Cherie Chung Chor-Hung, with her unique blend of natural down-to-earth beauty, sweetness and sensuality, was one of the most popular HK actresses and sex symbols of the 1980s. She was born on February 16, 1960 in Hong Kong. In 1979, Chung entered TVB's Miss Hong Kong Pageant but, despite being a frontrunner and favourite to win, managed to place only fourth. However, this ultimately was just a minor bump in Chung's road to stardom. Her film career was ignited when Damian Lau introduced her to director Johnnie To, who was just setting foot outside of television and starting in the movie business. The Enigmatic Case (1980) marked the cinema debut of both Chung and To. From that point, Chung appeared in more than fifty Hong Kong films, working with the best directors and many of the top leading men.

The film that first put Chung on the map was Ann Hui's bleak Story of Woo Viet (1981), the first of many classic pairings with Chow Yun-Fat. Other films in which Chung and Chow demonstrated their undeniable onscreen chemistry are An Autumn's Tale (1987) and Spiritual Love (1987). An Autumn's Tale, in particular, is one of Chung's most celebrated films. It not only won over audiences but also garnered her the Hong Kong Director's Choice Award for Best Actress, and Best Actress nominations at both the Hong Kong Film Awards and the Golden Horse Awards. Another film for which Chung received double Best Actress nominations - and which won her the Hong Kong Film Award for Most Popular Actress - is Hong Kong, Hong Kong (1983).

Other award nominations include an HK Film Best Actress nomination for Eclipse (1982) and a Golden Horse Best Actress nomination for Wild Search (1989). Western HK movie fans may know Chung best for her role in Peking Opera Blues (1986), a film that pops up regularly in top 10 film lists. Sadly, as is the case for many HK actresses, Chung left acting at the pinnacle of her career to get married. She danced across the screen and stole the hearts of movie audiences one final time in John Woo's Once a Thief (1991) before marrying advertising executive Michael Chu and retiring from the entertainment industry.

Since her retirement, Chung has been enjoying married life to the fullest and has been actively involved in environmental causes. She is a Friends of the Earth (HK) Green Ambassador, and in 2002 she donated some of her nature photographs to them to help raise money for their "Nature of Children Future" program, which educates children in Hong Kong and China about the importance of protecting the Earth. To this day, rumors continue to circulate through the media about Chung's return to acting, but she has insisted that the work schedule of an actress would significantly disrupt her current lifestyle. Luckily for fans, the ever radiant and lovely Chung still makes the occasional public appearance and can be seen in commercial and print ads. (Yinique 2004)