余麗珍

简介

Actress Yu Lai-zhen was born in 1915 in the British Malay Federation and was of Kaiping, Guangdong origin. Her birth name was Yu Ju-ying and she was a Catholic. She entered the Cantonese opera world at age thirteen and became famous for performing "Dao Ma Dan" (horse-and-sword warrior) roles, earning the title "Queen of Art". She began her film career in 1947, starring in numerous Cantonese opera films as well as martial arts and fantasy films. She was beloved for her portrayal of the pitiful and loyal "Eastern Palace Empress," which stood in contrast to the scheming "Western Palace Empress" often played by actress Li Xiang-qin. Yu Lai-zhen was the eldest among eight opera actresses who formed the "Eight Peonies" sisterhood, and she was known as the "Purple Peony." She retired from the arts in 1968 and moved to Toronto, Canada, where she passed away in hospital in 2004 at the age of 88. She was married to opera playwright Li Shao-yun, with whom she had two sons and two daughters; they divorced in 1952 before remarrying.