As one of TVB’s most talented new stars, fairly few people still remember that Mandy Wong (黃智雯) was actually a Miss Hong Kong finalist. “When I auditioned for Miss Hong Kong in 2007, I remembered that I didn’t have much courage,” said Mandy. “It was my mom who encouraged me to audition. At the time, I was not feeling very fond of the idea, and I was afraid that my boyfriend would not like it. But my boyfriend was very supportive.” Mandy had contradicting feelings during the audition process for Miss Hong Kong. She knew she was not a hot favorite, so she concentrated on perfecting her performances through vigorous practices. “I was very nervous, even to the point where I wished I would not win the competition in the end! I was afraid that once I did, I would lose my relationship, and I really did not understand how the entertainment circle worked. “Around a week before the final competition, everyone was putting in their votes on who would win. I was considered to be the dark horse. Maybe it’s because there were a lot of dance segments that year, and because I have an adept dancing background, I was able to pick things up faster than others, so I grew more confident. But on the last night, I kept telling myself to not win. Please don’t let me win! The judges chose Kayi Cheung (張嘉兒) in the end, and she was a very deserving winner. She has very high EQ.” After losing out in the competition, Mandy immediately joined TVB’s acting class. Mandy thought she was going in the direction she wanted, but upon seeing her fellow winning candidates traveling to other cities and making headlines at promotional events, Mandy felt at a loss. “I developed a deep admiration for them. Now, I had to start from scratch. I would always think that if I was a winner instead, I would be able to become famous faster, and my life in the circle would run much more smoothly. Thankfully, TVB recruited me into the drama department soon afterwards, and I was able to completely focus on my acting career.” Had No Choice Mandy’s work increased by the year, and she was beginning to spend lesser time with her boyfriend. “I could not just give up my work to be with my boyfriend. We slowly began to have disagreements, and along with the fact that we are from two completely different family backgrounds, our problems with each other worsened. We tried to salvage our relationship, but it did not work in the end. After a long time, I finally realized that career and love cannot go together. I decided to give up our four-year relationship to completely focus on my career. It was a cruel decision, but I had no choice!” Mandy did not regret her decision. Now, the actress has no qualms when it comes to performing in intimate scenes, and she will be able to dedicate her time and energy to perfecting her acting career. “I have no distractions. I do not have to worry about upsetting anyone when I have to do intimate scenes, and I am able to completely focus on my roles. Even today, I will still choose my career over love. I am not cold blooded, but since I chose acting to be my career, I would have to invest in it completely. I will not allow distractions. I enjoy the satisfactions that come with my job, so I will have to sacrifice my love life. I have no complaints, and I should not, because this is what I chose.” Full of Confidence Mandy is currently a hot favorite to win this year’s Most Improved Actress award, and award critics estimate that Mandy will be the one to ultimately take the ward home. “All my roles this year had received a lot of attention from the public. Whether the comments were of criticism or praise, I cherish every single opinion. I am very happy to receive so much love from so many people. I know that there are many other factors when it comes to winning the award, but I have much more confidence this year than last year!” Mandy also thanked producer Poon Ka Tak (潘嘉德), the first TVB producer to notice Mandy during TVB’s acting class. Tak Gor was the one to cast Mandy in A Chip Off the Old Block <巴不得爸爸…> and Suspects in Love <搜下留情>, the first two dramas that put Mandy’s name on the list. “He also cast me in The Hippocratic Crush <On Call 36小時> and Divas in Distress <巴不得媽媽…>,” said Mandy. “We also keep in contact out of work. He is both my mentor and friend.”
