Michelle Yim Wai-ling (; born September 2, 1955), better known by her stage name Mai Suet (), is a Hong Kong actress and elder sister of former actress Sidney Yim Wai-ming also known by stage name Suet Lei (). She graduated from and Shaw Brothers' Training School.
Career In 1972, Yim started her acting career. Yim's stage name is known as Mai Suet. Yim first appeared as a Yang female soldier in The 14 Amazons, a 1972 Mandarin drama and martial arts film directed by Cheng Kang.
CTV In 1975, Yim joined Commercial Television (CTV), and began her journey onto the television circles. In 1976, Yim acted in Legend of the Condor Heroes, a Wuxia TV series adaptation of Louis Cha's novel of the same title. For the first time, Yim took up the role as a female lead, portraying the character Wong Yung. This drama not only made her famous but also made CTV's first million ratings. She has since been awarded the Top Ten Artistes Award several times.
With the closure of CTV in 1978, Yim became a contract-free actress. One of the companies, Television Broadcasts (TVB) invited her to guest-star in one of the period drama, The Twins.
RTV (now ATV) During the 1980s, Yim signed and joined Rediffusion Television (RTV) (now ATV). There, she acted in several well-known drama serials, such as The Dynasty, The Radical City, Tai Chi Master, Princess Cheung Ping, The Legendary Fok and more, earning her the title of the "Princess of Wuxia Drama".
After her contract with RTV terminated, Yim was once again a contract-free actress, and this allowed her to work for the two companies (TVB and ATV) more easily. However, such situation is considered rare due to the intense competition between the two broadcasting companies. Examples like The Legend of Master So and Tiger Hill Trail.
Other than films and television dramas, she has also acted in live performances. In 1982, she was invited by Roman Tam to perform in a musical play called Madame White Snake, portraying the role as the Green Snake. The cast included Roman Tam and Liza Wang.
In 1985, Yim returned to ATV and agreed to film a certain number of drama serials a year as part of her filming contract. At the same year, together with Damian Lau, she filmed a period drama, Chronicles of the Shadow Swordsman, adapted from one of Wuxia writer Liang Yusheng's works, Since then, both were in many drama serials.
In 1990, she performed in another musical play, Cyrano De Bergerac, a story adapted from French literature. Her co-star was Adam Cheng and allowed her to take part more in musicals in the future. Yim signed a contract with TVB in 1993, acting in a 300+ episodes sitcom, Mind Our Own Business. Together with the rest of that cast, she performed in another musical play (The Flirty Doctor). She was involved in a musical play (I Have a Date with Spring) with Alice Lau as well.
TVB In 2000, Yim and Damian Lau starred as Cheung Mo-kei's parents in the TVB Wuxia drama, The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber.
Since 2000, she has been actively involved in several shows, including filming for drama serials, dancing, musical play, game shows, and even cooperated with overseas broadcasts companies. Cash Is King (2002) and The Rainbow Connection (2005) showed good examples. She has also hosted in programmes such as On the Road and Life In Frame (光影流情).
In this TVB's drama serial Moonlight Resonance, aired in July 2008, Yim portrays the villainous second wife, Yan Hung, who plots to have the family separated. Her performance in this serial has won her many praises and recognition. Yim won the Best Actress in the TVB Anniversary Awards 2008. In the final episode of Moonlight Resonance, which has the rating of over 47, the drama reached its peak at 50 rating during the scene when Yan Hung (character portrayed by Yim) slapped her daughter and shouted angrily to everyone present in her house.
On 3 December 2009, Yim won the "Best Drama Performance by an Actress" award at the Asian Television Awards 2009 for her role in Moonlight Resonance.
Personal life Yim had been in a long-term relationship with former soccer player and fellow actor Wan Chi-keung, who died on 16 February 2010. Yim was also in-laws with actor Norman Chui between 1983 and 1989 when he was married to her sister Sydney who is also an actress.
Awards For her popular villain role in 2008's TVB acclaimed drama, Moonlight Resonance, she won "Best Actress" at TVB Anniversary Awards 2008 and also at Asian Television Awards 2009. She is the first Hong Kong television actress to sweep two Best Actress awards from a single role, and also the first Hong Kong actress to win Best Actress at the Asian Television Awards.
Filmography
Films Year Title Role Notes/1972 Four Riders () Intimate Confessions of a Chinese Courtesan Ainu's maid 1973 Black Guide () Police Woman () 1974 Evidence () 1976 Thousand Miles Escort () 1977 Ironside 426 The 36 Crazy Fists The Dream of the Red Chamber 1978 Edge of Fury Ten Tigers of Shaolin Funny Kungfu Bruce Lee's Fists of Vengeance Flying Fox of Snowy Mountain Yuen Tze-yi 1979 Fist of Fury 3 He Who Never Dies Chilvary of Conspiracy Kung Fu Vs. Yoga Twins of Kungfu The Butterfly Murders Crazy Hustlers Jade Swan Read Lips 1980 The Mortal Storm The Final Duel The Desperate Trio The Star, the Rogue, and the Kung Fu Kid We're Going to Eat You 1981 The Mad, Mad, Mad Sailors The Ambitious Kungfu Girl The Prohibited Area 1982 Here Comes The Wolf First Exposure 1984 The Return of Pom Pom And Now, What's Your Name Denise Dress Off For Life 2003 Dragon Loaded 2003 2004 Moving Targets When Beckham Met Owen 2005 Ab-normal Beauty New Born 2007 Naraka 19 2008 Playboy Cops 2011 Racer Legend 2012 I Love Hong Kong 2012 2015 ATM 2016 A Wishing Tree 2018 Forever Young
Television dramas YearTitleRoleNetworkAwardsNotes1975 Ups and Downs CTV 1976 Saga of Sui & Tang Dynasty CTV Legend of the Condor Heroes Wong Yung CTV Female LeadThe Return of the Condor Heroes Wong Yung CTV Heroes From Guangdong CTV Blindness CTV 1977 Small vs Big CTV Side Story of the Pugilistic World CTV Yee Pik Wan Tin CTV Dream of the Red Chamber CTV 1978 Love Affairs CTV The Wind and Thunderous Saber CTV 1979 The Twins So Ying TVB Female Lead 1980 On The Waterfront RTV The Dynasty RTV Female LeadFatherland (II) - Radical City RTV Tai Chi Master To Choi-yi RTV Female Lead 1981 The Coma RTV Princess Cheung Ping RTV Female LeadThe Legendary Fok Chiu Sin-nam RTV Female Lead 1982 Hong Kong'82 TVB The Legend of Master So Siu Ling TVB Female Lead 1983 Tiger Hill Trail ATV Female LeadHeroes From Zhujiang ATV 1984 The Undercover Agents ATV Below The Lion Rock RTHK Miracle of the Orient I RTHK 1985 Chronicles of the Shadow Swordsman Wan Lui ATV first Female LeadRomance of the Maples Leaves Chin Wen Fung TTV The Legendary Prime Minister – Zhuge Liang Siu-kiu ATV Chor Lau-heung Su Rongrong / Su Mangmang CTV 1986 Rise of the Great Wall Suet-ying ATV The Royal Sword Lady C.I.D ATV 1987 Laugh In The Sleeves ATV 1988 Mai Wan ATV The Formidable Lady From Shaolin Yim Wing-chun TVB Law and Order ATV Hung Ling ATV Storm In October ATV August Scent TTV 1989 Lady Enforcer ATV 1990 Heaven's Retribution Shum Suet-ying ATV Bloodshed Over the Forbidden City Empress Dowager Cixi ATV Last Song for Killer ATV 1991 The Good Fella From Temple Street Cheung Wai-tak ATV Legend of A Beauty SBC 1992 Queen of the Opera ATV Casanova In China Mui Lan-sin ATV AIDS Carrier RTHK Return To The Truth Lam Suk-han ATV Mythical Crane and Magical Needle 92 Lam Chui-dip ATV 1993 CYC FamilyCYC Mind Our Own Business Ching Yu-chu TVB 1995 Down Memory Lane Yuen Sau-lan TVB Justice Pao Ngok Ming-chu ATV 1996 Justice Pao To Sap-sam TVB first Female LeadKing of Gambler Sam Siu-chun ATV Miracle of the Orient II RTHK 1997 The Snow is Red Nip Mei-neung ATV 1998 King Fei Kau Leung Chu Sam Kok 2000 Bond of Friendship HVD first Female Lead 2001 Reaching Out Chan Kiu TVB The Heaven Sword & The Dragon Sabre Yan So-so TVB Supporting Role2002 Cash is King Leung Bing-bing SPH 2004 Venture Against Time Sing Mei-kuen ATV 2005 The Academy Chan Yin-Ting TVB Supporting RoleThe Rainbow Connection Ching Rui-suet MediaCorp third Female LeadThe Gentle Crackdown秀才遇著兵 Gam Ying TVB Nominated - TVB Anniversary Award for Best Supporting Actress (Top 5) second Female LeadInto Thin Air人間蒸發 Kong Lai-ping TVB Supporting Role 2007 The Brink of Law突圍行動 Sung Gam-chi TVB Nominated - TVB Anniversary Award for Best Actress (Top 20)Nominated - Astor Wah Lai Toi Award for Best Villain fourth Female LeadHeart of Greed溏心風暴 Ling Lei凌莉 TVB Nominated - TVB Anniversary Award for My Favourite Female Character (Top 24) 1/3 of the Female Lead On the First Beat學警出更 Chan Yin-ting TVB Supporting RoleICAC Investigators 2007廉政行動2007 Lei Yuet-kuen TVB Female Lead 2008 Moonlight Resonance溏心風暴之家好月圓 Yan Hung TVB Won - TVB Anniversary Award for Best ActressWon - Asian Television Awards 2009 for Best ActressWon - Guangzhou TV Awards 2009 for Best Actress 1/3 of the Female Lead Love Tribulations鎖清秋 Yin Shi-hong GZBN third Female Lead2009 Beyond the Realm of Conscience宮心計 Chung Suet-ha TVB Nominated - TVB Anniversary Award for Best Supporting Actress (Top 5) third Female Lead The Great Handmaiden大丫鬟 Liang Yu-yu HNETV third Female Lead 2010 The Season of Fate五味人生 Wang Yeuk-lam TVB Nominated - TVB Anniversary Award for Best Actress (Top 15)Nominated - My AOD Favourite Award for Best Actress (Top 12) second Female LeadBeauty Knows No Pain女人最痛 Wong Hoi-king, Noble TVB Female Lead2010-2011 Show Me the Happy依家有喜 Chai Chuen, Anna TVB Female Lead 2012 The Bride with White Hair Ling Muhua HSTV Supporting Role The Confidant大太監 Empress Dowager Cixi慈禧太后 TVB Nominated - TVB Anniversary Award for Best Actress (Top 5)Nominated - TVB Anniversary Award for My Favourite Female Character (Top 5)Nominated - My AOD Favourite Award for Best Actress (Top 12)Nominated - My AOD Favourite Award for My Favourite Television Character Female Lead Palace II宮鎖珠簾 Concubine Yun's mother HBS Xuan-Yuan Sword: Scar of Sky Nüwa 2013 Earth God and Earth Grandmother Triumph in the Skies II Manna TVB Guest Star 2013-2014 Coffee Cat Mama Marcia Ma TVB Female Lead 2015 Young Charioteers Vivian Lee TVB 1/2 of the Female Lead Raja Pahat Daeng Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM) Limelight Years Ming Ha TVB Guest Star 2017 Tiger Mom Blues Grandma TVB 1/2 of the Female Lead My Dearly Sinful Mind Yuen Lai Seung TVB Guest Star Heart and Greed Yu Sau-wai TVB 1/3 of the Female Lead 2018 Deep in the Realm of Conscience Empress Dowager Wei TVB Cameo Appearance 2019 How Are You? Xie Xiangyi Mediacorp Cameo Appearance 2020 Forensic Heroes IVLong Ying-suet TVB Special Appearance Come Home Love: Lo and Behold Herself TVB Special Appearance in episode 997 2021 Sinister Beings Song Choi-suet TVB Special Appearance A Love of No Words Chu Sa-kiu TVB Nominated - TVB Anniversary Award for Best Actress Nominated - TVB Anniversary Award for My Favourite Female Character Nominated - TVB Anniversary Award for Most Popular Onscreen Partnership (with Shek Sau) Nominated — TVB Anniversary Award for Favourite TVB Actress in Malaysia Female Lead
Musicals YearTitleNotes1982 Madame White Snake 1990 Cyrano De Bergerac 1992 Tin Nui San Wah 1995 The Flirty Doctor My Date With Spring 1996 Hu Du Men 2001 The Butterfly Lovers guest star
References
External links MichelleClan.com - Michelle Yim official website Hong Kong Movie Database - Michelle Yim