Kong Film Awards 2023: Sammi Cheng and Sylvia Chang reunite after 17 years to compete for Best Actress, while two members of MIRROR vie for Best New Actor!
- Refusing the hero to save the beauty, she can “save herself”! From Hong Kong’s “fighting girl” to Oscar-winning actress, reviewing Michelle Yeoh’s legendary acting career!
- After 40 years of debut, Tony Leung Chiu-wai receives a Lifetime Achievement Golden Lion Award, thanks to these ten iconic roles that have propelled him onto the world stage!
In the film “Flowing Flowers,” Sammi Cheng’s portrayal of the foster mother has received high praise from the audience. She had already won the “Best Actress” award at the 29th Hong Kong Film Critics Society Awards in March, and this is her second time winning the award after “Infernal Affairs” in 2002. This achievement serves as a great encouragement for her to strive for the Best Actress award at the Hong Kong Film Awards.
This year, Sammi finally won the Best Actress award at the 41st Hong Kong Film Awards with “Flowing Flowers”. After years of hard work, she finally received recognition and became emotional and teary-eyed while sharing her acceptance speech on stage! In addition to winning her first Best Actress award, Sammi also won the “Best Original Film Song” award for the theme song “I Lived Like This for a Day” from the film “Flowing Flowers” for the second time, showcasing her talent in both music and acting.
Regarding winning the Best Actress award at the 41st Hong Kong Film Awards, Sammi Cheng said, “Actually, the Best Actress award seemed unreachable to me, but sometimes it’s just within reach.” Sammi has been in the film industry for over 30 years, and many of her films have followed the comedy actor route. Faced with the outside world’s stereotype, Sammi Cheng chose to prove herself with her talent and finally broke the “comedy actor” image. She openly said, “It takes a lot of effort for everyone to see the change in me. I am very grateful to the producer, director, and actors of ‘Fallen Petals’.”
After years of striving in the entertainment industry, Sammi, in her speech, encouraged all dreamers not to give up on their dreams. She declared, “I really want to say to all the dreamers in the world, the journey of pursuing dreams is very difficult, filled with numerous challenges. But I really want you to remember this moment, remember this scene of me receiving the award. Dreams are meant for those who never give up and persevere. You must remember this scene! This is for all the dreamers in the world!”
