Do we like them?

Do we like Maggie Cheung?

Our score: 8 out of 10. No harmful words or company turned up and she has years of child-welfare work, but the public record is thin on her own politics.

Born in Hong Kong, Cheung moved with her family to Kent, England, at six and was the only Chinese child at her school, where she was teased. At 17 she went back to Hong Kong, became a cover girl, and after placing as a beauty pageant runner-up was offered film work. Early parts were mostly decorative, including as Jackie Chan's girlfriend in the Police Story films.

The turning point came with Wong Kar Wai's As Tears Go By and Days of Being Wild, then work with auteurs like Stanley Kwan, Ann Hui and Clara Law. Her performance in Kwan's Actress won the Berlin Best Actress prize, making her the first Chinese actress to take it. She never formally trained and has said she never pretends to be something she isn't. Olivier Assayas then cast her as a version of herself in Irma Vep.

On the harm test, we found nothing: no campaigning against LGBTQ+ people, women, migrants or public health, no conspiracy rabbit holes, and no run of films with people who push that stuff. The fair caveat is that she keeps her politics to herself, so the record is thin rather than glowing. In 2010 she said part of why she pulled back from acting was the industry's obsession with youthful beauty, which is a decent thing to call out.

On the good-person side there's no court record and no credible allegations turned up. Heads up: there are other Hong Kong women called Maggie Cheung, including a former TVB actress, so some gossip stories floating around are about someone else. Plenty of 2026 internet noise (death hoaxes and the like) comes from gossip aggregators, which we treat as tabloid territory and ignore.

The real good stuff: in 2010 she was named UNICEF's ambassador in China, and UNICEF says she advocated for children affected by HIV/AIDS, children with disabilities and a proper child welfare framework. That's work for people with little power, not a trophy-polishing exercise. Her Berlin win is the headline honour, but the UNICEF years say more about her.

These days she's stepped away from acting and lives in Bordeaux, France, posting about gardening, fruit picking and farm work on Xiaohongshu. When commenters sniped about her looks in 2025, The Star reported she responded with grace. Fans have called it an ideal retirement, and honestly, it's hard to argue.