Where are Stephen Chow’s ‘Sing Girls’ today? Hong Kong icon Karen Mok starred in several of his films while CJ7 actress Xu Jiao founded hanfu brand Zhiyuji

Sep 27 , 2021

Xu Jiao, Jelly Lin Yun and Sharla Cheung Man are Hong Kong actresses known as “Sing Girls” for their work with comedian and director, Stephen Chow Sing-Chi. Photos: Handout

They found fame as leading ladies in Chow’s films like Kung Fu Hustle and Shaolin Soccer – now they’re Canto-pop singers, reality TV stars and fashion ambassadors

Jelly Lin Yun is a face for Salvatore Ferragamo, Cecilia Cheung has two children with Nicholas Tse, but why were billionaire Zhao Wei’s works removed from the internet?

What Hong Kong film buff hasn’t heard of filmmaker and comedian Stephen Chow Sing-chi who is best known for his “mo lei tau” (meaning “make no sense”) puns? It’s not unusual for film stars to have a hand in launching the careers of younger actors – which was the case for the “Sing Girls”, or actresses who Chow selected to play leading roles in his films.

But while being a Sing Girl guarantees fame and many opportunities, not all actresses choose to stay under the spotlight. From Jelly Lin Yun to Eva Huang Sheng-yi, we looked at how these eight iconic Sing Girls are doing and what they are up to now.

Jelly Lin Yun

A still from Stephen Chow’s The Mermaid. Photo: China Film Group

Jelly Lin Yun was cast in Chow’s The Mermaid (2016) and also the upcoming The Mermaid 2 (release date TBC), making her among the filmmaker’s newest Sing Girls. Born in 1996 in Zhejiang, Lin has starred in various TV series and films following her first project with Chow, including romantic comedy film Fall in Love at First Kiss (2019).

Jelly Lin has starred in various TV series and films, including Fall in Love at First Kiss. Photo: Tangren Cultural Film Group

Aside from acting, she is also popular among internationally renowned fashion and beauty brands. Salvatore Ferragamo, for instance, has just appointed her as its first global brand spokesperson.

Xu Jiao