Sheren Tang

In 1985, Tang joined TVB's training classes. Months later, after her graduation, Tang was cast in her first role in The Legend of the General Who Never Was with Alex Man as her costar. Tang starred as Chow chi-yeuk in New Heavenly Sword and Dragon Sabre, the 1986 adaptation of The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber novel.[7] She starred as Ching Yuet Yue in Police Cadet 1988, the second sequel to the widely popular Police Cadet series.[8]

In 1989, she was featured in five series, three of which she starred alongside Roger Kwok; The Vixen’s Tale, I Do I Do, and The War Heroes.[9] That same year she was featured in Ode to Gallantry, a Wuxia comedy where she starred as the character Ding Dong, reuniting with Police Cadet and New Heavenly Sword and Dragon Sabre costar Tony Leung.[10] In 1990, she was cast as Fong Hei Tung in the series Friends and Lovers alongside Teresa Mo.[11][12]

In 1991, she went to the United States on a student visa to study interior design while continuing to film for TVB during her study breaks. During this time, she considered quitting the acting industry and move to the United States permanently to continue her studies. However, when she returned, she ultimately decided to stay in Hong Kong and continue acting as there were many interesting roles being offered at the time.[13]

She continued to star in the lead or second lead roles in TVB series. Her first supporting role was in the 1994 series The Intangible Truth where she starred as the sister to Roger Kwok’s character. The role was originally a guest role but subsequently became a significant character for the beginning of the series.[14] That same year, Tang played Tong Man Yung, best friend to Amy Chan’s character in Fate of the Clairvoyant.

In 1995, Tang played Joyce Yan, a forensic pathologist in File of Justice IV, the fourth instalment of the popular File of Justice series.[15] She also starred as ICAC officer Poon Wai Yan in the female-led drama Sharp Shooters (a.k.a. Corruption Doesn’t Pay), alongside Esther Kwan and Kiki Sheung.[16]

In 1996, Tang joined ATV filming over 200 episodes in a span of one to two years. She starred in the 1996 adaptation of I Have A Date With Spring as Yiu Siu Deep. While the drama did not attract many viewers in Hong Kong, it was a huge success in Mainland China and the series has acquired a cult following.[17] She also reunited with costars Amy Chan, Kiki Sheung, and Maggie Shiu in one of the few popular ATV series The Good Old Days.[18][19] She was also featured in the drama Interpol released in 1997.[20] When her contract with ATV ended, she went on to appear in the Taiwanese drama series, The Mystery Cases.[21] In 1998, she also appeared in Liang Po Po: The movie as a foreign talent from Hong Kong that is engaged as an expert to impart knowledge of the triad to local gangsters like Liang Po Po.

In 2000, she returned to TVB and starred in the weekend drama series The Threat of Love, which featured a new plot every episode. It grew to be popular among audiences particularly for a weekend drama and was praised for its unique and progressive storylines. A sequel was released in 2003.[22] Tang made a special guest star appearance in four episodes of Healing Hands 2.[23]

In 2001, Tang starred as a film director, Koi Ying-Jing in Screen Play and as Koo Yiu in the period drama Country Spirit.[24][25] She went on to play supporting roles in the 2002 drama Good Against Evil and 2003 teen drama Aqua Heroes.[26] Tang was cast as Su Tian Xin in the 2003 Taiwanese series Eternity: A Chinese Ghost Story which featured a large cast from Mainland China, Taiwan and Hong Kong.[27]

In 2003, she won the My Favourite Powerhouse Actress Award (renamed Best Supporting Actress Award in 2005) at the TVB Anniversary Awards for the various roles she played in The Threat of Love 2.[28] In 2004, she repeated her win for this award and also won one of the Favourite Television Character Awards for her role in War and Beauty.[29]

Her acting in War and Beauty as Yu Fei (如妃) was critically acclaimed, making her a hot favourite for the "Best Actress" award in 2004. However, she did not win, with the award being given to Gigi Lai instead. Voting was closed the night before the awards ceremony, with Tang leading by a landslide; thus many people concluded that the "Best Actress" award would surely go to her. Tang, instead, went home with the My Favourite Powerhouse Actress Award (now renamed as Best Supporting Actress award). This attracted a lot of backlash and anger from the citizens of Hong Kong,[30] which prompted the ICAC to conduct investigations into the award show. The situation worsened when TVB asked Lai to film The Charm Beneath, which Tang was originally supposed to film with Bobby Au-yeung.[31] However, her character Yu Fei has become a recognizable symbol and is still commonly referenced in Chinese media and society.[32]

She expanded her career to Mainland China in 2005 starring in two series, Huiniang Wanxin (徽娘宛心) and Love of Fate (青城之戀), the latter which she starred alongside War and Beauty costar Bowie Lam.[33][34]

Tang also starred as So Sam in the costume drama The Prince’s Shadow which was the sixth highest drama in Hong Kong television viewership ratings in the year 2005.[35] In the same year, she starred in the suspense film Slim Till Dead.[36] She made an appearance in a flashback scene as the mother of Dragon played by Donnie Yen in the Hong Kong film Dragon Tiger Gate in 2006.[37]

In 2006, Tang starred in the series La Femme Desperado, which ranked number 1 in Hong Kong viewership ratings that year and won the Best Drama Award at the TVB Anniversary Awards in 2006. Tang was also nominated in the Best Actress Top 5 category and the My Favourite Female Television Role Top 5 category.[38] Her character, Hilda Hoi, became one of the most popular characters especially among women in Hong Kong that year.[39]

In 2007, Tang went on to star as Mung Ka Ka in the series The Family Link where she was once again nominated in the Best Actress Top 5 category. The drama was ranked number 1 in average Hong Kong viewership ratings that year and was nominated for Best Drama at the TVB Anniversary Awards in 2007.[40] That same year she played Wong Siu Fun in The Drive of Life, a TVB and CCTV joint grand production.[41]

She starred as Kelly Yim in Your Class or Mine in 2008, reuniting with her File of Justice and Screenplay costar, Bobby Au Yeung. Tang was nominated in the Top 10 category for Best Actress for this role at the TVB Anniversary Awards.[42]

That same year Tang also filmed two Mainland China series; a supporting role in Rose Martial World (玫瑰江湖) opposite The Drive of Life costar and friend Damian Lau and starring in the lead role in Under Monumental Archway Woman (牌坊下的女人).[43][44][45]

In 2009, Tang's role as 4th Wife (四奶奶) in Rosy Business brought her much popularity, making her a hot favourite for the "Best Actress" award once again. However, it was said that TVB pushed back the awards to December so that Grand Production dramas Born Rich and Beyond the Realm of Conscience could be included in the nominations, greatly diminishing Tang's chance of winning the award.[46] It was rumoured that TVB had initially wanted to promote the female lead of Beyond the Realm of Conscience, Tavia Yeung, to become the Best Actress. However, Yeung has openly rejected TVB's offer, saying that if Tang did not get the "Best Actress" award, she would join the rest of the netizens to protest against TVB's decision.[47]

Fortunately, this time round, with TVB producer Catherine Tsang backing her,[48] Tang was duly awarded her "Best Actress" award, much to the joy of Hong Kong citizens, whereby there was a petition signed by them for TVB to award Tang her long-overdue "Best Actress" award,[49] failing which they will hold protests outside TVB City.[50]

At the 2010 TVB Anniversary Awards which was held on 5 December 2010, thanks to her brilliant performance as Cheng Gau-Mui (鄭九妹) in the highly acclaimed indirect sequel to Rosy Business, No Regrets, Tang was once again seen as a hot favourite for the "Best Actress" award. Due to strong backing from the netizens, Tang was once again awarded the coveted "Best Actress" award, making her the first actress in Hong Kong to win this top award consecutively.[2]

Already notable from War and Beauty and other TVB drama series, Tang and her costar Wayne Lai gained even more popularity in Hong Kong, Mainland China, and Chinese communities overseas after the release of both hit series Rosy Business and No Regrets with many considering them as one of the best onscreen duos on television. They have continued to work together occasionally off screen for charity and public events over the years.[51][52]

In 2011, she starred as the Empress in the Mainland China series New My Fair Princess, a remake of the 1998 hit series My Fair Princess.[53] This role won her a Huading Award for Best Supporting Actress in 2011.[54]

In 2012, Tang starred as Bai Yuqin in the historical drama Allure Snow (a.k.a. City of Falling Snow).[55] In 2013, she starred in Love Is Not For Sale as Su Shan Na, the executive of a supermarket chain.[56] She also returned to TVB for the indirect sequel of War and Beauty, Beauty at War.[57]

In 2014, she starred in the costume comedy Cosmetology High playing historical figure, Wu Zetian, the only empress regnant (female emperor) of China.[58]

From 2012 to 2014, she also played a supporting role as Aunt Poise in The Four film trilogy starring Deng Chao and Liu Yifei where she reunited with 2005 suspense film Slim Till Dead costar and friend Anthony Wong.[59]

Tang took approximately two years off from work in 2014 and 2015 to focus on her health after being diagnosed with dysautonomia in 2013. She has since made a full recovery but has limited her work.[60][61]

In 2016, Tang signed a one-year contract with Tailor Made Productions Limited, operated by Hong Kong actor and entertainer Wong Cho Lam. During this time period, she was featured in many Chinese variety television programs.[62] In the same year, Tang appeared in the Hong Kong film Heartfall Arises playing the wife of Sean Lau’s character.[63]

Tang starred as Chinese actress Qi Wei’s mother, Professor Cui Feng Ping in the popular Chinese series Star April in 2017.[64]

In 2018, Tang filmed her first Hong Kong series in 5 years, Till Death Do Us Part, starring as Sharon Ma, an art dealer battling cancer who discovers her husband is having an affair with multiple women. This series is her first with broadcaster ViuTV and her first time acting alongside former TVB cast mates Sunny Chan and Bernice Liu. The series was released in mid 2019.[65]

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• I Have A Date With Spring (1995)