Hongkong actress Kara Hui is one of the most recognisable and critically-lauded actresses in Asia and has been in the biz since the ‘70s.

The 61-year-old recently sat down for an interview with fellow actress Carina Lau, where Kara shed light on her poverty-stricken childhood, as well as her struggle with depression.

Kara shared that she grew up really poor, and had to resort to begging on the streets for money when she was just three years old. This continued for 10 years until Kara was 13.

Upon hearing Kara’s story, Carina, who could hardly believe her ears, exclaimed: “ This can’t be true?!”.

Kara confirmed that she was telling the truth, adding that her tough childhood allowed her to become a very good judge of other people’s body language and behaviour.

The actress then went on to say that her life on the streets contributed to her headstrong and rash personality.

“I’m afraid of being poor, afraid that this world wouldn’t have any space for me [to exist],” she said.

According to reports, Kara’s family is from Shandong, China, where they were relatively wealthy.

However, her family had to flee penniless to Hongkong in the ‘50s due to the ongoing civil war in China at that time.

Kara was born in Hongkong in the ‘60s and she had five other siblings. Her parents found it hard to provide for everyone, and so her older siblings, which includes Hongkong actor Austin Wai, were sold to a Beijing opera troupe.

Kara began working as a dancer at a nightclub when she was 14. Her big showbiz break came three years later, when she was selected to play Mu Nianci in the 1977 film, The Brave Archer.

She would then go on to star in a number of wuxia movies, even winning Best Actress at the 1st Hongkong Film Awards in 1982 for her performance in My Young Auntie.

Even then, Kara said she was plagued with insecurity. She shared that most other leading actresses at that time were very pretty, and the public sentiment at that time was that Kara was ugly and a terrible actress.

The criticism caused her to sink into depression.

“When my depression was at its worst, I was crying every day. I thought I was rubbish and useless. And I was hallucinating, and hearing voices conversing with me. They were telling me, ‘Why am I still staying here?’.

At the age of 40, Kara attempted suicide. She shut herself in her room and tried to swallow over a hundred sleeping pills.

In an earlier interview, Kara said she considers her suicide attempt “the dumbest decision” she’d ever made.

She eventually picked herself up, and went on to experience a career resurgence in her 50s, winning multiple Best Actress awards for her performance in the 2010 film, At The End Of Daybreak.

In 2017, she was named Best Actress for her role in The Bold, the Corrupt, and the Beautiful at the Golden Horse Awards.

“‘Cos I get really affected by negative reviews, I resolved to prove [my critics] wrong through my hard work.” she said.

Looking back at her achievements, Kara ended the interview by saying that the ups-and-downs she had experienced in her life is equivalent to two lifetimes.

Photos: Kara Hui/Weibo