Karena Lam (Chinese: 林嘉欣; pinyin: Lín Jiāxīn; Jyutping: Lam4 Gaa1 Jan1; Cantonese Yale: Làm Gāyān; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Lîm Ka-him; born 17 August 1978) is a Taiwanese Canadian actress and singer based in Taiwan and Hong Kong.

Karena Lam
Lam interviewed by am730 in 2019
Born (1978-08-17) 17 August 1978 (age 46)
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Citizenship
Occupations
  • Actress
  • singer
Years active1995–present
Spouse
Steve Yuen
(m. 2010; div. 2023)
[2]
Children2
AwardsHong Kong Film AwardsBest New Performer
2002 July Rhapsody
Best Supporting Actress
2002 July Rhapsody

Golden Bauhinia AwardsBest Supporting Actress
2003 July Rhapsody

Golden Horse AwardsBest New Performer
2002 July Rhapsody
Best Supporting Actress
2002 July Rhapsody
Best Actress
2015 Zinnia Flower

Musical career
OriginTaiwan
Genres
Chinese name
Chinese
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinLín Jiāxīn
Yue: Cantonese
JyutpingLam4 Gaa1 Jan1
Southern Min
Hokkien POJLîm Ka-him
Lam at Victoria Park in Hong Kong

In October 1995, Lam released her debut album Karena (有點想).[3] In 2015, she won the Best Actress award at the Golden Horse Awards for her role in Zinnia Flower, making her the first person to have won all of the following three Golden Horse awards: Best Lead Actress, Best Supporting Actress and Best New Performer.[4]

Early life and career

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Lam was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, to a father from Hong Kong and a Taiwanese-Japanese mother.[5][6]

Lam is a Hong Kong–based actress and winner of three Golden Horse Awards. Lam's first film was Sing Kei Lok Yeuk Kui (Saturday Appointment), a 1996 Adult Thriller film directed by Sam Ho Shu-Pui.[5][6][7]

Lam is also an artist, curator and ambassador of Le French May. As the curator of Le French May 2017 "Celebration of the Arts", she handpicked a selection of iconic French movies for this cinema programme. Exhibitions she curated include Inoue Yuichi Solo Exhibition 'Hana' (at agnes b.'s LIBRAIRIE GALERIE, Hong Kong) and Watanabe Mayumi Solo Exhibition 'Send in the Clowns' (Librairie Galerie at K11 Art Mall, Hong Kong).[6]

Personal life

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Lam married Yuen Kim Wai, an advertising director, in June 2010.[8] Lam has two daughters, Kaya (b. 2010) and Sofie (b. 2013).[6][8] Lam and Yuen divorced in 2023.[9]

Discography

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  • Karena (1995)
  • Unrequited Love (1999)
  • Midinight PM 11:30 (2003)
  • Dating (2004)

Filmography

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Films

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This is a partial list of films.

Year Title Role Notes
2002 Tiramisu Jane Chan [5]
Inner Senses Cheung Yan [5]
July Rhapsody Choy-Lam [5]
2003 Heroic Duo Brenda
Truth or Dare: 6th Floor Rear Flat Karena
The Floating Landscape Maan
2004 Six Strong Guys Ding Ding
Super Model Karena
Koma Suen Ling
2005 Home Sweet Home Yim Hung
Mob Sister Nova
It Had to Be You! Jill
2007 Anna & Anna Anna/Siyu
Kidnap Lam Hiu-yeung
2006 Silk Wei
2008 Claustrophobia Pearl
Candy Rain Ricky
Fit Lover Nie Bing
Happy Funeral Cameo
2010 Lover's Discourse Nancy
Don Quixote
Let the Wind Carry Me
2015 Dragon Blade Karena
Keeper of Darkness
Zinnia Flower Min
2016 Heaven in the Dark Michelle Chan [10]
2017 The Liquidator Wei Wei
2019 Integrity Shirley Kong
The White Storm 2 - Drug Lords Fung
Declared Legally Dead Ling
2021 American Girl Wang Li-li (Lily)
2024 Daughter's Daughter Emma

Awards and nominations

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Year Award Category Nominated work Result
2002 21st Hong Kong Film Awards Best Supporting Actress July Rhapsody Won
Best New Performer Won
39th Golden Horse Awards Best Supporting Actress Won
Best New Performer Won
2003 Golden Bauhinia Awards Best Supporting Actress Won
2003 22nd Hong Kong Film Awards Best Actress Inner Senses Nominated
2004 23rd Hong Kong Film Awards Best Actress The Floating Landscape Nominated
2005 24th Hong Kong Film Awards Best Actress Koma Nominated
2006 25th Hong Kong Film Awards Best Actress Home Sweet Home Nominated
Best Supporting Actress Mob Sister Nominated
2008 Ming Pao Anniversary Award Outstanding Actress in Film Claustrophobia Nominated
45th Golden Horse Awards Best Leading Actress Nominated
2009 28th Hong Kong Film Awards Best Actress Nominated
2010 Ming Pao Anniversary Award Outstanding Actress in Film Lover's Discourse Nominated
2015 52nd Golden Horse Awards Best Leading Actress Zinnia Flower Won
2016 35th Hong Kong Film Awards Best Actress Heaven in the Dark Nominated
2021 58th Golden Horse Awards Best Leading Actress American Girl Nominated

References

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  1. ^ 周郁蘋. "遭認是港星 林嘉欣:我拿中華民國護照". 中時新聞網 (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  2. ^ DRIMA CHAKRABORTY. "'Loving conclusion': Actress Karena Lam and director husband announce divorce". AsiaOne. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  3. ^ NICOLE LEE. "林嘉欣:「女人不需要依附在別人身上,只有自己才能完整自己。」". ELLE TW (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  4. ^ "Taiwan's Karena Lam wins Golden Horse best lead actress". The Central News Agency. Retrieved 27 November 2015.
  5. ^ a b c d e "Interview Karena Lam". cinemasie.com. April 2003. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  6. ^ a b c d "Actress Karena Lam is Living the Life Artistic". scmp.com. 16 September 2016. Retrieved 20 November 2020. archived
  7. ^ "Karena Lam Ka-Yan". hkmdb.com. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  8. ^ a b "Karena Lam gives birth to 2nd daughter". Yahoo! Entertainment. Retrieved 9 March 2022.
  9. ^ Lim, Ruey Yan (11 October 2023). "Actress Karena Lam says monetary disputes not the reason for her divorce". The Straits Times. ISSN 0585-3923. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  10. ^ "Hong Kong Film Awards: Stephen Chow's Record-Breaking 'The Mermaid' Picks Up 8 Nominations". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 6 March 2017.
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