This is the 72nd instalment in a biweekly series profiling major Hong Kong pop culture figures of recent decades.
What do Chow Yun-fat, Timothee Chalamet and Doh Kyung-soo have in common? They have all had to keep up with the razor-sharp mind of Hong Kong actress and television host Carol “Dodo” Cheng Yu-ling.
From teaching Hollywood heartthrobs Cantonese to hosting the city’s most prestigious galas, Cheng’s presence is ubiquitous. Anyone who has watched the TVB anniversary awards or the local broadcaster’s annual Miss Hong Kong Pageant has likely seen her face.
One may also remember the 68-year-old entertainer for her unique moniker, fitting for a woman who seems to be able to “do” it all. Named by her mother, she has even stated that she prefers Dodo over Carol.
Carol Cheng at an interview with the SCMP in 1992. Photo: SCMP
Cheng, who is fluent in both Cantonese and English, initially aspired to be a journalist like Chinese-American news anchor Connie Chung. When financial constraints derailed her studies abroad, Cheng pivoted to the acting programme at Commercial Television (CTV) in 1975.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.scmp.com ’
ADVERTISEMENT
