Home 
Celebrities Hong Kong Heiress
Celebrities Hong Kong Heiress
| Hong Kong Heiress |
 |
 |
 |
| Written by Hazel on Friday, 20 March 2009 15:50 |
|
 Hong Kong Heiress
Rock star. Actress. Businesswoman. Josie Ho just happens to be heir to a multi-billion dollar fortune. Billionaire Heiress. The label conjures up enough images of tabloid fodder and scandalous sex tapes to have that person instantly dismissed as a publicity-craved airhead. Paris Hilton may be the expert on getting people’s attention, but in Hong Kong, Josie Ho is doing something most people never thought they would do with a billionaire heiress—listen. In the commercial and conformist Hong Kong entertainment industry, Josie Ho’s career sticks out. Named one of Forbes Magazine’s most intriguing billionaire heiresses, the daughter of illustrious Macau casino tycoon Stanley Ho has established herself as a successful recording artist-cum-actress in her native Hong Kong. While many celebrities these days dabble in side projects without much success, Josie Ho stands out as a true Renaissance woman. Her indie-pop rock records are more reminiscent of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and arthouse rock, than generic pop. Her penchant for playing taboo parts (a lesbian in Butterfly and several roles as a prostitute) have earned her several acting nominations and awards in Asia. Now, having earned success and respect in her career, Ho is looking to expand her popularity beyond Hong Kong. As the villainous Cantana in the upcoming Streetfighter, the 34-year-old actress plays a “fearless badass” that Ho is no stranger to herself. “I think I’m always the black sheep of the family. I’m the Black Sheep in Hong Kong,” Ho says with a sense of pride. “Basically, I’d just like to compromise less and less.” Her rebellious image comes out during a magazine photo shoot in Venice Beach, Calif. In a green t-shirt and poofy purple pants, Ho looks more like the funky rock star she is than a “billionaire heiress.” It’s not until you hear Ho’s slight British accent that you realize her impressive background. Ho describes her family (reportedly worth $7 billion) as a close-knit bunch—the kind that gathers for regular family dinners. There are no salacious tales of family squabbles to tell. Beyond the annual skiing trips and boarding schools in Canada, Ho describes life with her family as pretty normal and uneventful.  Ho’s decision to forego college for a recording career didn’t sit well with her family who didn’t approve of her foray into the entertainment industry. After releasing a pop album, Ho became influenced by Hong Kong’s burgeoning underground alternative scene. She released three more albums with an edgier sound, including last year’s Elastic Rock. Performing with her band, Ho holds nothing back, dancing wildly in front of and even with her audience. Ho says she learned early on to follow her instincts rather than seek approval from others. Although she says her family is supportive of her career, she says they have very little involvement with her career ventures and her father rarely comes to her shows or sees her movies. “I’m not complaining,” Ho says. “I’ve been very fortunate and grateful to my family. I’m very, very lucky to have my family. When I first started, I really wanted to prove myself and distance myself from the family name. Now, I’m pretty much over that. But I’m a creative person, an artist and not just the daughter of Stanley Ho.” Her successful singing career has led to opportunities in film. But like her recording career, Ho gravitates to the unconventional. She won the Best Supporting Actress trophy at the Hong Kong Film Awards for her portrayal of a prostitute in 2003’s Naked Ambition. She earned critical acclaim for her role in 2004’s Butterfly, where she played a repressed lesbian struggling to come to terms with her sexuality. After all that she has accomplished in her ten years in the entertainment industry, there are still the skeptic critics determined keep her in the “billionaire heiress” label, though Ho herself seems uninterested in the Paris Hilton comparisons. “I think if you look at my career and hers, it’s pretty obvious we’re on different paths,” she says of the tabloids’ favorite heiress. “From the beginning, my career was always more about being creative than fame or money. I think it’s pretty obvious that I’m not doing this for the money.”  “I just wanted to give them confidence in hiring me, that I was serious and capable of this job,” Ho says. “I think sincerity works really well. As long as you’re sincere and optimistic about it, people are more willing to give you a chance.” Having achieved fame in Asia, Ho is setting her sights on crossover appeal. Relatively unknown in the United States, Ho is appearing in her first Hollywood film, the action-packed Streetfighter starring Kristen Kreuk. Ho says she enjoyed playing the ruthless villain Cantana in the video-game adapted film. “She’s just a man trapped in a woman’s body,” says Ho. “She uses her power to get what she wants. I just love her aggressiveness.” Next up for Ho is a film she co-produces and stars in, a film she’s keeping under wraps until production begins in February. The film is produced under the film production company she created with her husband Conroy Chan Chi-Chung. Beyond that, Ho says her career is wide open with possibilities in both music and film. “There are albums to release, films to produce,” Ho says. “Whatever I do, I just hope it’ll shock the hell out of Hong Kong and the world.” by: Hazel Lodevico photography by: Steve Kay styling by: Diana L. Chan assistant stylist: Jera Sutton hair by: Larry Sims using Sebastian for Exclusive Artists makeup by: Su Han using Clinique for Exclusive Artists shot on location at: Red Pearl Kitchen of Hollywood |
