Fish Liew on film, fashion and why she’s ‘too intense’ – interview: the Malaysian actress talks about work-life balance, being inspired by Francis Ng, and why her odd socks prove she’s no fashionista

Jul 17 , 2023

Fish Liew’s star continues to rise – especially since appearing in this year’s cinematic smash A Guilty Conscience. Photo: @fish331/Instagram

She’s just starred in Hong Kong’s highest-grossing film of all time, A Guilty Conscience, but also made waves in Anita and Limbo; her next big gig is a lead role in The Remnant with Philip Keung

And while the 33-year-old struggled with nudity in her early roles, her biggest challenges these days seem to be acting in comedies, and finding time to relax with her cat

In the Hong Kong film A Guilty Conscience, actress Fish Liew plays antagonist Victoria Chung, a wealthy heiress who hails from old money connections. She’s ruthless, stone-faced, powerful – and rather frightening.

Fish Liew in a still from A Guilty Conscience, which became the highest grossing Hong Kong film of all time. Photo: Edko Films

However, her character in the 2022 crime-drama couldn’t be further from the real-life Liew, who is relentlessly warm and welcoming.

A humble and truly talented actress who continues to demonstrate her remarkable range, Liew is a woman to watch. As for the film itself, it was a triumph at the box office, scaling the charts to earn the distinction of become Hong Kong’s highest grossing film of all time.

Fish Liew won the best supporting actress award for her role in Anita. Photo: @fish331/Instagram

Playing the ruthless Chung in Jack Ng’s recent film is just one of many roles that Liew has mastered lately. In 2021, she portrayed Ann Mui, the elder sister of Anita Mui (played by Louise Wong), in captivating biopic drama Anita, also directed by Ng. That same year, she joined the cast of action-packed gun toting thriller Limbo. Her performances earned her nominations for best supporting actress at the Hong Kong Film Awards, and she took home the gong for Anita.

Fish Liew says she’d love to take on more lighthearted and comedic roles. Photo: Bulgari

Although Liew has become accustomed to portraying “serious” roles, there is one genre she admits she has yet to conquer: comedy. “I like comedy but it’s very difficult,” she tells Style in an exclusive interview, “I feel like I am an outsider and it’s harder for me to get into the role – I’m more suitable for sad movies.”

Fish Liew at a Prada event. Photo: @fish331/Instagram

Despite her reservations, Liew remains open to new challenges, as evidenced by her comedic turn in Table for Six (2022). “I wanted to have a chance to act in a comedy,” she declares, “It’s good to have some balance, as sad movies can sometimes exhaust and drain your emotions.”

Liew has come a long way since she first arrived in Hong Kong in 2012. Born in Johor Baharu, Malaysia, she says she grew up in Kuala Lumpur in a strict household. Her father, a chef who worked abroad, would bring home DVDs which she says fuelled much of her early interest in film.

Fish Liew has long been captivated by the film industry thanks to the DVDs her father used to bring her as a child. Photo: @fish331/Instagram