Valerie Chow, born Ka-Ling Chow in Hong Kong, was the only daughter of a well-off family. In 1991, she won the prestigious Miss Hong Kong Pageant as the first runner-up. After this achievement, she returned to Hong Kong University to complete her law degree before re-entering the entertainment industry in 1993.
Chow's career began with the film "Wan 9 Zhao 5" (TwentySomething),where she played Alice, a young woman seeking true love in Hong Kong's vibrant club scene. Her breakthrough role came with "Chungking Express," where she portrayed the enigmatic woman who broke Tony Leung's heart. Although she only had a few scenes, her performance left a lasting impression. The iconic image of her wearing a bra and skirt, seemingly swaying in and out of space, solidified her status as a symbol of mysterious seduction.
Following her success in "Chungking Express," Chow starred in a 20-episode TV series, playing the outside interest of a honest married man who eventually divorced his overweight, cooking-oil-soaked wife. The series was a huge success, but her performance was not well-received, and her career began to decline. She went on to appear in a string of insignificant films, often typecast as a two-dimensional seductress or attempting to "cleanse" her image as a home-wrecker.
In an effort to revitalize her career, Chow moved to the United States, but her experience in Hollywood was equally uneventful, with the exception of her Revlon contract. After returning to Hong Kong, she secured a job in the marketing and events department of Lane Crawford, the local equivalent of Neiman Marcus, and acting became her part-time occupation.
One of her latest part-time jobs, the 40-episode TV series "Hap Qua Yin Som" (Healing Hearts),proved to be her biggest success to date. In this role, Chow played Flora, a lawyer recognized as the perfect modern woman - smart, beautiful, and independent. The show's success led to another major cosmetic contract, with Chow becoming the spokesperson for Neutrogena's whitening mask, a new product launched in Hong Kong.
