‧ Chinese Name: 楊貴媚
‧ Date of Birth: September 6, 1959
‧ Place of Birth: Taipei City (Northern Taiwan)
Did You Know?
"My Beloved (媽媽再愛我一次)" is a 1988 film starring Yang Kuei-mei. When it was first released in Taiwan, it attracted little attention from audiences, and it fell out of theaters just a few days after premiering. Then, in 1990, the film happened to cause a sensation in China, making Yang famous there.
Yang Kuei-mei started out on TTV in 1979 as a singer, but later went on to star in a number of TV series as an actress. In 1981, Yang took part in her first feature film, debuting in Lee Hsing's (李行) film "Once Again With Love (又見春天)" as a woman who had a crush on the male protagonist. In 1987, she starred in the film "Strawman (稻草人)" directed by Wang Tong (王童), in which she played the wife of a tenant farmer. The film was based on the life of rural people in Taiwan during the period of Japanese rule, and depicts in detail the experiences of the Taiwanese at that time.
In 1988, Yang Kuei-mei starred in the movie "My Beloved," an adaptation of the Taiwanese folk tale "The Mad Woman (瘋女十八年)." She played a single woman who gave birth to and raised a child on her own through her own hard work. However, she was forcibly separated from the child after a few years because of a dispute over custody. Later, she had an accident that resulted in her losing her memory and her mind.
In 1992, Yang played a widow whose second husband died in a mine in "Hill of No Return (無言的山丘)." Her virtuoso acting won her a Best Actress nomination at the 29th Golden Horse Awards and the Best Actress Award at the Singapore International Film Festival. The film is based on the life of Taiwan’s miners during the Japanese occupation period. Through the bitter and painful lives of miners and prostitutes, the film vividly hints at the situation of the Taiwanese during Japanese rule.
In 1994, director Tsai Ming-Liang's (蔡明亮) "Vive l'Amour (愛情萬歲)" won his first Golden Lion Award at the Venice Film Festival, as well as winning Yang Kuei-mei the Best Actress Award at the Singapore International Film Festival again. In the film, Yang played a real estate agent, and in a scene at the end, she cried for more than five minutes, leaving an indelible impression on the audience. That same year, she also starred in Ang Lee's (李安) "Eat Drink Man Woman (飲食男女)," which was nominated for an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film, in which she played a traditionally conservative high school chemistry teacher.
In 1998, Yang was part of Tsai Ming-Liang's film "The Hole (洞)," which saw her crowned Best Actress a third time at the Singapore International Film Festival. After that, she went on to star in a number of award-winning films helmed by Tsai, "The Wayward Cloud (天邊一朵雲)," "Visage (臉)," and "Stray Dogs (郊遊)."
In addition to her outstanding achievements in cinema, Yang has also made a name for herself in television. In 1999, she won the Best Actress Award at the 34th Golden Bell Awards with the China Television primetime drama "Heaven Loves Good People (天公疼好人)," in which she played the wife of a senior triad figure.
In recent years, she has also participated in reality shows, including "Three Piglets (阮三个)" and "Hey Girls, Adventure! (老少女奇遇記)." In "Three Piglets," she and two other participants run a B&B together, recording the interesting stories of them living together under one roof, receiving guests, and their interactions with local residents. The season 3 of the TV show won the 2022 Golden Bell Award for Best Host in a Reality or Game Show. In "Hey Girls, Adventure!," Yang and her two best friends record the geographical, cultural, and human beauty of Taiwan, leading the audience through less known stories and issues, building a deeper level of cultural concern for the nation.