Nam Hung, born So Shook-mei in Guangzhou in 1934, studied at the Ming Tak School there and moved to Hong Kong in 1949. Her mother, Chan Chin-na, was a modern-drama performer who knew many opera artists, giving her the chance to become a pupil of the Cantonese opera star Hung Sin-nui and to learn from the bottom up. She first took the stage name So Man-mei and later, on her teacher's advice, adopted Nam Hung, meaning southern red bean. She began performing in 1950 and later appeared in films, debuting in a bit part in Gong Nga Ship Beats the Tiger (1951). In 1956 she joined Kong Ngee, rising to leading lady opposite Patrick Tse in Seven Heavens (1956) and a string of melodramas such as The Lady from Tangshan (1957) and Sister-in-law (1962), and also appearing in comedies and the wuxia serial The Return of the Condor Heroes (1960-61). In 1962 she co-founded Rose Film Company with Chor Yuen, starring in and producing Rose in Tears (1963) and Black Rose (1965), and married Chor Yuen in November 1967. She acted opposite Connie Chan and Josephine Siao, hosted her own television programme from 1970, and joined TVB in 1977 for the acclaimed series A House Is Not a Home, later working for ATV and in Malaysia.
From opera apprentice to Cantonese-film leading lady and producer, Nam Hung co-founded Rose Film Company with Chor Yuen and both starred in and produced Black Rose and other pictures, making Black Rose a classic pop-culture symbol. She kept performing Cantonese opera on stage for decades and moved between film and television, a remarkably long-lived career among the Hong Kong actresses of the 1950s and 60s.
Achievements
- 1956 · Joined Kong Ngee as leading lady opposite Patrick Tse, beginning with Seven Heavens.
- 1962 · Co-founded Rose Film Company with Chor Yuen, starring in and producing Rose in Tears (1963) and Black Rose (1965).
- 1977 · Joined TVB, appearing in the acclaimed series A House Is Not a Home.