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First Person
Actress Lana Wong Ha-wai is best known for her distinctive looks and her high-profile public appearances.
In recent years, netizens have crowned the 81-year-old a “goddess” and nicknamed her “Ha-wai BB.”
She tells Yannie Chan about her epic love story, dealing with being hated, and her recent popularity.
should have come. But for strangers to
attend, it really meant something.
I don’t have any
flaws. If I found out
about a flaw, I would
improve it.
I was going to hold a charity concert
back in April. I fell ill and there was news
that I was dead. When I saw it, I did a
double take and really thought I had died.
Then people started calling me, crying.
I learned that by just being alive I could
bring joy to others.
I was born and raised in Hong Kong. I was
fascinated by movies. I went behind my parents’
backs and became a part-time actress when
I was still in school.
My first role was as a student running away
from war. I was chubby like a piglet.
I was still a young actress when I met my late
partner Woo Pak-chuen [a married politician and
lawyer]. We started dating and he didn’t want
me to continue acting.
Mr. Woo and I fell in love at first sight. I was 18
years old when I met him. His daughter was one
year older than me. He was like my lover and my
father. He spoiled me and gave up everything to
be with me.
The fact that he was married left me
miserable. I attempted suicide twice for him.
I joined a nunnery for him. I loved him so much
that I didn’t want him to suffer any more for
me, so I came up with every plan I could think
of to leave him. But nothing worked. I still really
missed him and he wouldn’t let me go.
our children. He wanted to go home and they
wouldn’t allow it. They wouldn’t even let me
take a last look at him at the funeral.
My children have known about our
relationship all along. They know who I am and
they’ve never opposed anything that I’ve done.
We are very close, like friends.
It’s been quite a journey for me, from having
been hated and despised to having so much
support from the public. People used to accuse
me of having had cosmetic surgery and called
me an “old monster.”
At first I was very angry. But after I thought
it through, I realized that having cosmetic
surgery was not a big deal.
Not to mention that I haven’t had any.
I would love to get something done to
my face. I’m getting old now. If there are
experienced doctors and risk-free procedures,
it wouldn’t hurt to try. It’s in our nature to want
to be more beautiful.
During my darkest times, I shunned
all my friends, because when you meet
someone and you’re not doing so for fun,
people get scared.
I never go to friends when I’m upset.
You talk to them but they can’t really do
anything to help you. You only upset other
people. I just try to look into myself and deal
with the sadness.
I’ve always stood up against injustice.
That said—it’s important to figure out what
you can and cannot do. For matters beyond
my grasp, I won’t even try. But for matters
like protesting against Dolce and Gabbana
for not letting people take photographs in
front of their store [in 2012], I can help. I
took a series of photos with a photographer.
When I was first called “Ha-wai BB,”
I thought that made sense because that was
how you would scold someone: by calling
them BBs [babies] and implying that they’re
stupid. They explained to me that they call
me BB because they like me. I was flattered.
Being the third person in a relationship is
never a good thing. But when you really fall in
love with someone, you don’t consider things
like that. We had no idea that our love would
grow so deep, to the extent that we couldn’t live
without each other.
You cannot choose your real love.
When Mr. Woo was getting old, it was as if he
was imprisoned by his own children. For about
three years, they didn’t let him see anyone
and issued a restraining order against me and
The public also liked calling me “the star of
funerals,” because I went to a lot of funerals. But
those people were all my friends. I just wanted to
pay my respects. Besides, I had to have a flower
basket made each time, which cost about $1,000.
I organized a living funeral to show that death
shouldn’t be treated casually. I didn’t know any
better when I tried to kill myself. And
I want youngsters now to treasure their lives.
I didn’t know any of the people that attended
my living funeral personally. People that I knew
I don’t have any flaws. If I found out
about a flaw, I would improve it.
I love everything about the city. I met
my husband here and I gave birth to my
children here. When I close my eyes to
remember my past, all the best memories
take place in Hong Kong.
Wong’s new memoir “Memoir of Ha Wai”
is available, in Chinese only, at various
bookstores including Joint Publishing and
Commercial Press.
XKCD
Randall Munroe
50 HK MAGAZINE FRIDAY, August 15, 2014