Shirley Yeung (楊思琦) took a bold step when she decided to end her contract with TVB after working as a managed artiste for the past thirteen years. While many fans expressed concern over her future in the industry, the 35-year-old is confident that better opportunities are coming her way. Although she has never achieved first-line status during her years at TVB, Shirley enjoyed a relatively stable career and a steady stream of income. Unfortunately, her messy relationships with Gregory Lee (李泳豪) and Andy Ng (吳帥) tarnished her good-girl image and nearly destroyed all that she has worked so hard for. It seems that Shirley has been put permanently on the back burner; since returning to work after giving birth in 2012, the actress served mainly as a variety program host and was assigned to act in minor roles in only two series, ICAC Investigators 2014 <廉政行動2014> and the upcoming All That Is Bitter Is Sweet <大藥坊>. Frustrated with the lack of opportunities and worried about supporting her daughter, Shirley recently announced that she has parted ways with TVB so that she may cast a wider net in her search for more lucrative job offers. Perhaps her intuition was right; since leaving the company, Shirley has been contacted by several interested parties, including Hong Kong’s i-Cable. She has also won a role in the upcoming horror comedy film The Bat Night <午夜蝙蝠>, starring alongside respected veterans Leung Siu Lung (梁小龍), Yuen Wah (元華), and Cheng Pei-Pei (鄭佩佩). Like other artistes who are eyeing the rapidly growing China market, Shirley hopes make a living by filming Mainland dramas. Even though some feel that she has given up on TVB a bit too soon, Shirley believes that she has absolutely no regrets about her decision. “Many Mainland agents have contacted me and have asked about my plans, so I feel that leaving TVB was the right choice. I have not been able to act in dramas in the past few years. I want to look for opportunities in the Mainland so that I can continue to improve.” Wanting to secure income, Shirley has been spreading word that she is open to trying different genres of work as long as it fits her skills and interests. She would also consider participating in variety and reality competition programs that are currently popular with the Mainland audience. Fluent in Mandarin and already has an established fan base in China, Shirley’s future will hopefully not be as bleak as some have predicted. Creds: Ming Pao
