Hong Kong actress Charmaine Sheh is no stranger in Asia's entertainment scene, with nearly three decades in the industry and a long list of accolades to her name.
However, her journey to stardom wasn't always smooth-sailing.
In a recent interview with Chinese media, the 50-year-old revealed that she had considered exiting showbiz altogether after receiving harsh criticism during the early years of her career.
Sheh joined the entertainment industry in 1997.
In 1999, she was widely criticised for her performance in the drama The Flying Fox Of Snowy Mountain, with many commenting that her voice was too squeaky and her acting lacked flair.
"When I saw the overwhelming criticism after the show aired, I felt discouraged and unsure of what to do ... It made me doubt my ability as an actress," she said.
During that period of self-doubt, Sheh turned to her seniors for advice – including Sunny Chan, her co-star in the drama.
"He told me to just keep filming, and I was like, 'Huh?', as if he wasn't answering my question. It wasn't until a few years later that I understood what he meant.
"I needed time to learn because no matter what he said, I wouldn't suddenly improve. There's no such thing as instant success," she said.
The award-winning actress expressed her gratitude to her seniors for their advice and for never giving up on her, adding: "I'm lucky TVB didn't give up on me."
Sheh, who won best actress at the TVB Anniversary Awards in 2023 for her role in The Queen Of News, is now reprising her role in the show’s second season.
A Weibo blogger recently said Sheh is expected to earn HK$1mil (RM532,799) for the sequel – a notable increase from the HK$470,000 (RM250,415) she received for the first season.
