Ms Grace Chang

1933-

Actress & Singer

Also known as Cheung Yuk Fong, actress and singer Grace Chang was born in Nanjing and raised in Shanghai. She moved to Hong Kong in 1949. As a child, Chang received Western vocal training and later learned Kunqu opera under maestro Yu Zhenfei. In 1952, she enrolled in the acting course of Taishan Film Company, and made her debut in The Seven Maidens (1953). The following year, she was cast as the leading lady in It Blossoms Again (1954). She joined MP & GI in 1957, where, with her multifaceted acting skills, her career quickly took flight. Nicknamed “the Lady of Versatility”, she was spirited in Mambo Girl (1957), sultry in The Wild, Wild Rose (1960) and bitter in the two-part Sun, Moon and Star (1961). Movie musicals such as Air Hostess (1959) and Because of Her (1963) were among her most popular works. Chang’s singing was outstanding. She performed on The Dinah Shore Show in the US and movie theme songs like “Mambo Girl”, “Carmen”, and “Jajambo” are still sung or hummed by many today. Chang married in 1961 and retired after starring in Between Tears and Smiles in 1964, having made more than 30 films in her career.