Legend of Anita Mui: Shining star's lonely life ( 2003-12-31 11:12) (Shenzhen Daily)
"Instant shining is not eternity. Show
business is a hard life. I wonder how many people will remember me after I leave
the business for good. My hope is that when they feel bored and look at the
stars in the sky, people will think of my name."
— Anita Mui
Hong Kong heartthrob singer/actress Anita Mui died of lung failure that was
caused by cervical cancer in a Hong Kong hospital at 2: 50 a.m. on Tuesday. She
was 40 years old.
Anita Mui and
Jackie Chan
Anita Mui and
Nicholas Tse
Mui’s father died when she was a
small child. As the youngest daughter of the family, she began performing at the
age of 5, singing Chinese opera and pop songs in theaters. She dropped out of
school during her second year of junior high school. After that, she sang at
bars and nightclubs for several years.
Her mother ran a bar to support the family at that time. But after a fire
destroyed the bar, Mui had to work harder to pay the family’s debt. Gradually
she carved out a niche in the market.
Mui’s big break came in 1982 when she defeated 3,000 contestants to win first
prize in the New Talent Singing Competition.
But Mui’s fame did not bring happiness. She felt lonely under the pressures
of show business and continued to work hard supporting her family.
Mui went on to carve out a reputation as “the Madonna of Asia” with her
occasionally outrageous costumes, bold stage performances and a stream of hits
which netted her numerous awards. She intended to make her every disc and show
perfect. The discs and shows often became trendsetters and were hot topics for
the public.
Anita Mui and Andy
Lau
Anita Mui and Zhao
Wenzhuo
She later turned to acting and enjoyed
success starring in films including The Heroic Trio and Drunken Master 2. Her
portrayal of a tortured ghost in Rouge won her Taiwan’s Golden Horse Award in
1987.
Mui didn’t talk much about the difficulties she experienced on her journey
from a bar singer to becoming a major star in Asia. She once said: “Many people
have asked me which one I want to be: a happy ordinary person or an eminent
star. If I could, I would choose to be a happy ordinary person.”
She remembered being rejected when she first entered show business: “Once a
man scoffed at me in public on Christmas Day. He swore at me. At that time, I
was not accepted in the show business. I was humiliated for no reason. I almost
burst into tears.”
Mui was born for the stage. Although she gave her farewell concert in 1991,
she made a comeback in 1994 and caused quite a stir. But after that, she made
light of many things.
“Instant shining is not eternity. Show business is a hard life. I wonder how
many people will remember me after I leave the business for good. My hope is
that when they feel bored and look at the stars in the sky, people will think of
my name.”
Mui was generous and straightforward and liked to make friends. Friendship
was important to her: She would make personal sacrifices to help a friend. And
she never asked for anything in return.
File
photo of Hong Kong pop diva and actress Anita Mui, wearing a wedding gown
at one of her last concerts in Hong Kong on November 6, 2003. Mui passed
away early December 30, 2003. The 40-year-old superstar died of lung
failure, a complication caused by her cervical cancer.
[Reuters/file]
She once said: “Many people
thought I’ve made a lot of money. But actually my biggest gains are friendship.
When I was frustrated, many friends were concerned and gave me support. It is
such a precious feeling when you have so many friends who can help you.”
Mui was concerned about the public good. She was responsible for organizing
many charitable activities and also gave away a lot of money. She continued her
work for charity after her disease broke out last year when her cancer turned
malignant.
During the SARS outbreak, she helped organize the 1:99 Concert in Hong Kong
that brought the entire city’s entertainment industry together. And she also
helped to raise money for the SARS-affected families.
While her career was a miracle, Mui's love life was a bumpy road. Such men as
Jackie Chan, Zhao Wenzhuo, Andy Lau and Nicholas Tse were rumored lovers. But
she once said: “I dare not get married because I have a marriage-phobia. I'm
afraid that my marriage will result in divorce. I don’t want that regret in my
life.” Mui repeatedly said she would like to trade all she had for a woman’s
basic aspiration — love.
