Gillian Chung (born January 21, 1981) is a Hong Kong-based actress and singer. She is best known as a member of the Cantopop group Twins, alongside Charlene Choi. In 2000, one of the model agencies that Chung worked for as part-time while in HK contacted Chung about a job opportunity offered by Emperor Entertainment Group (EEG). Chung accepted the offer in 2000, became a contracted artist of EEG and underwent training before her debut. In 2001, the management company assigned her to form a singing duo, Twins, with Charlene Choi. Currently, she is on extended leave to avoid scrutiny by the media and the public due to the Edison Chen photo scandal in February 2008.
Chung made her film debut in U Man which was released in 2002 and has since proven her acting skills in a number of films like Beyond Our Ken which has earned her critical acclaim, being nominated as 'Best Actress' in the Gam Zhi Ging Awards. Outdoing herself in every martial arts sequence, Chung has established herself as the up and coming action star.
In the film Beyond Our Ken released in 2004, Chung played as Chan Wai Ching, a spurned girlfriend of the eponymous Ken. The film managed a box office taking of HK$3,886,355 and it has its World Premiere in Tokyo International Film Festival. In January 2006, the film 49 Days exceeded the HK$10 million mark, earning a spot in one of Hong Kong's best box office films for the year 2006.
Chung is a graduate of the Kowloon True Light Middle School and attended RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia.
On August 22, 2006, Easy Finder magazine published a series of photos of Chung inside a dressing room after a Twins concert in Genting Highlands, Malaysia. One of the cover photos showed Chung's backview as she is fixing her brassiere. A second, smaller cover photo shows an unclad Chung from shoulders down to her bust level. Hong Kong celebrities such as Jackie Chan and Andy Lau staged a public protest denouncing the magazine's irresponsible actions.
The Hong Kong Television and Entertainment Licensing Authority received 2875 complaints regarding the revealing photos and the incident was referred to the Obscene Articles Tribunal for further action. On November 1, 2006, Easy Finder lost its appeal against an obscenity ruling on the published article and pictures. The appeal panel, consisting of one magistrate and four lay members, upheld the judgement, declaring the article "obscene", and saying it was a "calculated act of selling sexuality which is corrupting and revolting". Jimmy Lai, founder of Next Media (Easy Finder's publisher), interviewed on the television show Be My Guest, apologized to Gillian and offered to return all the negatives.
In January and February 2008 many explicit photos involving Gillian Chung and Edison Chen were found online. The scandal also involved Bobo Chan and Cecilia Cheung. Afterwards, she made a statement on her first public appearance on February 11 to respond and apologize to the public for being naive and silly. The public did not accept her apology, as shown in the reaction to her appearance on Jade Solid Gold on February 20. TVB, the producing company of Jade Solid Gold, received over 500 complaints while Hong Kong Broadcasting Authority received over 1200 complaints regarding her appearance on the show. She withdrew her promotion event on February 23 following the public backlash. In addition to her voluntary withdrawal from some events, she was expelled from the 2008 Summer Olympics Opening Ceremony, held in Beijing, on the instruction of director Zhang Yimou.
