Linda Chung


Linda Chung Ka-yan is a Hong Kong-Canadian actress, singer and songwriter. She signed a long-term contract with TVB in 2004 after winning the Miss Chinese International Pageant. Chung ended her contract with TVB in early 2018.
As a singer, Chung has released four studio albums, Dinner for One, World for Two, My Love Story, My Private Selection, and Love Love Love.
Chung is currently a YouTube KOL.

Early life

Chung was born in Maple Ridge and raised in Vancouver, British Columbia with an older brother and sister. After graduation from Vancouver's Templeton Secondary School, Chung studied education at the University of British Columbia for two years.
Beginning her public life in 2002, Chung won the title of Miss Crystal Cover Girl, a beauty-talent contest organised and hosted annually by Crystal Mall, an Asian-themed shopping centre located in the Metrotown area of Burnaby, British Columbia.
In 2003, Chung won the title of Miss Chinese Vancouver, along with three other awards at the same event, earning her the chance to participate, and eventually winning Miss Chinese International at the Miss Chinese International Pageant 2004, hosted in Hong Kong. She was praised by Kelly Chen for her sweet face and voice the day before this pageant. Chung became the third contestant from Vancouver in four years to win the title of this annually-held event.

TV career

2004–2005: Entry and initial success

After winning the Miss Chinese International Pageant, Chung was signed under TVB. Chung made her acting debut in the series Virtues of Harmony II, the modern spin-off of the sitcom, Virtues of Harmony. Her performance was somewhat popular in the year, garnering positive reviews from the public. She was nominated for the Most Improved Female Actress award at the 2004's TVB Anniversary Awards for the first time. Chung also participated in several advertisements and music videos within her first year in the industry. This initial success led TVB to name her as one of the "Twelve New Stars."
Other industry professionals also gave praise to Chung during this initial period such as Nancy Sit, Frankie Lam, Kara Hui, Shawn Yue, Chen Kun, Kent Cheng, Sammy Leung, Wong He, Joey Leung and Erica Yuen.

2006–2008: Breakthrough and A-grade actress

In 2006, after starring in Always Ready, The Biter Bitten and Forensic Heroes, Chung won her first major award "Most Improved Female Actress.
Chung's breakthrough role came in 2007, where she played a character named Sheung Joy Sum in a popular series of that year, Heart of Greed. Chung received much praise from audiences and several famous people. A couple of scenes involving her character generated the highest peaks for the drama's ratings, one was when her character exposed that Alfred Ching Leung deceived her, garnering a 39-point rating; another was when Tong Chi On proposed marriage to her, garnering a 48-point rating. This role gave her a nomination for Best Actress and My Most Favourite Female Character Role for the second year in a row.
During the shooting of A Journey Called Life, Chung received much praise from co-star Steven Ma, for her beauty, good manner, and ripe acting. The two have worked together in a previous collaboration of Virtues of Harmony II.
Among the five series that were released in 2008, Chung received most recognition for her acting in A Journey Called Life. She received praises from Sheren Tang as well as the public. At the 41st TVB Anniversary Awards, Chung was nominated in the top 5 of the Best Actress award for her role in this series. She was also nominated for the top 5 Most Favorite Female Character Award for Legend of the Demigods, her first leading role in a period drama. Chung then acted as Yu So Sum in Moonlight Resonance and received some recognitions for this role. A scene in the drama, telling her fierce exchange with Yan Hung, garnered a 50-point rating, making it the most-watched scene in all TVB series to-date. Chung also received praises from Ha Yu, Michelle Yim and Lee Heung-kam when she was acting this role.

2009–2010: Success in comedy and villain works

In 2009, Chung performed in Ghost Writer, A Watchdog's Tale, Twilight Investigation, as well as Can't Buy Me Love. At the 42nd TVB Anniversary Awards, Chung was nominated top 5 in the Best Supporting Actress for her role in The Gem of Life and this role received praise from Ada Choi, Lee San San and Maggie Shiu.
In 2010, Chung had four series, A Watchdog's Tale released in 2009 actually, but the series got the highest audience rating in the first season in 2010 and top five series in audience rating in the whole year. In A Watchdog's Tale, Chung got another breakthrough while she was acting a likeness of the masculine role. At the 2010 TVB Anniversary Awards, Chung was nominated top 5 in the Best Actress award for her role in Ghost Writer and also nominated top 5 in the Most Favourite Female Character Role award for her role in Can't Buy Me Love. Twilight Investigation was another series in the year, her acting has got approbated yet.

2011–2012: Outstanding years

While Chung was filming the period drama River of Wine in December 2010, she received praise from Bowie Lam as for her weeping scene. Chung was also captured by media to be the "successor of fa-dan" and one of the "Best new-coming fa-dan" with Myolie Wu, Kate Tsui and Fala Chen as the first-class performance of Chung in several series before the day.
In 2011, Chung was the second female lead in Yes, Sir. Sorry, Sir!. She had just played her character Miss Koo from the 8th episode till the end. Although she only had unrequited love for one of the male lead in the series, she became the focus for the audience and internet users by the three sections of Miss Koo. First, she appeared as a cool bowling coach initially. Next, Miss Koo seems to be a melting glacier as she was affected by Law Sir, this made the audience pay enthusiastic attention on their sweet and emotional scenes. When it was nearly came to an end, Law Sir's undercover identity was finally revealed, Miss Koo was collapsed since she has been deceived by Law Sir and her sister. This also left a deep impression in the audiences' mind. The audiences had massive praises for her performance and agreed that she was perfectly capable of competing in Best Actress category for this role at the year-end awards ceremony, despite being second female lead. It was rare that the major newspapers also reported the above matter at the same time. She was not only supported by Chan and Yeung, but she also supported by Queenie Chu, Cilla Kung and Lau Ka Ho. On the whole, Chung received full of praise and Miss Koo is one of the representative work for Linda Chung.
With Chung's performances till mid 2011, TVB Anniversary Awards Best Actress Charmaine Sheh, Hong Kong Film Award for Best Director Gordon Chan, Hong Kong Film director Patrick Kong, Hong Kong CR1 DJ, TVB actress Helen Ma, Kate Tsui and Myolie Wu praised support for her either to be the next "Best Actress" or to get an award in TVB Anniversary Awards, or to be the first-actress.
Finally, she was nominated for Top 5 Best Actress and Most Favourite Female Character Role award for her role in Yes, Sir. Sorry, Sir!. She got the My Most Supportive Performance award from Ming Pao Anniversary Awards in 2011 for Miss Koo in Yes Sir, Sorry Sir according to voting from audience. However, Miss Koo lost out the Most Favourite Female Character Role award at the 2011 TVB Anniversary Awards.
Chung filmed L'Escargot in 2010 and it was finally aired in 2012. Her character was involved in a complicated love triangle with Michael Tse and Ron Ng's characters. She herself spoke about the many new challenges she faced while portraying her character. In addition, her relation line with Tse has gained her more public exposure and was the topic of popular discussion. Her show was praised by Gem Tang, Felix Wong and Hinson Chou. On 19 March 2012, her new series Daddy Good Deeds aired and her character Ko Yu-chu spread fun to the public. Her professional attitude and acting were praised by Cilla Kung, Xia Yu and Steven Ma, especially Ma mentioned she was still maintaining the purity of heart and having progress in her acting continually. She and Steven Ma collaborated five times in TVB. Her third series House of Harmony and Vengeance was aired on TVB from 30 Apr to 8 June 2012. Her fourth series, Witness Insecurity, was aired from 2 to 27 July 2012.
In the series Missing You, Chung was leading other new actors and actresses such as Jason Chan, Cilla Kung, Lin Xia Wei, and Calvin Chan. Ram Chiang was the only senior actor there.

2013–2014: Stepped to the peak

In 2013, Chung won the champion of "Ten TV entertainer" by public voting in the Next TV Publishing Ceremony 2013. She has already gained top ten of the TV entertainer for six years consecutively, which proofing her popularity and outstanding performance in the past years. Chung also won the Most Popular Actress in the largest film forum "Vietnam DMA awards ceremony" of the Year Award in two consecutive years in Vietnam.
In May, Chung participated in the variety show Office of Practical Jokes, presided by Johnson Lee. Chung starred in 2013 TVB's grand productions 30 episodes Brother's Keeper, co-starring with Ruco Chan. She acted as a fashion designer Rachel Cheuk. The series spans from 1991 to 2013. Chung and her co-star Ruco Chan became a screen couple as their co-operation gaining high popularity in the public. Chung gained support by co-star Ruco Chan, Joe Ma, Fala Chen, Joey Man, Tavia Yeung, Niki Chow, Kate Tsui, Myolie Wu, and so on, to get the "Best Actress" that year. On 1 December 2013, Chung finally got her first Best Actress in "TVB Awards Ceremony 2013 Malaysia Star Ceremony", as the award is 100% by public voting. Chung was not only gained the "Best Actress", but she also gained the My Favorite TV Role, became the first 1980s artist to win the "Best Actress" title.
In 2014, Chung filmed the TVB Gold New Year micro film A Time of Love, starring with South Korea actor Yeon Jung-hoon. Their segment was the most popular episode in the whole set although broadcast on Saturday, gained up to 28 points in rating.
On 26 March, the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology invited Chung to a one-hour lecture of "Meet the Professional Series III: Road to Leading Actress – Linda Chung" as the theme for sharing with students about the choice of life, transformation, and practice the ideal. Chung is the first Hong Kong TV actress to be a lecturer who was invited to the university.
Her series for 2014 were Tiger Cubs II and All That Is Bitter Is Sweet.