Kathy Chow Calls TVB “Stingy”; Says She Had To Pay For Her Own Stunt Double If She Didn’t Want To Do Her Own Stunts

Hongkong actress Kathy Chow, 55, who joined showbiz in 1985, is a familiar face to many who grew up watching TVB dramas in the '80s and '90s.

She was the star of dramas such as 1991’s The Breaking Point, as well as 1997’s Time Before Time and 1998’s Secret Of The Heart.

Recently, Kathy was interviewed on talk show Starface, in which she shared more about her time filming with TVB.

According to Kathy, her schedule was brutal back then, and would film from morning till night.

Pulling all-nighters was also very common, and she was left with barely any time to sleep.

“I once shot for four, five days straight and there really wasn’t even time for me to sleep,” she recalled. At one point, things got so hectic that she had to request for ‘leave’ from the director, just so she could go home and shower.

“I felt like I was really stinky, just like a salted fish. There was no way I could continue filming,” she said.

Kathy in Breaking Point.

Apart from the long hours, Kathy hinted that TVB was also sorely lacking when it came to ensuring the welfare of their artistes.

“Filming was really, super, super, tough for me back the. Not having time to sleep was commonplace, and [filming scenes] where I had to jump from a high-rise building were not unusual too,” Kathy said, adding that she did all those stunts herself.

It wasn't 'cos Kathy’s a daredevil though. Rather, it was 'cos TVB did not engage stunt doubles for their actors.

"TVB was really stingy. [If I wanted to] hire a stunt double, I had to pay up,” Kathy revealed.

Thankfully, Kathy did not sustain any injuries from doing those stunts.

Miss Independent.

Since then, Kathy’s gone on to find success in China, acting in hit dramas like 2018's Ashes of Love. However, she has been consciously cutting back on her projects.

According to Kathy, since she has been in a  number of dramas that are now considered classics, she now wants to do things on her own terms.

“When it comes to acting, if I’m pleased, and there’s a role that I think will suit me, and is interesting, I would do it. But if I feel that I don’t want to be in front of the camera, then I won’t do so,” she said.

Kathy admitted that she’s rejected quite a number of roles this year, and that she’s been spending time at home instead.

“I've already achieved the life that I want. As a woman, I just want to live well. It’s a very sensitive topic, but a lot of people will bring up marriage, asking why you’re not married yet. What’s the deal with marriage? Will you die if you don’t marry? I’m living very well and happily even though I’m unmarried. If you get hitched to a bad companion, who doesn’t treat you well, then you would be even more troubled,” she said.

Kathy was famously married to Ray Lui for a mere five months back in 1988 when she was just 22. Ray revealed in his autobiography that he and Kathy “did not understand love” back then.

Photos: PBE Media, Sogou, Kathy Chow/Weibo