Stephy Tang interview: Stephy Tang (鄧麗欣) says she still feels every bit connected to the girl-group era that launched her career, even as acting has become her principal focus. Cookies debuted in 2002 as a nine-member pop group, and Tang remembers the early years as a time when the group’s size and public image made private life difficult.
She began as a singer and later discovered a stronger pull toward acting, a shift that brought multiple performance awards and a deeper public presence. Yet Tang said one constant remained: her appearance, which she described as something she did not want to change.
A careful idol, and the price of visibility
In the Stephy Tang interview, Tang said modern idol groups, both male and female, often have the advantage of stronger training and more privacy protections than her generation did. She said younger groups also face fewer tabloid intrusions, which changes how they interact with the public.
Tang recalled that when Cookies worked, even stepping a few paces from the group on a public appearance could prompt stories about division or isolation. “If a reporter caught you walking apart, rumors would follow, and people would start to doubt each other,” she said.
As Cookies’ leader, Tang said she took the role seriously and rarely felt she failed her teammates. But she also questioned whether the idol route was the best way to present herself, especially because she values privacy and does not update social media frequently. “Being an idol involves a lot of public interaction, and I do not like my private life being pulled into everything,” she said.
Acting as a second act, and finding a rhythm
Tang said the most fortunate thing about her career was the successful shift from singer to actress. She won multiple best-actress awards in 2018 for her work in the film “空手道,” and she said acting broadened both her creative range and her inner life.
She described film work as a solitary craft in some ways, because the actor’s relationship with a role is intimate and not something that can be fully explained to the public. “Filmmaking is collaborative, but I can work in a way that feels personal, and I enjoy that environment,” Tang said.
Tang said she did not arrive as a classically trained actor. She credited director 張經緯 for teaching her a new sense of realism and for showing her how a single look or expression can be shaped, deepening what she brought to roles in later films.
Therefore I Am, and rethinking live shows
Tang will return to the live stage in November for her second solo concert, titled “Therefore I Am.” In this Stephy Tang interview, she said the show will try to fuse her acting experience with a concert format that asks the audience to listen as well as watch.
She said past concerts tended to be formulaic, focused on singing and dancing, and designed to be visually elaborate. After seeing performances by Tanya Chua and Phil Lam, Tang said she realized a different approach can create a distinct experience for the audience, one that relies less on spectacle and more on emotional resonance.
Tang said new songs are not imminent, and if she does release music soon, it may not be the romantic ballads she is known for. “I’ve sung so many love songs that choosing that theme again feels limiting,” she said. Instead, she wants material that offers spiritual insight about life and the world.
A lifelong love of art, especially Van Gogh
Tang described a circle of close friends and collaborators who have supported her over the years, and she said that continuity matters deeply. She also spoke about her interest in painting, and how studying oil painting brought her to Vincent van Gogh, whose “Starry Night” she said left a lasting impression.
She said she enjoys abstract and fluid painting, even when the outcome is uncertain, because the process itself is rewarding. Friends have encouraged her to hold a show, but Tang said she would not rush work for the sake of an exhibition, because that would sacrifice the joy of painting.
In the concert introduction Tang wrote, “Time passes, memories grow fine, I trust that some things remain unchanged.” She said the sentiment captures her approach to life, and that knowing herself well has helped her stay true despite outside voices.
Executive Producer: @angusmok
Photographer: Olivia Tsang
Art Direction: Olivia Tsang & Mimi Kong
Styling: Mimi Kong assisted by Yoanah Chan
Videography: Kason Tam & Alvin Kong
Video Edit: Kason Tam & Alvin Kong
Interview: Ms. A
Makeup: Cyrus Lee
Hair: Ritz Lam @myös
Wardrobe: Giorgio Armani, Sportmax
Jewelry: EMPHASIS
