Lily Ho () is a
Chinese/
Taiwanese actress
who worked mostly in
Hong Kong
Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...
films. She is known for playing the lead roles in various
Shaw Brothers
Shaw Brothers (HK) Limited () was the largest film production company in Hong Kong, operating from 1925 to 2011.
In 1925, three Shaw brothers— Runje, Runme, and Runde—founded Tianyi Film Company (also called "Unique") in Shangh ...
productions. Ho is known for the 1966 ''The Knight Of Knight''s and her role as Ainu, a lesbian, in ''
Intimate Confessions of a Chinese Courtesan'', a 1972 adult martial arts film.
Life and career
Early life
Ho was born in 1952
[Other sources mention 1946 or 1947 as her year of birth in ]Nanjing
Nanjing or Nanking is the capital of Jiangsu, a province in East China. The city, which is located in the southwestern corner of the province, has 11 districts, an administrative area of , and a population of 9,423,400.
Situated in the Yang ...
(continental China) to Chinese parents; but all sources mention early childhood in Taiwan and most of them describe Ho as "from Taiwan". and grew up in
Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...
. Ho graduated from The Girl's Middle School in Taiwan.
Career
At age 16, Ho began her acting career in Taiwan. In 1963, Ho was discovered by Yuan Chiu-feng, a director who cast her for ''Songfest'' in Taiwan. In 1965, Ho became a
Shaw Brothers
Shaw Brothers (HK) Limited () was the largest film production company in Hong Kong, operating from 1925 to 2011.
In 1925, three Shaw brothers— Runje, Runme, and Runde—founded Tianyi Film Company (also called "Unique") in Shangh ...
actress in Hong Kong. Ho is known for 1966 ''The Knight Of Knights'', where she appeared partially nude. Ho played a male role in 1972 in ''The Fourteen Amazons''. Ho also is known for her role as Ainu, a lesbian, in ''
Intimate Confessions of a Chinese Courtesan'', a 1972 adult martial arts film directed by
Chor Yuen
Chor Yuen (), born Cheung Po-kin (; 8 October 1934 – 21 February 2022), was a Hong Kong film director, screenwriter, and actor. Chor is credited with over 120 films as director, over 70 films as a writer and over 40 films as an actor.
Early ...
. Ho is known as one of the "12 Golden Hairpins".
Personal life
In 1972, Ho married George Chao Tse Kwong (died 2016), a Hong Kong shipping tycoon and youngest son in a prominent Hong Kong family. They had four children. Eldest daughter Sabrina Chao is currently President of
Baltic and International Maritime Council. Ho's brother-in-law is
Cecil Chao
Cecil Chao Sze-Tsung (; born September 27, 1936) is a Hong Kong billionaire who is the owner of Cheuk Nang (Holdings) Ltd, a Hong Kong-based property development and investment company, known for its focus on residential and commercial real esta ...
.
Filmography
* 1963 (1964, 1965) ''Song Fest'' (aka Songfest) - Ying Hua.
* 1965 ''Song of Orchid Island'' - Bai Da-Na
* 1966 ''The Monkey Goes West'' - Skeleton Demon
* 1966 ''Till the End of Time'' - Huang I-Hua
* 1966 ''The Knight of Knights'' - Lin Hong Yu
* 1966 ''Auntie Lan
''
* 1966
''Princess Iron Fan''
* 1967 ''Angel With The Iron Fists'' - Luo Na, Ai Si, Agent 009.
* 1967 ''
Hong Kong Nocturne -'' Chia Tsui Tsui
* 1967 ''The Sword and the Lute''
* 1967 ''Inter-Pol''
* 1967 ''That Tender Age''
* 1967 ''My Dreamboat'' - Tang Ke Shin.
* 1967 ''King Drummer''
* 1968 ''The Silver Fox''
* 1968 ''Angel Strikes Again''
* 1968 ''The Brain-Stealers''
* 1968 ''
Hong Kong Rhapsody'' - Herself
* 1969 ''The Singing Thief''
* 1969 ''The Millionaire Chase''
* 1969 ''Tropical Interlude''
* 1970 ''
The Golden Knight''
* 1970 ''The Orchid''
* 1970
''A Time for Love''
* 1971 ''The Venus' Tear Diamond''
* 1971 ''
The Jade Faced Assassin''
* 1971 ''The Lady Professional''
* 1971 ''We Love Millionaires''
* 1971
Lady with a Sword - Feng Fei Fei.
* 1972
The Water Margin ()
* 1972
''The Casino'' () - Miss Cui
* 1972 ''Trilogy of Swordsmanship''
* 1972 ''Of Wives and Mistresses''
* 1972 ''
Intimate Confessions of a Chinese Courtesan'' () - Ainu
* 1972 ''
The 14 Amazons
''The 14 Amazons'' is a 1972 Hong Kong ''wuxia'' film directed by Cheng Kang and produced by the Shaw Brothers Studio. The award-winning film featured a predominantly female cast. The story is about the female generals of the Yang Family.
Ove ...
'' () -
Yang Wen Kuan
* 1972 ''The Warlord''
* 1972 ''
Flower in the Rain''
* 1973 ''Facets of Love''
* 1973 ''River of Fury''
* 1973 ''
The House of 72 Tenants
''The House of 72 Tenants'' (七十二家房客) is a 1973 Hong Kong film directed by Chor Yuen. It is a remake of a 1963 Chinese film of the same name. It was the top box office film of 1973 in Hong Kong, surpassing Bruce Lee's '' Enter the ...
''
* 1974 ''Sex, Love and Hate''
* 1974 ''Five Tough Guys''
* 1975 ''
All Men Are Brothers''
* 1983 ''The Lost Generation''
Awards
* 1973
Asian Film Festival: Outstanding Lead Female Performance Award for her role in ''
The 14 Amazons
''The 14 Amazons'' is a 1972 Hong Kong ''wuxia'' film directed by Cheng Kang and produced by the Shaw Brothers Studio. The award-winning film featured a predominantly female cast. The story is about the female generals of the Yang Family.
Ove ...
''
Notes
References
External links
Lily Ho at imdb.comLily Ho at allmovie.comLily Ho Li-Li at hkmdb.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ho, Lily
Hong Kong film actresses
Living people
Taiwanese film actresses
1946 births
Actresses from Nanjing
Taiwanese people from Jiangsu
20th-century Taiwanese actresses