Hong Kong movie star Nick Cheung has offered fans a rare glimpse into his relationship with retired actress Esther Kwan, whom he married in 2003.
The pair first met in 1992 while filming the ATV drama Spirit Of The Dragon.
In a recent interview with actor David Wu, Cheung, 61, recalled falling in love with Kwan, 61, during the early days of his career.
However, he hesitated to make a move at the time as she was already an established actress whereas he still had doubts about his career prospects.
It was only after Wu, 60, stepped in to encourage him to be honest about his feelings that he eventually found the courage to do so.
"While filming in Canada, Nick came up to me and said he really liked Esther but didn't know what to do at the time.
"I told him to just go and talk to her, but he kept saying he didn’t dare, so I had to keep urging him not to delay and to act immediately," Wu recalled.
With his friend's repeated encouragement, Cheung finally confessed.
Two days later, he happily shared the result, saying: "It was a success! She said she likes me too!"
Cheung revealed that after several years of dating, Kwan was the one who brought up marriage and starting a family – a suggestion he readily agreed to.
The couple welcomed their daughter Brittany in 2006.
Speaking about their 20-year-old daughter, Cheung admitted that he’s highly protective of her but makes a conscious effort to present himself as an open-minded, friend-like father.
He also shared that Brittany once aspired to become a writer, but was discouraged by Kwan, who was concerned about the financial instability and challenges of making a living in the field.
