use both this parameter and , birth_date to display the person's date of birth, date of death, and age at death) --> , death_place = , nationality = , citizenship = , alma_mater = Maryknoll Convent School , occupation = , years active = 1988–2003, 2009 , spouse(s) = , children = 1 , height = 1.71 m , hair_color = Black , eye_color = Black , module = , known_for= Swordsman II (1992), The Wicked City (1992), Fong Sai-yuk (1993), Fong Sai-yuk II (1993), The Legendary Ranger (1993), Fallen Angels (1995), Armageddon (1997),

Flowers of Shanghai Flowers, also known as blooms and blossoms, are the reproductive structures of flowering plants (Flowering plant, angiosperms). Typically, they are structured in four circular levels, called whorls, around the end of a stalk. These whorls in ...

(1998), The City of Lost Souls (2000) Michelle Monique Reis (born 20 June 1970) is a Macanese and Hong Kong former actress, model and beauty pageant titleholder. In 1988, she won the

Miss Chinese International Pageant Miss Chinese International Pageant ( zh, 國際中華小姐競選, formerly 國際華裔小姐競選), or MCI ( zh, 華姐) for short, is an annual international beauty pageant, organized and broadcast by Television Broadcasts Limited, TVB, a net ...

and

Miss Hong Kong Miss Hong Kong Pageant (), or Miss HK () for short, is an annual beauty pageant organised by local Hong Kong television station, TVB. The pageant was established in 1946, and acquired by TVB in 1973. Regulations Recruitment All participants ...

beauty pageants. Afterwards, she became a prominent actress in 1990s Hong Kong, often appearing in introspective and independent fare rather than mainstream releases. Reis often played dynamic characters, with a significant number of her roles centering around characters deemed more "difficult" to portray in Hong Kong cinema, such as prostitutes,

femme fatale A ( , ; ), sometimes called a maneater, Mata Hari, or vamp, is a stock character of a mysterious, beautiful, and Seduction, seductive woman whose charms ensnare her lovers, often leading them into compromising, deadly traps. She is an archetype ...

s, and professional killers. Known for her youthful beauty and often deemed "one of the most beautiful women in Asia", Reis has continued to remain in the public eye long after her film career subsided in the early 2000s. Outside of the Chinese-speaking world, she is most famous for her role as the Hitman's Assistant in ''Fallen Angels'' (1995), which brought her critical acclaim internationally, as well as status as a cult film character and saw her nominated for “Best Actress" at the 1996 Golden Bauhinia Awards.

Early life

Reis was born in

Macau Macau or Macao is a special administrative regions of China, special administrative region of the People's Republic of China (PRC). With a population of about people and a land area of , it is the most List of countries and dependencies by p ...

, then a Portuguese colony, on 20 June 1970 as Michele Monique Reis. She did not acquire her Chinese name, Lee Ka Yan or Li Jiaxin (李嘉欣), until after elementary school. She is of mixed ancestry; her father, Francis Reis, was a Hong Kong-born ethnically Portuguese Macanese, and her mother, Wu Guofang ( Chinese: 吴国芳), is Chinese and was raised in Shanghai before moving to British Hong Kong after

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. Reis also has an older sister, born in August 1962, known as "Yuet Chi" (Joanna Francisca Reis or Li Jiaming; 李嘉明). Her father, a member of the Hong Kong Volunteers, was captured by the Japanese when defending Hong Kong in 1941 during

and was imprisoned by the

Imperial Japanese Army The Imperial Japanese Army (IJA; , ''Dai-Nippon Teikoku Rikugun'', "Army of the Greater Japanese Empire") was the principal ground force of the Empire of Japan from 1871 to 1945. It played a central role in Japan’s rapid modernization during th ...

in the Sham Shui Po Barracks for two years. Francis was reportedly popular and well-liked by the other prisoners. Still, because of his height, he was sent to work in coal mines in

Sendai is the capital Cities of Japan, city of Miyagi Prefecture and the largest city in the Tōhoku region. , the city had a population of 1,098,335 in 539,698 households, making it the List of cities in Japan, twelfth most populated city in Japan. ...

, Japan, until Japan's surrender. After the liberation of Hong Kong in 1945, he returned to Hong Kong, married Michelle's mother, and entered a business career. In 1973, a modeling scout discovered Reis, and she was subsequently shot in a one-time baby advertisement. Reis recalls her childhood as an unhappy one. She recalls her childhood being devoid of toys or new clothes and dominated by "her mother's tears and parents' endless bickering". Her father became more absent, resulting in Reis being raised primarily by her mother. Francis Reis was unsuccessful in his career, "achieving nothing", resulting in the family living in poverty. Wu Guofang, Reis' mother, worked two jobs a day to provide for the family. The family lived in a tin roof house, which they built themselves and was typical of Hong Kong's impoverished, and then lived in the highly dense and impoverished Chungking Mansions. Conditions at the tin roof house were very poor, with summers being extremely hot and rain easily dripping through cracks in their roof. In 1982, when she was 12, Reis filmed a second advertisement. At 14, she began part-time studies as a student, which her mother emphasised, completing these studies by modelling part-time. By the time she entered the 1988 Miss Hong Kong Pageant, she had already appeared in more than 70 advertisements. During her studies, modelling scouts offered her casting and commercial film opportunities, but Reis declined as she wanted to be a flight attendant. Reis attended Maryknoll Convent School and matriculated from St. Paul's Secondary School throughout her studies. At Maryknoll Convent School, she received excellent grades, with 2A (English, Bible) results and ranking 7B in the five-year secondary education graduation exam. Many years after Reis' father abandoned the family and as Reis began to become well-known in Hong Kong, he tried to contact Reis by phone, asking for money. Despite her worries about his deteriorating health, she had no intention of reconnecting. Years later, Reis recalled the phone call, which she found hurtful. Reis’ father died at the Prince of Wales Hospital in Hong Kong on 22 August 1995 after fighting a blood disorder for eight months. She attended his funeral.

Career

Beauty queen career and early actress career (1988–1993)

In 1988, after encouragement from others, Reis auditioned for the 1988 Miss Hong Kong Pageant. She was predicted to win the "Best Photogenic Award", which gave Reis the self-confidence to continue on this career path. However, Sheila Chin won the "Best Photogenic Award" instead. She reportedly cried after leaving the stage. However, her mother's words reminded Reis that the road to success was difficult and that there would be many setbacks in the future on this career path, which proved highly influential and inspirational to Reis, encouraging her to press ahead with the Miss Hong Kong Pageant. The competition between Reis and Sheila Chin was tense in the pageant and was "neck-to-neck". Reis won the pageant, becoming Miss Hong Kong 1988 at the age of 18 and winning the contest's "Miss International Goodwill" title. While both women would soon receive entertainment careers, with both taking a direction towards acting, Reis would, by the mid-1990s, ultimately become a more acclaimed celebrity than Chin, with distinctive film roles. Later that year, in late 1988, Reis would also become the first

Miss Chinese International Miss Chinese International Pageant ( zh, 國際中華小姐競選, formerly 國際華裔小姐競選), or MCI ( zh, 華姐) for short, is an annual international beauty pageant, organized and broadcast by TVB, a network television station in Hong ...

and was awarded the "Best Photogenic Award". Following her Miss Chinese International crowning, she participated in the Miss World 1988 pageant in London, where she promoted the image of Hong Kong. Continuing her newfound status as an acclaimed beauty queen, Reis was then supposed to compete in the Miss Universe 1989 pageant but withdrew due to health problems, citing "personal reasons". Reis would later reveal in 1998 that her beauty queen career proved to be a difficult time for her, stating: “The Miss Hong Kong time was very confusing for me. I wouldn’t have the courage to do it again.” After spending a year as the "Miss International Goodwill" Ambassador, a title she received from the Miss Hong Kong 1988 pageant, Reis later remarked that she "wasn’t sure what I would do after it." As is customary for many Miss Hong Kong winners, Reis would receive a career offer from

TVB Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB; zh, t=電視廣播有限公司) is a television broadcasting company based in Hong Kong. The company operates five free-to-air terrestrial television channels in Hong Kong, with TVB Jade as its main Canton ...

– with Mona Fong, the Deputy chairman and general manager of TVB, personally stepping forward and trying her best to persuade Reis to sign a contract. Fong offered Reis very favourable conditions, such as not pushing Reis to star in the TV station's low budget series, which is what usually happens with new, young faces in TVB, as well as offering Reis more beyond a normal monthly salary. As such, Reis soon appeared in a 5-episode TVB drama series called “I Do I Do” (花月佳期), which aired in late March 1989. While the drama is fairly unremarkable, it marked the first acting role of Reis, who had had no formal acting training when she was offered a contract by TVB, and later remarked that filming the series "seemed like the right thing to do." In 1990, having first worked in commercials, appearing in music videos and then on

television episodes, Reis made her formal entry into showbiz with her first film roles such as ''Declaration Of Help'' (1990) – her film debut – and although a newcomer to films, played a role such as the "rebel sister" Yuet Chi / Moon in her second film, A Chinese Ghost Story Part II (1990). That year, she would also go on to star in comedies like '' No Risk, No Gain'' (1990), starring as Winnie, and as a streetwise tough beauty in ''Perfect Girls'' (1990). Her next films, in the years 1990–1993 would mostly be comedies, and she would often play roles dependent on her beauty. As such, she would to some degree cultivate an idol image, starring in popular films such as The Banquet (1991), Royal Tramp II (1992), and replacing Cecilia Yip in starring as the tomboyish disciple Kiddo in Swordsman II (1992) – starring alongside her favourite actress

Brigitte Lin Brigitte Lin Ching-hsia (; born 3 November 1954) is a Taiwanese actress. Regarded as a screen icon, Lin played a key role in boosting Taiwan’s film production with her romantic heroine roles in the 1970s before transitioning to Hong Kong, where ...

. Reis would also star in A Kid from Tibet (1992). However, Reis also starred in some roles in this early part of her acting career that would distinctly represent her acting style, and bring her out as an actress. These included starring as "Windy" in the anime-inspired, science-fiction future noir The Wicked City (1992), where her full-mouthed looks were deemed just right for the anime-inspired film, and her performance as an actress was brought out significantly in a way previously not before. Telling a story of conflicts and relationship between demon-like creatures and humans in 1990s Hong Kong, the film was a big success, being one of the most popular Tsui Hark productions in the USA and Europe, and still playing in festivals and midnight screenings around the USA and Europe. Reis would also dominate the film's promotional material.

Actress breakthrough (1993–1995)

By the dawn of the mid-1990s however, most of Reis’ film roles, with the exception of a few notable, acclaimed roles, had been relatively undemanding, being mainly known for her minor girl-next-door, "nice girl" roles, and she was often only used for simply window dressing, a common phenomenon amongst good-looking talents in Hong Kong's entertainment industry. Ambitious and wishing to attempt further, more elaborate roles with greater complexity, such as successful women, women with sex appeal, editresses or "mad women", Reis expanded the scope of her acting career significantly from 1993. Starring in

Jet Li Li Lianjie (courtesy name Yangzhong; born 26 April 1963), better known by his stage name Jet Li, is a Chinese-born Singaporean Martial arts, martial artist and actor. With a Jet Li filmography, film career spanning more than forty years, Li is re ...

’s movie '' The Legend of Fong Sai Yuk'' (1993), she starred as the beautiful Ting-Ting. The film was a box office hit and Reis then starred in its sequel released later that year, ''Fong Sai-Yuk II'' (1993). Moving into television, Reis began to increase the complexity of her roles as she so desired, starring as the beautiful and deceptive top agent of a doomsday cult in the cross-genre

drama '' The Legendary Ranger'' (1993) alongside her good friend

Leon Lai Leon Lai Ming Silver Bauhinia Star, SBS Bronze Bauhinia Star, BBS Medal of Honour (Hong Kong), MH ( zh, 黎明; born 11 December 1966), is a Hong Kong actor, singer, film director, and businessman. He is one of the "Cantopop#1990s: Four Heav ...

. The drama's eclectic setting and merger of

wuxia ( , literally "martial arts and chivalry") is a genre of Chinese literature, Chinese fiction concerning the adventures of martial artists in ancient China. Although is traditionally a form of historical fantasy literature, its popularity ha ...

, science fiction and fantasy genres, as well as its visual aesthetic was considered at the time groundbreaking in Hong Kong, and the demented mixture of beauty and darkness in the acting material Reis worked with cemented her signature acting style. In ''The Black Morning Glory'' (1993), Reis was to establish her acting style a step further – playing a complex dual-role as a professional killer employed by the Japanese yakuza. The film also dealt into the mental complexity of Reis’ character, with a drama-based storyline that sees her character fend off the police and yakuza while also attempting to reconcile with her own turmoil after she realises who she has killed. The film would then go on to serve as premise for Reis starring in ''The Other Side of the Sea'' (1994), where Reis would again portray a cold-blooded professional killer who must reckon with going on the run and betrayal after becoming disillusioned with a life of killing. By 1995, Reis would star again alongside Leon Lai; this time in Wong Kar-wai’s neo-noir crime thriller '' Fallen Angels'' (1995), playing a sexually frustrated, jealous, cold-blooded hitman's assistant. Reis’ character was a notable departure from her earlier roles, allowing herself to be filmed at

fisheye lens A fisheye lens is an ultra wide angle lens, ultra wide-angle lens that produces strong Distortion (optics), visual distortion intended to create a wide panorama, panoramic or Sphere#Hemisphere, hemispherical image. Fisheye lenses achieve extremel ...

angles, in grungy colours and with an appearance that was glamorously dressed, stylish, and decidedly grunge, an appearance that would become emblematic of Reis’ style, but at times also dishevelled in contrast to the polished appearance of her Miss Hong Kong days. Reis’ character was described as a "chain-smoking, quivering, obsessive mess who faxes kill-plans and masturbates in PVC fetish dresses", and was also interpreted as a ironic depiction of supermodel glamour or MTV music videos. Fully declaring herself as an actress, and breaking away completely from any kind of innocent or clean-cut image in a way that likely shocked many of her fans, Reis received critical acclaim for her portrayal of the role and immediately established herself as an A-list actress, becoming amongst Hong Kong's most famous actresses. ''Fallen Angels'' would go on to become a cult classic of the "Golden Age" of Hong Kong cinema, and Reis’ film character would also become a cult film character and a

grunge Grunge (sometimes referred to as the Seattle sound) is an alternative rock Music genre, genre and subculture that emerged during the in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington, particularly in Seattle and Music of Olympia, Washington, O ...

icon – a reputation Reis has continued to have to this day. The role would also establish Reis as having fame beyond the Chinese-speaking world, becoming her most well-known role outside of the Chinese-speaking world. The role has often been called as the “bravest film choice" in Reis’ film career, marking a moment where she began to build a reputation for starring in introspective and high-quality movies, and by far her most iconic role – it has also been called her "very best performance".

Continued film and modelling success (1995-early 2000s)

After the success of ''Fallen Angels'', Reis’ film output began to decrease, with only 8 films over the next 5 years, representing how she was only willing to only star in higher-quality movies with more challenging film roles, though she continued to pick up large success in her modelling work. In 1996, she modelled for cinematographer Christopher Doyle’s art book ''Angel Talk'', which built on her grunge image. That same year, she starred as Laura in ''July'' ''13th'' (1996), a horror film about mental problems, suicide, and sleepless pressure in the chaos of Hong Kong city life. In 1997, Reis starred in the action sci-fi mystery thriller '' Armageddon'' (1997) as Adele,

Andy Lau Andy Lau Tak-wah ( zh, order=t,j, t=劉德華, j=Lau4 Dak1 Waa4; born Lau Fook-wing; 27 September 1961), is a Hong Kong actor, singer-songwriter and film producer. He was named the "Fourth Tiger" among the Five Tiger Generals of TVB in the 1 ...

’s character's dead fiancé. The film was visually and thematically a departure from many other works in Hong Kong cinema at the time, and she also starred in '' Young And Dangerous IV'' (1997), the fourth film in the hugely-popular ''

Young and Dangerous Young and Dangerous may refer to: * ''Young and Dangerous'' (film series), a collection of Hong Kong films about a group of young triad members ** ''Young and Dangerous'' (1996 film), a Hong Kong crime film ** '' Young and Dangerous: The Prequel' ...

'' series of films. In 1998, Reis starred as the ambitious prostitute Emerald in the arthouse film

. The role is Reis’ personal favourite of all her acting roles and she was the only member of the cast to fluently speak Shanghainese. Afterwards, she starred in the Japanese action film The City of Lost Souls in 2000, her last major film role. During the late 1990s, Reis’ career was also taking her abroad for further success – Reis was so popular in Japan that she was able to pick up "millions" from a day's work of working in Tokyo, and she was also doing a lot of advertising work in Los Angeles. Around the beginning of the 2000s, Reis began to withdraw from acting to focus on family and charity businesses whilst making occasional public appearances. Her last role to date was 2009's ''

Bodyguards and Assassins ''Bodyguards and Assassins'' is a 2009 Hong Kong historical action film directed by Teddy Chan, featuring an all-star cast including Donnie Yen, Wang Xueqi, Tony Leung Ka-fai, Nicholas Tse, Hu Jun, Chris Lee, Eric Tsang, Fan Bingbing, Z ...

''. On 25 December 2021, Reis made an appearance as a guest/main judge on

HK Television Entertainment HK Television Entertainment Company Limited (, or ViuTV) is a television service operator in Hong Kong, owned by Hong Kong billionaire Richard Li's PCCW. It operates through its subsidiary PCCW Media, which also owns the IPTV platform Now TV ...

's fourth season of the talent variety show King Maker (Chinese: 全民造星IV), sparking internet discussion and hype.

Personal life

Reis is fluent in seven languages -

Cantonese Cantonese is the traditional prestige variety of Yue Chinese, a Sinitic language belonging to the Sino-Tibetan language family. It originated in the city of Guangzhou (formerly known as Canton) and its surrounding Pearl River Delta. While th ...

Mandarin Mandarin or The Mandarin may refer to: Language * Mandarin Chinese, branch of Chinese originally spoken in northern parts of the country ** Standard Chinese or Modern Standard Mandarin, the official language of China ** Taiwanese Mandarin, Stand ...

Shanghainese The Shanghainese language, also known as the Shanghai dialect, or Hu language, is a variety of Wu Chinese spoken in the central districts of the city of Shanghai and its surrounding areas. It is classified as part of the Sino-Tibetan langua ...

, English, Portuguese,

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

, and

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...

- and has used several of these languages in her films, such as Shanghainese in ''Flowers of Shanghai'' (1998) and Japanese in ''The City of Lost Souls'' (2000)''.'' She is Catholic''.'' On 23 November 2008, following a public two-year courtship, Reis married business tycoon Julian Hui, son of real-estate billionaire Hui Sai Fun (1921–2018). Their son Jayden Max Hui was born on 8 February 2011. His initials are derived from the first initials, "J" and "M", of his parents' names. In 2007, a viral audio of Reis and business tycoon Joseph Lau leaked onto the internet caused controversy, in which Reis and Lau had a heated argument regarding actresses he had signed, including

Ada Choi Ada Choi Siu-fan (; born 17 September 1973) is a Hong Kong actress who gained fame with the TVB dramas such as '' Healing Hands'' (1998–2000) and '' Where the Legend Begins'' (2002), before she shifted her career to mainland China, where she gai ...

and Catherine Hung. Reis' use of

profanity Profanity, also known as swearing, cursing, or cussing, is the usage of notionally word taboo, offensive words for a variety of purposes, including to demonstrate disrespect or negativity, to relieve pain, to express a strong emotion (such a ...

directed at Lau led netizens to imply the two to be in a relationship and being able to swear profusely behind his wife's back during that time, although the quality and time indicated that the audio was recorded in the 1990s. Reis' famous line "I'm really gonna congratulate you/I give my congratulations!" () is often used by people nowadays as a sarcastic manner online or in real life. On 15 January 2022, Reis was rushed to ICU after a near death experience due to breathing complications.

Partial filmography

Sources: *'' No Risk, No Gain'' (1990) – Winnie *'' A Chinese Ghost Story Part II'' (1990) – Yuet Chi / Moon *'' Perfect Girls'' (1990) – Lo Hsaio-Hsiao *''Qiang qian xiong di zhi zei yu shi da e'' (1990) *''Doctor's Heart'' (1990) – Anita Yeung *'' Party of a Wealthy Family'' (1991) – Kar-Yan Li *'' A Kid from Tibet'' (1991) – Chiu Seng-Neng *'' Swordsman II'' (1992) – Kiddo *'' Casino Tycoon II'' (1992) – Ti Yun *'' Royal Tramp II'' (1992) – Li Ming-ke / A-ke *''Zen of Sword'' (1992) – Princess Choi Siu-Ling *'' The Wicked City'' (1992) – Wan-Gei *'' The Legend of Fong Sai Yuk'' (1993) – Ting Ting *'' The Sword of Many Loves'' (1993) – Ching Ling *''The Black Morning Glory'' (1993) – Michelle Lam Man-Ting / Fan Lin *'' The Legend of Fong Sai Yuk II'' (1993) – Ting Ting *'' Drunken Master III'' (1994) – Sum Yu *''The Other Side of the Sea'' (1994) – Yip Man-Sau *'' Fallen Angels'' (1995) – The Killer's Agent *''100 Ways to Kill Yourself'' (1996) – Laura *'' Heaven Earth Great Ambition'' (1997) – Adele *'' Young and Dangerous 4'' (1997) – Lee Yan-Kin *''

'' (1998) – Emerald *''

Prince Charming Prince Charming is a fairy tale stock character archetype who comes to the rescue of a damsel in distress and must engage in a quest to liberate her from an evil spell. This classification suits most heroes of a number of traditional folk tales ...

'' (1999) – 'Ice' Poa *''Round About Midnight'' (1999) – Linda *''The Island Tales'' (2000) – Sharon *'' When I Fall in Love... with Both'' (2000) – Cecilia / Xixi (Chinese pinyin transliteration) *'' The City of Strangers'' (2000) – Jackie Fong *'' Healing Hearts'' (2000) – Kei *''Bakery Amour'' (2001) – Lok To *''Every Dog Has His Date'' (2001) – Sharon Lee *'' Beauty and the Breast'' (2002) – Yuki *''The Irresistible Piggies'' (2002) – Mo *''Miss Du Shi Niang'' (2003) – Lady Ten *''

'' (2009) – Prince Lau's lover (final film role)

Name as a wordplay

In mainland China in 2010, it was a popular meme for several Chinese

white-collar worker A white-collar worker is a person who performs professional service, desk, managerial, or administrative work. White-collar work may be performed in an office or similar setting. White-collar workers include job paths related to government, co ...

s to display images of Michelle Reis at the office to subtly ask for a raise in salary because her Chinese name Jiāxīn (嘉欣) is an exact

homophone A homophone () is a word that is pronounced the same as another word but differs in meaning or in spelling. The two words may be spelled the same, for example ''rose'' (flower) and ''rose'' (past tense of "rise"), or spelled differently, a ...

of 加薪 ("pay raise") in

Mandarin Chinese Mandarin ( ; zh, s=, t=, p=Guānhuà, l=Mandarin (bureaucrat), officials' speech) is the largest branch of the Sinitic languages. Mandarin varieties are spoken by 70 percent of all Chinese speakers over a large geographical area that stretch ...

, and is a near-homophone in

Cantonese language Cantonese is the traditional prestige variety of Yue Chinese, a Sinitic languages, Sinitic language belonging to the Sino-Tibetan language family. It originated in the city of Guangzhou (formerly known as Canton) and its surrounding Pearl River ...

(ga1yan1/ga1san1).

Awards and nominations

Notes

References

External links

*
hkcinemagic entry
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Reis, Michelle 1970 births Living people Miss World 1988 delegates Miss Hong Kong winners Miss Chinese International winners 20th-century Hong Kong actresses 21st-century Hong Kong actresses Hong Kong female models Hong Kong beauty pageant winners Hong Kong Roman Catholics Hong Kong people of Macanese descent Hong Kong people of Portuguese descent Macau emigrants to Hong Kong 20th-century Macau people Macanese people Hong Kong film actresses Macau film actresses